Game Over (The Baltimore Banners Book 2) (17 page)

     And rapid Russian.

     She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opened them and looked once more at the incriminating sheet of paper in his hand, her dark scrawl visible from where she stood.

     A haphazard mix of English and Russian, Latin and Cyrillic alphabets mixed together. She hadn't been paying any attention, had simply jotted down what he had been saying, as he said it.

     In both English and Russian.

     She closed her eyes and turned away, her fists clenched at her side. "Shit. Shit, shit, dammit!" How could she have been so stupid, so careless? How could she have let herself get so angry that she hadn't paid any attention to what she was doing?

     And what could she do about it now? Did it really matter? She didn't think so. Not really, not in the scheme of things.

     Bobbi turned as she heard Nikolai move behind her. He stood and walked over to her, towering over her in his skates, an expression of anger, confusion, and hurt playing across his face. He stepped so close to her that she took a step backwards, needing to put some space between them as he stared down at her.

     "You speak Russian. All this time, I tell you things and you pretend not to understand. But all this time, you understand. You speak Russian!" His voice was low with disbelief, anger vibrating the edges of the words. "Who are you?"

     Bobbi stared up at him for several seconds, their eyes locked. Her heart tripped in her chest and she swallowed, then looked away. She reached into her inside jacket pocket and pulled out the thin black holder, opening it up for Nikolai to see. He tensed in front of her and she knew that it wasn't just because of the badge and id. He had glimpsed the holster and gun as well.

     "I'm working with the government as a forensic accountant investigating alleged extortion at the hands of Timur Bratva LTD."

     At the word 'extortion', Nikolai stepped back as if pushed. All emotion, all expression, left him. "I know nothing of this."

     Bobbi stepped closer, surprised at the swift change, at the cold denial. "Nikolai, I can help you. I know—"

     "You know nothing. Go. Leave me." He turned his back to her and walked over to the bench where he sat and removed his skates one at a time. His entire body was stiff, frozen. Bobbi watched him for a minute, then went to stand next to him, her voice pitched low.

     "Don't lie to me anymore, Nikolai. I know the truth. The whole truth." He paused but didn't look up at her. "Let me help you."

     "You know nothing. You can help with nothing."

     "Then why did you give me that file?" Her words were loud, angry. Nikolai paused but refused to look up at her. She took a deep breath and blew it out. "Dammit Nikolai, I can help you. You need to just trust me—"

     "Trust?" He finally looked at her, a haunted look deep in his eyes. "Trust? I do not know you. All I know are the lies you have spoken. Yet you speak of trust. Go, leave me."

     "Lies? What about your lies?"

     "I have spoken no lies. I have only spoken what is in my heart." He looked away from her, his hands clasped loosely between his knees, his head and shoulders bent. His entire being was still, immovable.

     Bobbi's heart hammered in her chest, emotion reeling inside her. There were so many things she wanted to say, that her heart ached to say. But her mind kept repeating one phrase, over and over.

     Nikolai was married.

     She pursed her lips, biting back her hurt, letting it feed her anger and betrayal. Spoke what was in his heart? He expected her to believe that? "Do you remember one of the things you first said to me? That first day at your house?"

     Nikolai raised his head, turning to look up at her. His gaze was blank as he shook his head.

     "You said 'let's fuck'. I gave you what you wanted. Now give me what I want." She saw him flinch at her cold words, felt herself flinch as well at how callous she sounded, how coldly uncaring. As if that had been her goal the whole time.

     But wasn't that the truth? To get the information she had needed from Nikolai?

     Which made her no better than Denny.

     That harsh truth shot through her, but she ruthlessly pushed it away. To go down that path of thinking right now was suicidal, and it would do no good, not on top of everything else she was feeling. Better to push it all away, do the job. Bring Nikolai's family home.

     Because the truth she now knew didn't change how she felt. She loved him.

     "And what is it you want?" Nikolai's voice was cold now, the expression on his face derisive, judgmental. Bobbi ignored the pain that cut through her at the look.

     "A complaint. I want you to file a complaint, that's it. Just a written complaint against Jacobs and Toomey, explaining what they've been doing."

     "No, I cannot. You do not know what you are asking. There are other things—"

     "I know about your family, Nikolai." His head turned so quickly in her direction, his gaze now furious that she almost took a step back. Instead, she leaned in closer, switching to his native Russian. "Katerina and Dmitri are safe. They are in our custody. They will be here tomorrow if you help."

     Nikolai stood so fast that she would have fallen if he hadn't grabbed her arm. But it wasn't to keep her from falling; it was to pull her closer, so close she was pressed against him as he stared down into her face with a look of raw fear and horror.

     "What do you know of them? You cannot know—"

     "But I do. I know about them, about the Ruskov Orphanage. About the threats and extortion." She pulled her arm out of his grasp and stepped back, her breathing nearly as harsh as his. "Dammit Nikolai, let me help you!"

     He ran his hands through his hair then turned away from her and hit the glass with both hands, muttering a whispered stream of Russian epithets. Bobbi watched him, saw the tension in his shoulders, the wariness coiled in the lines of his body. Long minutes passed with no noise except his labored breathing. Bobbi held her breath, saying nothing, waiting in silence.

     Nikolai finally faced her, his eyes bright with unshed tears. The sight cut through her but she said nothing, didn't so much as move.

     "Katerina and Dmitri, they are safe? They are here now?"

     "Yes, they're safe. They can be here tomorrow. But I need your help." She locked her gaze on his, holding it. "I need the complaint, Nikolai."

     Various emotions swirled in the depths of his eyes, from fear and confusion, hope and hurt, anger and betrayal. And below all that, something deeper, something Bobbi wasn't sure she was actually seeing, something she didn't want to see.

     "And if I give you this complaint...they will stay safe?"

     "Yes. Your family will stay safe."

     Finally, Nikolai nodded, the slightest movement of his head as he stepped within inches of her. "Then I will give you your complaint. But tell me,
moe krasivejshee
," he reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, his thumb brushing lightly across her lower lip. "Who will keep you safe? Because you have also been threatened."

     Bobbi jerked her face out of his hand and stepped back. His quiet words had unsettled her, but not as much as his touch.

     Nikolai dropped his hand, letting it fall limply to his side, his quiet gaze focused on her. She shook her head without really knowing why: denying her reaction to him, denying any potential danger, denying all feeling and emotion. Bobbi took another step back and pulled her cell phone from her pocket, then punched in Denny's number. Nikolai's eyes were locked on hers the entire time, quietly watching, emotion still clear in his gaze.

     "Yeah, it's me. I got it. Bring them in."

     Anticipation and tension hung over the tiny room, the silence so thick and heavy that Bobbi felt close to suffocating. The metal chair was hard against her bottom and her back but she didn't move, didn't shift to get more comfortable, afraid to be the one to break the silence.

     Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the bare walls, the old government issued desk, the cracked ceiling tiles. This was the back room of a rarely-used hangar at the end of a small airport on the east side of Baltimore County. The front section of the airport housed an Air National Guard Unit; the rear section housed a unit of Maryland's renowned State Police Medevac Unit. In between was a small commercial airport, used mostly for private planes. The location, with its limited access away from prying eyes, was ideal for anyone wanting to come and go with anonymity. VIPs, dignitaries.

     Russian extortion victims.

     The door to the secondary office at the back of the room opened and Nikolai walked out, followed closely by Denny and Howard. Bobbi watched all three of them, saw Denny's almost imperceptible nod in her direction.

     So it was done. Denny had his complaint. Nikolai would soon have his family back.

     Bobbi shifted, a sense of being watched too strong to ignore, and saw Nikolai staring at her, a look of bewilderment and hurt on his face. She looked away, not understanding the expression. He should be happy and relieved that it was finally over, that he was being reunited with his family and that there would be no more fear of threats.

     The outer door opened and a uniformed officer poked his head in. "The plane is taxiing to the hangar now."

     The words broke the stillness in the room as everyone began talking and moving at once. Bobbi remained seated, watching as several agents pushed forward to leave the room, as Denny and Howard started ushering Nikolai through the door. It would be over in a few minutes now, Bobbi realized.

     It would be over, and she could move on, forget everything and just...move on.

     "She will be safe?"

     Bobbi looked up at Nikolai's quiet words and saw him standing in the doorway, refusing to move as Howard tried to lead him out. She opened her mouth to speak, to reassure him once more that yes, Katerina and Dmitri would be safe now, but was interrupted by an impatient wave from Denny.

     "Mr. Petrovich, I assure you that Agent Reeves will be completely safe."

     Bobbi snapped her mouth shut and sat back, tearing her gaze away from Nikolai, wondering why he would even be concerned, wondering why he wasn't running through the hangar to meet his wife and son. She could hear the whine of the engine as it got closer, knew it was now entering the hangar. In minutes, the engine would cut off, the door would open and the steps would be lowered.

     And Nikolai would be reunited with his wife and son.

     Bobbi heard the quiet click of the door and looked up, making sure nobody was left in the room, then leaned forward and put her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, willing her heart to slow down, willing her tears to disappear before they fell.

     It was over.

     She pushed herself out of the chair and walked across the room, opening the door just wide enough so she could watch what was happening. Morbid curiosity? Guilt and penance? Or a need to swiftly kill every thought and emotion swirling through her?

     She swallowed around the lump in her throat as the small boy ran down the steps and hurled himself into Nikolai's arms and buried his face against his neck. The woman was slower to disembark, looking around with caution and hesitation before finally climbing down. Then she, too, was in Nikolai's arms, all three holding tightly to each other. They were too far away to hear, but the emotion was clear, even from this distance.

     Bobbi swallowed again, blinking rapidly as she turned away from the scene. A hand closed over her shoulder and she shrugged it off as she reached into her jacket pocket.

     "Warrants have been served on both Jacobs and Toomey, and their respective offices and homes are already being searched. It should all be over within a few hours." Denny's voice was even, but she could hear the excitement under the words. She turned to look at him, shaking her head at his reaction.

     "Good for you. I'm glad you got what you wanted." She made no attempt to hide her impatience or sarcasm as she held her hand out toward Denny. He looked down at her, his brow creasing in confusion as he saw what was in her hand.

     "What's this? What are you doing?"

     She dropped the leather wallet into his upturned palm. "I'm done. I gave you what you wanted, and now I'm done."

     "Bobbi, you can't be serious. You're just going to quit? Just like that? Think about what you're doing."

     "I have thought about it, and I'm done." She cast one more look at Nikolai and his family, still tightly embracing, then turned and walked out the back door without another word.

**

     Bobbi curled deeper into herself, hugging her knees tight against her chest. The house was dark around her, no noise except the hum of the refrigerator coming from the kitchen.

     She wasn't sure how long she stayed that way, hours, minutes. And she didn't really care. This was her time, her time to grieve, her time to feel sorry for herself, her time to dwell on her regrets. Regrets. So many, she didn't know where to start.

     She heaved a sigh and straightened her legs, wincing at the mild cramp as she rolled over onto her back and stared at the dark ceiling, her mind slowing down, finally turning numb.

     The reunion scene from the airport flashed through her memory again, and she squeezed her eyes closed, trying to erase the image. How many more times would she be forced to see that play out in her mind? It seemed as if that was the only thing her memory wanted to keep front-and-center, wanted to torture her with.

     She had left the airport and immediately come home, then promptly changed into a pair of old sweat pants and an oversized long sleeve t-shirt. A pint of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food had been swiftly devoured, followed by two glasses of her favorite Riesling...which was then followed by three Excedrin.

     None of which had made her feel any better.

     She raised her left arm above her head and squinted at her watch. Almost seven in the evening—time for more Excedrin. And maybe some more Riesling.

     But no more ice cream—only because she hadn't thought to buy more.

     Hoisting herself up from the sofa with a groan, Bobbi shuffled into the kitchen, wincing as she turned on the overhead light. Her eyes scratched and burned and she flipped the switch off, deciding it would be better to use the smaller light over the stove.

     She grabbed the Excedrin and fought with the cap for a brief moment, finally sending it flying across the room when she popped it off. Ignoring it, she shook out three of the white caplets and popped them into her mouth, then went over to the sink and turned on the faucet. She lowered her head into the sink and drank, then closed her eyes and let the cold water run over her face.

     Patting her face dry with a paper towel, she reached into the refrigerator for the bottle of wine and filled up the empty glass on the counter. She tossed the empty bottle into the trash can then shuffled back to the living room, ready to throw herself back onto the sofa when the doorbell rang.

     "Dammit." Bobbi glanced across the room to the door, then looked back at the overstuffed cushions of the sofa. Knowing that her house looked as if nobody was home, she decided to ignore the unexpected company and sat back down, leaning her head against the cushions and closing her eyes.

     The doorbell rang again, a little longer this time, yet she still ignored it, willing whoever it was to go away.

     Once more the bell rang, even longer, the shrillness making her wince.

     "Go away," she muttered, taking a sip of the wine.

     There was a brief moment of silence, then the doorbell rang again, a long continuous shriek in her otherwise quiet house, followed by insistent banging on the front door.

     "Dammit!" Bobbi jumped from the sofa, the wine still in her hand, and stalked to the door. Prepared to read the riot act to whoever was disturbing her, she yanked open the door.

     And froze, her mouth still hanging open as the words she had been ready to yell died on her lips.

     Nikolai stood on her front porch, his son held securely in his arms, his wife at his side. The young boy's eyes were drooping, most likely from being tired, yet he still gazed at her with innocent curiosity. Bobbi couldn't bring herself to look at the woman, so she settled for resting her gaze in the middle of Nikolai's chest and prayed for her tears to stay gone.

     "You did not stay so we could say thank you." Nikolai's voice was quiet, a hint of question in the tone. She shook her head, still not looking up at him.

     "Um, yeah. Really, there's no need to—"

     "May we come in?" Nikolai interrupted her, and she was so surprised by the quiet demand in his voice that she finally looked up at him.

     And wished she hadn't. The look in his eyes was determined, stubborn. Demanding and even angry and hurt. She took a deep breath and stepped away from the door, turning on lights as she led them into the house. She caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and winced at her tousled hair and red eyes. Yeah, she really looked presentable, especially compared to the beautiful woman standing next to Nikolai, uncertainty in her dark haunted eyes.

     Bobbi stood up straighter, drawing on whatever professional reserves she had left, and motioned for them to sit on the sofa. She tried offering them drinks, tried to at least appear to be a gracious hostess, but was interrupted again by Nikolai.

     "I would like to introduce you to my family. This is Katerina, and this is Dmitri." He motioned to each in turn—as if Bobbi didn't know—then gazed down at the young boy in his lap and spoke in Russian. "Dmitri, you must thank Ms. Reeves, for she is the one who made it possible for you to be here now. My beautiful one has done something beautiful for all of us."

     Bobbi sat down heavily in the chair, her face heating in shame and embarrassment, waiting for her eyes to be scratched out by the other woman. "Nikolai, I don't think that's an—"

     She was interrupted when Dmitri pushed himself off Nikolai's lap and ran over to her, throwing his small arms around her neck. Bobbi froze, completely stunned, then wrapped her arms around the boy in return. He was small in her hold, much thinner than she thought a boy of his age should probably be, but there was a strength inside him as well. He was whispering something to her, so low she couldn't make it out, then quickly pulled out of her hold and ran to his mother, jumping in her lap and hiding his face against her shoulder.

     Bobbi sat back in the chair, her eyes misting, unsure what to say.

     "Dmitri does not talk much. He was always a quiet child, but has become much more so since his father died," Nikolai explained in a soft voice, stressing the word 'father'. Bobbi turned her head so fast that the room spun. She blinked hard several times, staring at Nikolai as he leaned forward on the sofa, his hands clasped between his legs, his gaze steady as he watched her. Surely she hadn't heard him right.

     "Dmitri is my nephew, and Katerina is my brother's wife. They have been my only family since my brother was killed eight years ago. It has been up to me to keep them safe." He must have seen the look of horror on her face and interpreted correctly, because he offered her a sad smile and shook his head. "Dmitri does not speak English, and Katerina only a little, so they do not understand the words. Though I am sure they understand enough."

     "Your brother...I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I thought..." She let the words drift off without finishing, not sure what she could say as she watched Katerina hold Dmitri tight against her.

     "You thought Katerina was my wife, and Dmitri my son." Nikolai's voice was flat, lifeless as he stared at her. Bobbi swallowed against the accusation she saw in his eyes.

     "I'm sorry. That's what I was led to believe."

     "You think I would betray vows so easily? You think I would love another while married?" His voice was slowly rising in volume, yet he barely moved, just sat with that stillness and kept watching her. Katerina turned her head from side to side, looking first at Nikolai then at her, then back at Nikolai. Then she pushed against Nikolai's shoulder hard enough to shove him and spoke in a harsh voice, the Russian tumbling from her mouth.

    
"You are a fool, Nikolai Petrovich. I do not know what you say, but you are hurting this woman. This woman who loves you, who has brought us together! You should be groveling—"

     "Enough Katerina! This woman, she speaks Russian! She understands what it is you are saying!"

     Katerina stood suddenly, her beautiful face marred by a frown as she looked at Bobbi, her haunted eyes thoughtful. She turned and faced Nikolai, pushing against his shoulder again. "Then you are truly a fool, for I see in her eyes the look I wore when I would see your brother, just as I see that look in your eyes. You are a fool, for you have learned nothing in the last eight years."