It had been close to two months of running down leads, taking them from one dead end to another. They’d even come close a time or two but he was always a step ahead of them. Good as his word, Johnny stayed at her back like a dark protective shadow. For the first time in her life, she didn’t feel like she was going it alone. Coming home to him every night had been an amazing stress reliever. Hell, it had been so much more than that. The kinky bastard really knew how to keep a woman interested. He was that perfect mix of danger and security, and she couldn’t seem to leave the hot sexy bastard alone to save her freaking life.

Somehow in her mind him and that blade he always toyed with became synonymous with hot sex. At this point she’d lost track of how many pairs of panties he’d cut off her aroused body. So many she’d been shopping twice to replenish them. They were the perfect team in and out of bed.

Long story short, they finally had a real shot at capturing the man who kidnapped her sister, because he’d been foolish enough to circle back around for one of the women who’d escaped. Sarah was not about to let anything get in her way of nailing his stupid ass this time.

Performing weapons checks on the way to the scene, they made ready for a potential shootout. Sitting with her gun resting against her forehead, she gave a silent prayer this would be the one.

Johnny’s hand came out, landing on her arm. When their eyes met, there was still some mistrust but there was also warmth and empathy. Glancing away, she knew that was all about to come to a screeching halt. Finding Petrov meant coming face-to-face with the truth. The truth she’d been holding back from him. Knowing that lie of omission would cost her the only man she’d ever come close to loving was eating her up inside.

They skidded into place near the entrance. The local sheriff’s office was hanging back, out of sight. Gino, Demetri, Lorenzo and Johnny were at her back as she stepped out to greet the sheriff. Converging with federal agents, the sheriff began giving a report.

“It’s a hot mess. There appear to be some bodies along the frontline of the property just out of sight of the road. We have no idea if they’re actually dead. None of them are moving.”

Johnny’s friend, Lorenzo, interjected smoothly. “They would be the bodyguards I assigned to my fiancée."

“I’ve got EMS on standby on the off chance they aren’t code black at the scene. Near as we can tell there are around seven or eight large men roaming around the cabin. It’s hard to tell because not all of them may be coming out.”

Sarah quelled her anxiety and keep her response professional. “We’ve been investigating Mr. Petrov in relation to a string of abductions linked to human trafficking. We believe one of the three women in the cabin is a former abductee.”

The older man’s face registered shock. “You mean he kidnaped her before, she managed to get away from the bastard, and he’s back to get her again?”

“Exactly.”

“To hell with that. I say we go ahead on in there and…”

“Fuck up his world? I fuckin’ agree.” Johnny’s voice was steely as he stared down at her. She knew he was remembering the last time he faced off with the vor in Russia. Don Carlo’s report had involved video footage of the rescue. The body count had been high and the women in really bad shape.

This façade of an agent/informant relationship between the two of them was becoming increasingly irritating to maintain. Pulling up her FBI jacket around her, she zipped it up quickly. Forcing her words out without much conviction, she played the role. “As a paid informant, you don’t get a say in how I conduct this investigation. Am I making myself clear, Mr. Carlo?”

“Fucking crystal clear. Just remember, those women mean something to us. They’re our girlfriends and mothers, not some faceless link in a chain of evidence leading you to the arrest of a lifetime.”

She almost smiled. Johnny was so much better at playing his role than she was. He could play the hardened mobster protecting his friend easily, but the tone of his voice and expression on his face were so sincere. By listening to them interact, no one would suspect he enjoyed tying her to his bed and ravishing her naked body, night after endless night. Under different circumstances they could have been real partners.

“Understood, Mr. Carlo. Can I get you and the other federal informants to step back so we can do our job?”

Shooting her a dark look, she knew he truly resented sending her into danger alone.

“That is a foolish decision. You need all the firepower you can get.”

Ignoring Dimitri’s very stern warning delivered with a thick Russian accent. She motioned the deputies forward, as they converged on the area.

“I’ll take point. Follow my lead.”

Nodding the deputies fell in behind her.

Sarah noticed that the sheriff’s men were take no prisoners, shooting to kill. If they kept that up, there would be no one to interrogate. For Sarah it felt like being in the military again as she carefully maneuvered past ground stained red with blood.

Upon entering the domicile, she spied Petrov laying on the floor, pants around his ankles. She motioned for the sheriff to cover her then crept silently over to him. Stowing her weapon, she quickly rolled him onto his stomach and cuffed his hands behind his back. He was starting to come to, so she pulled him into a sitting position and tried to get a bead on how many men were in the house. Several deputies fanned out to check the rest of the lower floor. Johnny and his crew came in, incensed that the man had his pants down.

Holding them at bay she explained. “It appears the women knocked him out before he went too far. He seems concussed and he’s not talking. No sign of the women yet.”

Johnny’s eyes flashed with anger. “Yea, I noticed Petrov’s not answering the nice deputies’ questions. They’ve gotta be here somewhere. We’ll keep lookin’.”

They had both already discussed that fact that getting Petrov to talk was going to take some next level effort. The kind not usually sanctioned by the FBI except under extraordinary circumstances. It was the kind of thing she suspected Johnny excelled at. Lowering her voice, she whispered. “I’ll get Petrov released as soon as possible.”

There was some back and forth about not trying to prosecute him and she quietly explained. “Look, we can arrest him and try to make some of this shit stick but he’s just going to sit in his cell and ignore every question we throw at him. If I get him released, you can play it smart by being outside waiting to give him a little escort. We can’t let him continue running around free. He’ll just come after your friend over and over until he gets her.”

“Release him, pretty agent. We take care of him.” Demetri’s ominous voice was filled with the repressed rage all of them were filling.

“I say we just whack him.” Gino’s words were barely a whisper.

She shot him an annoyed look. “Fine but only after we squeeze him for intel on my sister.” Glancing at her true partner, she murmured. “He’s the only lead I’ve got and I’m trusting you not to fuck this up, Johnny.”

Smiling slightly he responded playfully. “You been ignoring me all goddamn day and now you want me to promise my undying dedication to your cause? That don’t hardly seem fair, Doll.”

Leave it to him to begin flirting it all up the moment the deputies were off searching the house. Biting back a smile she responded lightly. “How about if I promise to do all manner of depraved things to you tonight? Would that be enough to get you back on my side?”

His voice dropped an octave. “More than enough.”

Images of being bound and at his mercy rose in her mind. His cold shiny blade skimming over her delicate skin, leaving the barest trail of pink scratches literally made her wet on the spot for the ridiculously sexy mobster. It was also totally inappropriate for the situation at hand. The worst part was that he totally had her number. She could tell by the gleam in his eyes as his hand went to rest on his blade. Shaking the sexy visions from her head, she got back to work.

The mystery of what happened to the women was soon resolved when one of them called her fiancé on his cell. They’d hidden themselves away in the attic. Clever. Now, they just had to clear the upstairs to get to them. The men headed straight for the stairs. Her pleas to the let the officers go first fell on deaf ears, so she followed them. Stalking past the others she came upon Johnny. He held out one hand and raised his 45 caliber Smith and Weston. Was the control freak really playing the who’s got the bigger gun game with her? Now, of all times?

Gino snarled, “Hostile at two o’clock.”

Lorenzo and Demetri kicked the door in and fired into the room.

Trying to edge her way around Gino proved a futile endeavor. Gino stepped in front of her, growling. “You’re not even second in the pecking order, sweetheart. Get to the back of the fuckin’ line.”

Throwing up her hands in exasperation she seethed. “God save me from overprotective mobsters.”

Gino shot another man on the upper stoop and they forced the door open. Thankfully all three women were unharmed. Gino’s mother was piece of work, picking right back up with her day like Russian mobsters hadn’t just broken into her home and tried to abduct her. Leaving the old lady to her son, Sarah worked with the sheriff’s department to log all the evidence.

Watching the man responsible for abducting her sister and God only knows how many others get hauled away in cuffs by the local sheriff’s office was satisfying.

Sarah spoke to a trembling Tiffany soothingly. “Let me get this straight. He had you chipped, like a pet?”

“Yes. We called that company with the clearing house that tracks lost animals because we thought our dog might have belonged to someone before we found him wandering in an alley. Once Petrov’s name came up as the owner with an active signal, I put two and two together and realized he’d chipped me.”

“Good thing you got a call off to your guy, or you’d be headed for Russia right now.”

Tiffany shuddered. “Been through that shit once. Not interested in going back. What are you going to do with him? He’s not getting bail is he?”

Glancing quickly at Gino, she responded sincerely. “It doesn’t matter. Either way he’s never going to be free again. You’re safe.”

“Good, cause I can’t go the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”

“Johnny told me that he kept you in a cage, starved you and…” Trailing off, Sarah didn’t think it was very appropriate to mention the gang rape within hearing distance of others even if they were agents.

Tiff eyed her gratefully. “I just want this to be over. I need some closure.”

Reaching out, Sarah wrapped her hand around the woman’s upper arm and squeezed slightly. “As of now, it’s over. That’s my promise to you.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Tiffany blinked back tears.

Glancing at her man, she asked softly. “Can you just take me home, baby?”

Nodding, Gino pulled his lady to his side. Giving Sarah a swift jerk of his chin, they headed towards the door. Frowning, Sarah thought about how to approach the woman about having the tracking device removed.

“Gonna interrogate the prisoner, Sweet Cheeks? Use officially sanctioned techniques to get him to tell you all about the women he’s been takin’.” The teasing quality of Johnny’s voice told her he was just joking around. There were too many ears around to talk about the real plan of somehow cutting him loose so the mobsters could have a go at him.

“Not now, Johnny. I’ve got to talk Tiff into an ER visit before she leaves the premises.”

Moving double quick she approached the couple as when they were not around others. “Miss. Tiffany, I hate to ask but we need the tracking device.”

“You know it’s inside my body right?”

“Anyone with his account information can track you. I know you don’t want that.”

Gino spoke up. “She’s right, Tiff. Best get it pulled out. We have a doc that can do it real quick.”

Sarah interjected, “I think you’re going to need to go to the ER with an agent if you want the evidence to be admissible in a court of law. I can go with you and complete the chain of evidence verification.”

“I suppose that will be fine. I just want him to go to prison.”

“Give me two shakes. I’ll be right back.”

Turning she bumped into Johnny, who was waiting to speak to her.

“I’ll meet you at my place later, Doll. Gotta meet with my pops.”

“Watch your six. That man is not to be trusted.”

Shaking his head, the gruff gangster replied. “Tell me somethin’, I don’t know.”

Turning the scene over to an agent who arrived with the CSI team, she headed back to the parking lot.

The local hospital was a little dumbfounded by their request to scan and locate a small implant. The back and forth took hours but they finally found it. Sarah watched from an observation window as they cut it out of the lower left buttock. The OR nurse finally came out with a small clear plastic specimen container with a metal bullet shaped chip in it. Holding it up to the light, she could hardly believe such technology existed. It felt like something out of a sci-fi movie.

Sarah got a text from her supervisor at the FBI, saying that Homeland Security had showed up requesting Petrov. She was to pick him up from the county jail bright and early in the morning and get him to processing.

Wanting to keep Johnny in the loop, she texted him several times as the evening turned into night. It wasn’t like him not to answer, unless he was actually on a job. The thought of him being on a job worried her. Considering that she was dragging him back into the muck with the Russians, she had no real right to resent him working a job for his own father.

Sarah didn’t much care for Johnny’s old man. He was slippery like a used car salesman. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.