CHAPTER NINE
Stazi closed her laptop as one of the receptionists came up to her workstation. “Hi, Valerie.”
“There is a super handsome man out front and he says he’s your boyfriend.” Putting her hand against her heart, Valerie smiled. “If you ever decide that you don’t want him, can you let me know?”
Stazi leaned back in her chair and laughed. “Why?”
“Because he’s too gorgeous to let go to waste.” She fluffed her hair and then smoothed her skirt down. “Right now, there are four women fluttering around my desk, and they’re making fools out of themselves.”
Stazi stood, pushed her computer into her bag, and grabbed her purse. “I’d better get out there, then, and save him.”
Valerie looped their arms together as they walked away from the offices next to the workroom. “Where did you find him? He looks like some sort of superhero.”
“I found him on the steps of the Art Institute and he’s a retired SEAL. So, the superhero description isn’t that far off.”
Fanning her face, Val let out a breath. “Well, he’s dressed in a beautiful suit and let me just say he’s absolutely delicious.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” As they moved along the long hallway, Stazi wondered if Hank usually drew so much attention from the ladies. If he did, then he could have anyone. Which made her wonder why he wanted her. It wasn’t that she thought she was unattractive. It was just that she wasn’t anything spectacular.
As she walked through the doors that separated the workrooms from the reception area, she saw Hank with his hands shoved into his pockets as a woman flirted up a storm. For a man who commanded a room and any situation she’d seen him in, he sure looked uncomfortable. When she called out his name, he spun around and gave her a big smile.
Without a word to the woman who’d been flirting, he strode quickly away and wrapped Stazi in his arms. “Thank God you’re here.”
Letting out a laugh, she patted his chest. “Don’t tell me…flirting makes you uncomfortable.”
He shook his head and frowned. “If that’s what that was, then yes, I have no problem admitting that it makes me damn uncomfortable. I’d rather be in a firefight than have to go through that again.”
Putting her hand on his shoulder, she gave the best sympathetic look she could muster. “Poor you.” Smoothing out the fabric of his suit, she then pulled him down so that she could speak quietly in his ear. “I’ll protect you.”
As he turned his head, their mouths were almost touching. “Better kiss me.”
“My pleasure.” Moving her hand to his face, she kissed him in a way that left no question about who Hank belonged to. For the first time in her life, she wanted to claim a man as her very own. Not just because women were showing interest, but because the idea of him being with anyone else made her furious. Hopefully, the kiss she just gave him would tell him all the things she hadn’t said yet. Things she didn’t realize until this moment. She wanted Hank Coleman, not just because he was protecting her, but because in the short time they’d spent together, he’d become essential to her happiness.
Releasing his mouth, she then let her hand glide off his face. “We should go because we have a couple of mobsters waiting for us.”
“For the record…that kiss you just gave me will get you whatever you want. Whenever you want something, just kiss me like that, and I’ll do your bidding.”
Stazi took his hand and led him out of the building. “I’ll keep that in mind.” As they walked over to the parking structure, she gave him a once-over and agreed with Valerie. Hank was gorgeous and she wondered what she’d done to deserve someone like him in her life. “You look very handsome in your suit.”
“Thanks, honey.” He ran his hand over an American flag pin on his lapel and winked. “This pin can transmit images in real time.”
“Wow. How many gizmos are you loaded up with?”
“Quite a few. I even got you a spy decoder ring to wear.”
Clapping her hands, she looked up and laughed. “Really?”
He gave her a get real look. “My woman wants something, I’m going to get it for her.” Squeezing her hand, he grinned. “It’s got an audio recorder embedded in it. It will transmit all conversations instantly to Lucky. She and Sam are at SAI, ready and waiting for the intel.”
“This is so cool. I’ll try not to geek out, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
“It’s all we can ask.” He led them into the structure and they climbed into his SUV. Once they were in, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. “In all seriousness, Staz…these guys are the real deal and as much as I want to gather intel, nothing is more important than your safety. I can’t go in armed as I’d like, but that doesn’t mean I’m not lethal.”
Letting out a breath, she nodded. “I get it. Tell me what you want me to do.”
“First, you have great instincts and I want you to follow them. Second, if I tell you to do something, you do it. No hesitation, no questions.”
“Understood.” Pushing at his arm, she let out a laugh. “Are you going to ask me to do that when we’re naked?” Watching his beautiful blue eyes almost pop out of his head and his breath grow short gave her a huge dose of satisfaction. “Gotcha.”
Hank shook his head and then scraped his hand down his face. “Woman, you are going to be the death of me. I’m trying to be all serious and shit. Then you blow it to kingdom come with your naughty talk.”
“I thought a little laughter would help me handle what we’re about to walk into. Making light of the situation is the only way I know how to deal with it.”
He lifted her hand, grazed his mouth across the top of it, and then turned it gently back and forth. “You have such small wrists. I’m going to have to use one of my extra-special knots so when I do tie you up and ravage your body, you can’t get free.” He gave her a wink and then put the key in the ignition. “Ready to get your spy on?”
Swallowing loudly, Stazi nodded. To hell with gathering intel and taking down the bad guys. All she wanted to do was drag Hank home and lock the door. No one had ever offered to ravage her before, and she would rather see about that than some Russian mobsters.
As they pulled out of the parking structure, Hank started whistling and appeared completely relaxed. Which was infuriating. How could he be so cool? Crossing her arms, she looked out the window and decided she was going to make him lose it before the day was over.
Mr. Cool-Calm operator would be shouting her name the moment she got her mouth on him, and she looked forward to seeing him under her control. “I hope you can teach me how to tie one of those knots because I plan on ravaging you first.”
The way his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel was the only indication that he heard what she’d said. Which for now would have to do.
***
Hank parked one block down from Firtash’s house and hoped the intel that Lucky had gotten him was accurate. She had pulled specs on the home and he had a fairly good idea of all the possible exfil points. If they ended up in any sort of confrontation, they were not going out the front door, and he had several options if that became necessary.
Not that he expected anything to happen today, but he still had a plan in place should the need arise. Today’s visit was meant to let the players know what to expect if they made a move on Stazi. It also was a terrific opportunity for him to place some of the surveillance devices wherever he could.
Lucky had procured some the latest tech from a “friend” and he had several in his pocket. They were wafer-thin clear discs that were all but impossible to detect.
By the time they were done with today’s visit, he hoped to have found a home for all eight of the ones he had in his possession. They made Sam leave the room when Lucky handed them over, and by all accounts that gave him the plausible deniability he needed. Anything they picked up was never going to be admissible in court or result in an indictment, but it certainly would give them the opportunity to discover what Firtash was after.
This was, by all accounts, an SAI operation and had nothing to do with the federal government. If, at some point, they discovered something useful and it so happened to fall into the hands of someone who could make use of it, then so be it.
He dug a small jewelry box out his pocket, held it up, and smiled. “Ready for your decoder ring?”
Clapping her hands, Stazi nodded. “Yes, please.”
When he snapped the box open, he looked at the large citrine and felt his heart do a double flip. A picture rolled across his mind and it was of a similar scene. Only it was the real thing…him proposing to Stazi. The thought of that happening at some point in the future filled him with a calm happiness that he’d never experienced or really ever dreamed of.
Yep, it was official—he had moved to the dark side and might be asked to give up his man card. His head was filled with so many sappy and emotional thoughts that he expected at any moment someone was going to call him on it.
Stazi lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers, and he realized that maybe his idea of being a man had been missing a very important piece. The piece that made him open and strong enough to realize that nothing meant shit if you didn’t make yourself vulnerable when the situation called for it. He was getting close to someone who deserved nothing less, and he’d be lucky to have the chance to show her how emotional, sappy, and vulnerable he could be.
Hank Coleman the warrior was only a part of him. He had a whole other part that he’d never explored. Might be about time he figured out what that meant.
He slipped the ring out and slid it onto Stazi’s finger. She held it up and admired it. “Like it?” he asked.
She put it up to her mouth and said, “Spy one to base, come in base.” She gave him a wink and then slid her purse over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”
“You sure are.” He took her hand until she looked at him. “Remember the rules. Play along with whatever I say and follow directions.”
“Got it. I’m ready for my first assignment.”
“Which is what I’m afraid of.” He jumped out and walked around to open her door. When she slid out and straightened her dress, he prayed he didn’t have to do anything that would make her change her mind about him. If he had to take someone out, he would. He just didn’t need Stazi to have a front row seat to it. It was one thing to know someone was capable of something. It was an entirely other thing when you saw it up close and personal.
Not that it was going to happen.
***
Hank held Stazi’s hand as they walked down Clark toward Firtash’s home. Apparently, it had once been an industrial building and had been renovated into a beautiful home. At least, that’s what Lucky had told him when she pulled the drawings from the city.
Stazi rang the bell on the front gate and they waited to be admitted. The cameras mounted on the walls clicked and he assumed they were being run through some sort of facial recognition program. Because if Firtash had been a client of SAI, Hank certainly would’ve recommended that be part of the system.
A deep, accented voice came over an intercom. “Enter.”
“Ready, honey?” Stazi asked as she smiled.
“Absolutely.” Opening the heavy door, Hank held it for Stazi and assumed the weight of the door indicated it had been reinforced. “Our dinner reservation at North Pond is at six.”
“Really?” Squeezing his hand, she let out a little laugh. “What a treat. That’s one of the most romantic restaurants in the city and they just received another Michelin Star. I guess turning thirty is going to be okay.”
The house was separated from the front gate by a couple of feet and he took the opportunity to give her a kiss before they got too close. And it wasn’t some bullshit peck. No, he gave her a kiss that she would experience deep down in her soul. The kind of kiss that would make her feel like he was buried deep within her body without having laid a hand on her.
He knew the exterior was covered in cameras and he wanted to let everyone who had eyes on them know that he was a man who was serious about the woman in his arms. The people they were dealing with would understand there would be no length he wouldn’t be willing to go to in protecting Stazi. He also just liked kissing her, so this gave him an excuse. Turned out playing the role of a man in love was no role at all and was probably damn close to what was happening.
When he released her mouth, he felt her stumble and held her tightly. “You okay?”
“Sure, just don’t kiss me like that again unless we’re behind closed doors.”
“Can’t promise, but I’ll try.”
“Good enough,” she responded.
A large man stood at the glass doors with his arms crossed and Hank assumed he was going to be the first of many shestyorka or soldiers they were going to encounter. Sam and Lucky had given him a primer in Bratva structure over that last couple of days and he was surprised how much of it he had retained.
“Hello, Egor. I have an appointment with Dmitry.”
“Yes, he is expecting you.” Pointing a beefy finger at Hank, he shook his head. “Him, we know nothing about.”
“Really? I told Dmitry that my boyfriend would be coming along because we have plans right after the meeting.”
Hank leaned over and kissed Stazi’s head. “Fiancé…remember?” He lifted her hand and grinned at the man who didn’t look like he was going to let them pass. “Just happened. My girl here just agreed to make me the happiest man in the world.”
“If this doesn’t work out for Dmitry,” Stazi said, “then I’ll have someone from the center contact him and make another appointment.”
“I will check.” He opened the door wider and pointed to a group of chairs. “Sit and don’t wander.”
“Sure.” Stazi took Hank’s hand and they walked over to the chairs. Putting her bag on her lap, she smiled and sat down. “We’ll be here.”
Hank sat down next to her and slung his arm over her shoulder. “Are they always this friendly?” Not expecting an answer, he looked out around the room and prayed more people would appear. The pin on his lapel was filming everything and he hoped to capture as many faces as he could. Once the information was run through the facial recognition software, the Feds would have a better idea what Firtash was up to.
Several loud voices could be heard approaching from the back of the house and Hank prayed they were about to get lucky. Standing, he let his arms hang loose as he watched six men approach with a seventh following behind. Jackpot, Hank thought to himself. The two men leading the group had tattoos on their fingers and he bet they were about to get some nice pictures of the bosses.
Stazi stood as well and looped her arms through Hank’s. “I wonder if we should leave. It seems Dmitry is busy.”
He knew she didn’t mean it and was simply making sure that they didn’t appear too eager. When the tapes were played back later by whoever was overseeing security for Firtash, it would solidify their story. “Maybe we should, honey. We can get your birthday celebration started early.”
Egor returned and motioned for them. “You two, the boss will see you now.”
Stazi took her time picking up her bag and rearranging things and Hank silently thanked her. The longer they could stay where they were, the better chance he had of getting images of the men who were standing a foot away from them, talking. “Have everything you need, honey?”
“Yes, I think so.” They were about to pass by the group of men when Stazi stopped and put her hand on the shoulder of the man she’d met last week when she was here. “Hello again.”
When the man known as Sergey Belikov turned around with a frown, Stazi gave him a big smile. “We met the other day when I was here to see Dmitry’s painting.”
Hank looked at the man and had never seen such a soulless pair of eyes in his life. Which was saying something, considering he’d come face-to-face with militants, suicide bombers, and people who had witnessed death and destruction for most of their lives. This was a man who not only would commit any atrocity imaginable but also would enjoy it. The fact that Stazi was anywhere near him made him angrier than he’d ever been.
He stopped himself from pulling her away and getting her out of the house only because it wouldn’t help them meet their goal. All the men quit talking and turned to see what Sergey was going to do. Which gave Hank a perfect opportunity to make sure he captured every face. Turning to each man, he nodded.
“Yes, I remember you. You are art girl who Dmitry is all excited about.”
A little high laugh escaped Stazi and she patted his arm. “I think Dmitry is excited about authenticating the Modigliani.”
Egor motioned and spoke loudly. “Come, now.”
“Well, we should go.” Hank nodded to the group and then put his hand on Stazi’s lower back. “Lead the way, honey.” Hank felt dampness on the back of Stazi’s dress and knew this wasn’t easy for her, despite her smile and happy demeanor. Looking down, he saw nothing but a relaxed, happy woman, which meant she might turn out to be an operator after all.
Not that he was going to let that happen. This little field trip was a one-time thing because Stazi did not need to be anywhere near these people ever again.