Everything had been a blur for days. Gribbins had given me space to try to gather myself a bit as we waited for the medical examiner’s report to come back. But deep down in my gut I knew it was Blair. There was some sort of finality to seeing her body lying there. Like a sixth sense type of thing, I just knew. Even though my heart desperately wanted it to be someone else.

Selfish, I know.

I’d just gotten off the phone to set up my first appointment with a therapist when my phone dinged. Seeing a therapist wasn’t something I’d normally do, but I knew this kind of loss was different than anything I’d ever gone through. There was no way I could battle it alone. I needed help. Gribbins' named flashed across the screen, probably checking up on me like he did every other hour. I was appreciative of him for doing that, even if it became harder to swallow the giant lump in my throat every time I saw his name pop up on my phone.

I quickly hopped to my feet as I read his message. Need you at the office, M.E. report is in. It didn’t take me long to gather my wallet, change my shirt, and throw on a pair of slacks before I was out the door and driving toward the office. My hands were shaking as I gripped the steering wheel. Those results would make everything final, I knew that. The dull ache in my chest grew heavier with the thought of planning a funeral for Blair. She had no one, only me and the rest of her FBI family. She’d grown up an orphan. Dropped off at a local church as a child and tossed into the system shortly after. It amazed me how she never let her childhood be a reason to hold her back. She thrived for so much and demanded attention when it was due. Blair had a heart of gold, and more determination than anyone I’d ever met. When it came to something she wanted, she made it happen.

Including me. I chuckled as memories we’d shared briefly flashed before my eyes until I shook them away. I turned into the office parking lot, swiping my keycard at the security gate. Blair’s face made its appearance in my mind once again. Her love was fierce, full of passion, and deeply rooted within my soul. I was going to be lost without her.

My body was on autopilot as I exited my truck and headed into the building. People said their hellos, some even gave me a sad smile, and all I could do was nod with acknowledgment. The atmosphere was so thick, I was sure I’d choke if I couldn’t get a good breath. Thankfully the elevator was empty as I stepped inside. Gribbins wanted me to meet him in the conference room down the hall from his office, which meant there was a lot to go over. Hopefully there’d be a little good news mixed in with the all the bad shit that was coming.

Voices filled the hall as I rounded the corner, keeping my head down with each door I passed. My heart was beating out of my chest and sweat beaded at my hairline. I stopped dead in my tracks. Blair’s name plate stared back at me from its spot on the wall just outside her office. I placed my hand against the closed door and heavily sighed. My head hanging toward the ground as I gripped the doorknob with my other hand. I closed my eyes and slowly opened the door.

Instantly regretting my decision.

Her scent filled the closed off room. I inhaled deeply, soaking her in. My feet moved me deeper into the room, and I closed the door behind me. Photographs lined one of the shelfs on the bookcase.

Her smile.

Her eyes.

The way she looked at me in the photograph of us down at the strip during our first, no second date. That’s the look I wanted to feel again. Such intensity that my entire body buzzed from it. She was all woman, even if she was tough as nails. She was my woman.

I took a seat behind her desk, the blanket hanging on the back of her chair falling against my shoulders. The sweet scent of vanilla and lavender filled my lungs as I pulled it into my lap. Always complained about her office being too damn cold. Until one day on my lunch break, which surprisingly was one she couldn’t join me for, I stopped at the mall and grabbed a pink camo fleece throw. Knowing she’d probably punch me for picking that design. If she loathed anything more than pink camo, I had no clue what it was. Her argument was that you didn’t need to make camo as feminine as possible for women to like it. It stood for bravery, and our military, that was enough. Always passionate about her beliefs. But nothing beat the belly aching laughter that erupted when she opened the gift bag that housed it. She never complained, never threatened to return it, she simply covered her lap with it and kissed me deeply with thanks.

Deep down I know she hated it.

“Should’ve known I’d find you in here.”

Damn, I hadn’t heard anyone come in.

I cleared my throat and folded the blanket. Draping it over the back of the chair once I was standing. “Yeah,” I ran a hand through my hair, “I hadn’t planned on coming in here.” I glanced back at the photos on the bookcase.

“No one has been in here since she went missing,” Nina smiled softly.

She was another female agent in our office. Blair really liked spending time with her, said she understood what it was like being a strong woman in a business full of men.

“Why are you in here?” Her smile quickly faded from my question. “I’m—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come off the way it did.”

“No, it’s fine.” Nina shook her head and smiled again. “I was looking for the Alverez file. It showed Blair was the last agent to sign it out. Thought I’d start here before bugging you.”

I nodded.

“I can come back.” She turned to leave, but I stepped around her and into the doorway.

“I was just leaving.”

Nina’s hand grabbed hold of my forearm, “I miss her too.” A tight-lipped smile was all I could give, afraid my voice would crack if I spoke. I slipped my arm from her hand and continued down the hall toward the conference room.

Gribbins was in deep conversation with Mason when I stepped into the room. Only the two of them sat at the table, with the rest of the large space empty. There was hardly any paperwork spread out between them, maybe enough to fill a portion of a file folder. Mason spotted me first, his eyes lifting just above Gribbins' shoulder to take me in. Gribbins' back was facing me, but only for a brief second longer before he turned in his chair.

“Just who we’ve been waiting for.” He smiled widely.

Seeing happiness on his face confused the hell out of me. Even Mason had a similar shit-eating grin. “What the hell’s going on?” I crossed my arms over my chest, not bothering to sit down until one of them provided me with the information that made them so fucking happy.

Gribbins extended papers toward me. I didn’t have to ask because I knew exactly what they were. My throat was instantly dry as I took them from his grasp, not wanting to read the results inked onto the page. I let out a heavy breath and dropped my eyes to the first page. The report rambled on about how she’d died, and what kind of state her body was in. Stuff I’d read if it was anyone else, but I couldn’t stomach reading with it being Blair. I flipped two pages back and found the blood analysis that compared the deceased with Blair’s DNA that the bureau kept on file.

My hands trembled, causing the papers to slip from my grasp and haphazardly fall to the floor. I couldn’t produce words as my knees wobbled. Gribbins and Mason both crossed the room to help me take a seat. The room was spinning, my mind was spinning.

Everything was fucking spinning.

“Water,” I choked out.

What seemed like an eternity later, Mason handed me not one, but two bottles of cold water. I quickly twisted the top off the first and downed it, followed by the second one. I was so damn thirsty. I took a handful of deep breaths before focusing my attention on Gribbins. “How?”

“It’s not her, Gavin.” He couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his face. “It’s not her!” He shouted with happiness.

Tears pricked my eyes. I wasn’t ashamed to cry in front of other men. Hell, even the strongest man became emotional when the time called for it. A sob tore from my throat as I dropped my head into my hands.

“Give us a minute,” Gribbins' voice was low.

“Sure,” Mason replied just as quietly.

Gribbins squeezed my shoulder, and I lifted my head. “This is good news, Gavin.”

“I can’t believe it.” I shook my head. “We have to find her, Gribbins. I can’t risk losing her again.” My voice was gruff, but full of conviction.

“I know.” He let go of my shoulder as I sat up straighter.

“So, tell me what we’re going to do.”

“Well, we may have a lead on Lexie, and we’re hoping finding Lexie will help us find Blair. The linen clothes Jamie was found in didn’t provide us with any leads. The shop they’d come from clears the video feed every thirty days, and a large order of items had been purchased with cash a few months back. No name, no credit card information, nothing.”

I hated that zilch came from the clothing store, but Clover was smart. I had a feeling the only way it would’ve led us anywhere is if he had someone do his dirty work and they dropped the ball. He seemed to be a man who never dropped the ball. “You believe the two are connected? Lexie and Blair?”

“Absolutely.”

Even though my gut initially told me they were connected, I had my doubts. But if finding Lexie could lead to getting Blair back, I would go through hell and high water to make both of those happen. I didn’t want to lose either girl on my watch. Their stories had to have a happy ending. I refused to give them anything but.

“Mason did some digging into her background. Her father is unknown, mother deceased, and two brothers unaccounted for. What we’ve found is her mother was murdered by a mid-level drug runner back in the eighties. What stood out about her mother’s death is the man responsible has ties to the Russian Mafia.”

“Russian Mafia. You think the men who kidnapped Lexie are connected to the Russian Mafia as well?”

“It only makes sense.”

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Mason stood in the doorway.

“No, come on in,” Gribbins directed him.

I stood from my chair and pulled him in for a back-clasping hug. “Thanks for everything, man. It means a lot.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Gavin. Just doing my part.”

I nodded, “I appreciate that.”

“I was filling him in regarding Lexie’s colorful past.”

“She definitely has one,” Mason countered.

“So, back to the Russian ties.” Gribbins put his glasses on and shuffled through some papers, “Everything keeps pointing to the Russians. The chaos at the casino the night you and Blair were there, the men who kidnapped Lexie, the man who murdered her mother. I pulled Mason on board, along with a few of his guys that have backgrounds in other areas, to see what we could find if we dug deep enough. It just so happens there’s a pretty large drug runner, who has strong ties to the Russian Mafia, that came to town recently. The DEA provided us with some good intel that a takedown was being orchestrated on their end, and if they pull anything that links to the casino, Clover, Lexie, or even Blair, they’ll pull us into the mix. But for now, we have to sit and wait.”

“I can’t just sit and wait. Blair’s alive!” I shot up from my chair.

“Calm down.” Gribbins held his palms out and motioned for me to sit back down. “Do you honestly think I’d just sit back with my thumb up my ass waiting for information? Hell, no. We’re not interfering in their operation, but we’re going to work on our own. Mason was able to get the guy’s name who the DEA’s watching.” Gribbins gives Mason a wary glance.

“Well, what is it?”

“Don’t get me wrong here,” Gribbins removed his glasses, and leaned his forearms against the long table, “I feel it’s best to not provide you with that information. You can come with us to scout out some things, but given the circumstances, and everything you’ve gone through the past week, we need to play this by the books.”

I’m sure he was waiting for me to fly off the rails, but I understood what he was saying. I couldn’t give him my word that I wouldn’t track the man down and beat the truth out of him. It was best his identity was unknown to me. “I agree.”

“You do?” The crease between Gribbins' eyebrows deepened. Even Mason looked surprised.

“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I know that’s surprising, but the last thing I want to do is jeopardize any chance of finding Blair and Lexie any more than I previously have.”

He clasped a hand on my shoulder, “I’m glad to see the old you’s back, Kelley.”

Something happened to my face that hadn’t in quite some time, I genuinely smiled.

* * *

Lying on my stomach behind a row of bushes up on a hill wasn’t how I pictured my night would unfold. Mason, and one of his men, Tom were both to my right. He’d gotten intel that the mystery man had set up a temporary shop just outside of town in a rundown warehouse. I knew the exact one. When Mason asked me to tag along, I jumped at the chance. Years ago, underage raves were housed there once a month. Since the city condemned it, it had gone to the dumps. Large makeshift fencing surrounded the property as an attempt to keep people out, but obviously that wasn’t working. Whoever this guy was, he seemed to be good at constantly changing locations. Most drug lords didn’t use that little trick to stay under the radar.

We’d been waiting for well over two hours for something to unfold. Instead nothing but silence and darkness hung in the air around us. Stakeouts made me antsy, I had never been one to sit still and see what happens. Running into the madness, or working undercover was my gig of choice.

“There’s a car coming,” Tom spoke up as he scoped out the road through binoculars.

“Hopefully this one gives us something.” Mason repositioned himself behind his long-arm gun. Protection was key, if something went south.

“Black sedan. Probably two years old, heavily tinted windows. Plate must be located in the back.” Tom was military through and through. Spent fifteen years with a Seal Team before making the decision to join the FBI. From what I’d heard, the bureau had been trying to poach him for quite some time, but he’d refused. That is up until his wife found out she was pregnant with twins, which gave him six children total. If one thing was for sure, the man was definitely fertile.

“They’re slowing down,” Tom glanced at us, “Has to be them.” He diverted his attention back through the binoculars. “Turning left on Baltimore.” Headlights shined so brightly we could see them with the naked eye as they turned onto the road in front of us.

The car came to a stop just outside where the fencing connected by a gate, and the engine was killed. A few short seconds later and the headlights went out. If we didn’t know the vehicle was there, we wouldn’t have seen it in the darkness. Tom kept the binoculars at his eyes, the night vision giving him access to what was happening. “Two men exited the back. One seems to be our guy. The other’s identity is unsure.”

“Either seem to be armed?” I asked, hating being in the dark, literally.

“If so, they’re not in plain sight. They’ve surpassed the gates and seem to be entering the building.”

“What’s our next move?” I waited for Mason to reply, but he didn’t right off.

Instead, he pulled equipment from one of the black bags we’d brought, and a wide smile spread across my lips at the sight of it. That sneaky son of a bitch had bugged the outside of the building at some point. We were about to hear their every secret from our safe harbor on the hill. Mason dialed in the equipment and handed me a pair of headphones before slipping his own on. Tom kept watch.

Static filled my ears as Mason continued to dial it in, hoping we could pick up their conversations without having to move. A few turns of the dial and push of a couple buttons before a man’s voice I’d never heard before replaced the static.

“What’s really your motive for coming to America? It’s been what…seven years now?” An American asked, who, I wasn’t sure.

Humorless laughter rang out. “You’ve always been a nosey son of bitch, Tully.” I made a mental note of the American’s name.

“Come on now, Lev. I simply like to keep what’s mine safe. An unexpected arrival seems to throw things off. Scares the locals, if you get my drift. Especially with what’s been going on.” Tully was careful with his choice of words, never giving direct information that could he used against him. He was a smart guy. “What about you?” A long pause hung in the air. I’d almost thought we’d lost the signal without notice until another man spoke up.

“What about me?”

“It couldn’t be,” I mumbled.

“You know them?” Mason asked, but I didn’t respond. I needed to hear him speak again before I could confirm anything.

“You come barreling into town, stir things up at the casino, and expect the rest of us to fall in line. That doesn’t sit well with me or look good for business.” Tully was brave…very brave.

“Considering I don’t give a rat’s ass how you feel about my actions, you might want to watch that tone of yours.”

There was no denying that voice, it haunted me. “It’s him.”

“Who?” Mason looked at me.

“The man who kidnapped Lexie.”

“You’re sure?”

“One hundred and ten percent sure. There’s no mistaking his voice.”

“So, the man the DEA’s investigating is the same man who took Lexie. Shit just keeps getting deeper and deeper.”

“No shit,” Tom agreed.

“You may think you call the shots, Viktor, but without us, you’re nothing here.”

Gun shots rang out and Mason quickly crouched behind his weapon, ready to light up anyone who moved.

“Like I said, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think, Tully.” Viktor was still alive, but I had a feeling Tully wasn’t so lucky. “Be sure to let the others know who pulled the trigger. Dump the body on their doorsteps.”

“You sure that’s how you want to play this?” Lev sounded nervous.

“Don’t second guess me, or you’ll be lying beside him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And be sure to bring the girl with you later. It’s time to end this.”

My blood ran cold. The girl he spoke of had to be Lexie. Which meant we had a very small window of time to save her. Not knowing exactly where she was going to be, or when later was, made it even more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.