Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2) (16 page)

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

“Remind me why you wanted to do this in the middle of the night?” Trinity grumbled, her hands stuffed deep into the pockets of her black trench coat. “I’m freezing my ass off.”

Trinity, Jack and I stood on the back patio under a wood trellis of Representative Lang’s house dressed in black from head to toe.

I squeezed her hand but released it just as quickly. “It’s better this way. Miles’s surveillance team leaves after Lang turns off his bedroom light.”

Her gaze drifted to the balcony on the right side of the second story, and she wiped her palms down her thighs. “Well, they’re off,” she whispered.

Jack’s finger repeatedly stabbed at the screen of his phone. “You don’t have to whisper, Trinity. He knows we’re coming.”

Trinity shot a glare in Jack’s direction, but he didn’t lift his head. Jack hadn’t warmed to Trinity in the last few days, but he kept his thoughts to himself, and for the most part, he behaved civilly toward her.

A circle of light bobbed inside of the house from the second story to the main level. At least Lang had enough common sense to use a flashlight instead of turning on every light in the house, broadcasting our arrival to everyone.

“The alarm and his security cameras have been disabled,” Jack said, his eyes still glued to his phone.

Quick, rapid pants of air escaped from Trinity’s mouth.

I slid my hand inside the holster strapped around my waist and pulled out a gun. “Here he comes.”

Lang cracked open the glass door, his gaze sweeping over the three of us, and then landing on my gun. Sighing, he opened it wider. “You don’t need that. I’m not armed.”

I cocked one eyebrow but otherwise ignored his comment. I wasn’t taking any chances. We backed Lang into the corner, and in my experience, people never responded well when they didn’t have options.

I waved my gun at Lang. “Jack, pat him down.”

Lang rolled his eyes and propped his hands behind his head. “At least ask the girl to do it. It’ll be more enjoyable that way. I saw the way she kissed you in my study at the fundraiser last month. Did you bring her along as entertainment?”

My jaw flexed and my hand tightened around the gun, but I ignored the taunt.

Trinity didn’t. She laughed. “I don’t think you’d enjoy my type of entertainment. I hear your tastes are a little younger, much more helpless, and of the male variety.”

Jack chuckled as his hands moved systematically up and down each of Lang’s jean-clad legs. Then he came to his feet, patting the palms of his hands over the front and back of Lang’s light gray cashmere sweater.

Lang’s mouth snapped closed, his eyes narrowing and the vein on the side of his neck throbbing. “That’s all a bunch of bullshit.”

“Save it for someone who wants to listen to your lies. I’m not interested,” I said.

“He’s not armed.” Jack yanked Lang’s hands from the back of his head and clasped them in one hand behind Lang’s back. He grabbed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and secured them around Lang’s wrists.

Lang spun around. “What the hell is this about?”

“We’re not taking any chances.” I handed Trinity the car keys. “Jones, you’re driving.”

“Where are we going?” Lang asked, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

“We’re taking a little drive.” Jack ripped his gun from his holster and pressed it to the back of Lang’s head. “Now, walk.”

Lang jerked his head from side to side, his eyes wide with panic. “You’re fucking crazy. I agreed to talk to you from the comfort of my house. I didn’t agree to be carted around in the back of your car like a fucking criminal. I’m an elected official. You need to treat me with respect.”

“Are you done with your tantrum?” I drawled, sounding bored.

“No. I changed my mind. I’m not doing this.” He pulled his arms a few inches away from his lower back, and the metal of the handcuffs rattled. “Take these things off.”

I sighed wearily. “Do you want to go over your options again? Because I assure you what’s happening now is preferable to having the details of your secret life splashed all over the Internet by noon tomorrow.” I shrugged. “Who knows, maybe you’ll even be behind bars by Friday. People don’t like child predators.”

Lang’s nostrils flared. “Fine,” he spat out bitterly. “Let’s get this over with.”

The four of us circled the side of the brick house, clinging to the shadows as much as possible. When we reached our white van, Trinity climbed into the driver’s seat.

Jack opened the back door, shoved Lang inside, and jumped in behind him.

My hand curled around the open doorframe. “Stick to the plan. Drive to Alexandria and back and don’t go more than three miles over the speed limit.”

With shaking hands, Trinity shoved the keys into the ignition. “Got it.”

“And don’t stop no matter what you hear.”

She smirked and turned up the radio. “Don’t worry about me. Now get back there so we can get this over with and get to bed.”

“Yes, Jones. Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?”

She shoved me playfully in the chest. “Too many times to count.”

By the time I joined Jack and Lang, Jack had removed one of Lang’s handcuffs and secured it around a metal bar on the far wall of the van. On the outside, it looked like a typical van used by a plumber or an HVAC company, but Jack and I had reconfigured the inside for interrogation and surveillance. A gray leather bench stretched along one side of the van, wrapping around the back, and computer equipment spanned the length of the other side. A metal partition separated the rear from the driver’s compartment.

Settling into the open spot next to Jack, I leaned forward and flipped on a switch and pressed a few buttons to start recording our conversation. The administration and the justice department wanted this blackmail scheme to disappear without the public knowing about it. Officially, they claimed they didn’t want to shake the public’s belief in the integrity of Congress and the sanctity of members’ votes during an election year. I didn’t buy it. In my opinion, they wanted to bury this scandal because it crossed party lines. For them, it was a political class problem, not a party problem. Without fail, political insiders will bend over backward to defend the status quo by protecting those at the top and their agendas, which meant this problem had to disappear without a trace.

I slanted my body so I could see Lang’s entire face. “Do you want to start?”

Lang pursed his lips and his eyes were stark. “You obviously summoned me for a reason. Why don’t you start?”

“Okay.” I drummed my fingers on my thigh. “We’ll make this short and sweet. I think you’ll do exactly as we tell you when you’ve heard everything.”

Lang flicked his free hand, smiling dismissively. “Yes, so you said on the phone yesterday.”

I nodded. “Approximately six months ago, you lobbied heavily against a bill expanding trade with Russia, citing concerns about systemic corruption and Russia’s tendency to subsidize key industries to the detriment of U.S. exporters. At the last minute, you voted for the bill.”

“I remember.” He shrugged, the handcuffs clanking against the metal bar. “I talked to some of my colleagues and changed my mind. I’m not the first Representative to change my mind on a controversial issue. I won’t be the last.”

“Are you acquainted with Dima Antonov?” I asked. Antonov was a Russian businessman suspected of being involved in large-scale, cross-border tax fraud violations and market manipulations. He was on my short list of people who may have hired Miles to carry out the blackmail scheme.

“I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never met him.”

I turned to Jack. “Can you pull up that photo we discussed?”

“Sure.” Jack leaned forward and called up a photo of Miles and Lang on the monitor in front of me.

“Do you recall this meeting?”

Unbelievably, the bastard had the gall to smirk. “I’m pretty busy. I don’t recall every conversation or meeting I have.”

I flipped off the monitor and folded my arms across my chest. “Fair enough. I’ll cut the bullshit. When you were a high school gym teacher, you coerced more than one underage boy into a sexual relationship.”

Lang’s face turned beet red and his eyebrow twitched. “That’s not true.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “I have copies of the non-disclosure agreements you made the victims sign in exchange for a shit ton of money, and the corresponding wire transfers.”

Lang leaned back and tipped his head to the ceiling. “You’re bluffing.”

I smirked. “Actually, I’m not. I lifted them off your computer at your fundraiser. Do you want me to pull up a copy?”

“So what?” His jaw flexed. “There is no admission in that agreement. They blackmailed me and in the interest of expediency, I settled.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the only evidence? Jack, go ahead and pull up those pictures.”

Lang’s eyes flared. “What pictures?”

Leaning forward, Jack’s hands flew over a keyboard. “You should’ve seen my face when I stumbled onto these pictures. I didn’t realize people could be this stupid. What kind of person keeps a photo record of their crimes?” Jack waved his hand. “That was a rhetorical question.”

I scoffed. “No one ever claimed intelligence was a requirement for being elected to the House of Representatives.”

Jack flipped through shadowy images of Representative Lang in various compromising positions with clearly underage boys. My stomach rolled, and I turned my attention to Lang instead of the monitor. After six clicks of the mouse, Jack minimized the images. “There’s more, but I think we all understand what’s happening in those pictures.”

Lang closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. “What do you want? Money? Favorable business deals? Insider information? I can send more government contracts your way.”

I clenched my hands to stop myself from strangling him. He had ruined people’s lives. He endangered our national security, and I didn’t see a lick of remorse on his face. He belonged behind bars, but it wouldn’t happen. Like too many before him, he was too big to fail.

“We want you to resign effective immediately.”

His eyes popped open. “What?” He moved his head from side to side. “No. Absolutely not. I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

“You have forty-eight hours to announce your resignation due to health concerns or these pictures will be delivered to the appropriate law enforcement officers in your district, the media, and the FBI. You’ll lose everything. Your freedom. Your reputation. Your fortune.”

His gaze swiveled to meet mine. “What do you expect me to do for the rest of my life?”

My gut churned. I hated this. He should spend the rest of his life rotting in jail. Instead, he’d get away with a slap on the wrist if he agreed to my terms. “You’re going to move back to your hometown and live a quiet life. If you even dip your pinkie toe into anything political, this offer will be retracted immediately, and I will expose you for the fraud you are.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed. “That’s it? That’s all you want?”

“Yes.”

“If I do this, will you destroy those pictures and any other incriminating evidence?”

“No, but I can give you my word that no one will see them unless you break the agreement.” He didn’t answer for a second, and I thought he’d refuse. “I suggest you take this deal. A man like you won’t fare very well in prison.”

“Fine.” He sighed as he rubbed a trembling hand down his face. “You have a deal.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

Trinity

I cracked open my eyes and met Knox’s soft stare. He dragged me closer to him, stopping only when my breasts smashed into his chest. Heat pooled deep in my belly and I slid my leg over the top of his, wanting to be closer to him.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice rough from sleep.

“More like afternoon.” His thumb stroked over my lips and my eyes fluttered, savoring his touch.

“Hmm,” I said, hooking my arm around his shoulder, pulling him a few inches closer. “Well, we didn’t get home until four in the morning so that makes sense.”

With a half smile, he angled up my chin. “Thanks for helping last night.” His lips moved against mine tenderly.

“Which part? Driving the van in circles in the dead of the night or what happened when we got home?” I asked, already breathless.

He laughed, mischief dancing in his too-blue eyes. His warm fingers trailed up the outside of my thighs, setting off mini-explosions underneath my skin.

“Well, I was thanking you for driving us around, but I definitely enjoyed what happened later.” He rolled on top of me, bracing his weight on his splayed hands, his muscles rippling. “But now that I think about it, my memory is a little fuzzy. Maybe we could reenact it, and I’ll have something else to thank you for.”

“Mm,” I murmured as his lips brushed over mine. “I like that idea. I think I could use a refresher, too. I barely remember a thing after we got home.” I lifted my arms over my head, stretching lazily. “In fact, what happened to my clothes?”

“I distinctly remember tearing them off five seconds after we made it through the door.” His lips moved down my neck to my collarbone, and I felt the brush of stubble against my skin. “But I don’t think you’ll need them for a while.”

I arched, my body already buzzing like I had champagne in my veins. “I’m okay with that if you make it worth my time.”

He chuckled, the sound so deep and rich it curled my toes. “How generous of you.”

His tongue swirled over my nipple, and I moaned. “Don’t worry. You’re on the right track.”

“Good to know.” I felt the corners of his lips curve up against my belly, and I couldn’t stop the answering smile on my face. I wanted this morning to last forever. With his arms around me, and his mouth trailing down my feverish skin, I felt sheltered from everything and anything for the first time in forever. I knew I should care that I still had to talk to my brother. I knew the threat against my sister and me hadn’t vanished. But it felt good to be distracted. Being with Knox obliterated all of the bad stuff because I wasn’t alone. He was on my side. We were a team.

My stomach clenched under the swirling assault of his tongue as it dipped into my navel. “You’re killing me,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

He lifted his head. “Surrendering already?”

“No. Keep going.”

A ringing noise floated through the air, dragging me unwillingly back to reality.

“Shit.” He rested his forehead against my stomach. “I need to get that. It’s Jack’s ringtone. I told him to call me if there was any news about Lang. I’m sorry.”

My stomach dipped with disappointment, but I pushed it back, ruffling my hands through his golden hair, enjoying the silken texture between my fingers. “It’s okay.”

“No. It’s really not.” He rolled off me, the bed squeaking as he snatched his phone from the nightstand. He twirled it in his hand for a beat. “Maybe I should turn it off for a few days. No interruptions. Just the two us. We could even take a trip away from here. How does that sound?”

I laughed, knowing he wasn’t serious. “Just answer it. I’ll make coffee and something to eat while you talk to Jack.”

“As long as we continue where we left off after we eat.” He swiped his finger along the screen of his phone.

“Sounds like a plan.”

He turned around, sitting with his back to me, his bare feet planted on the floor. “Hello.”

Giving him privacy, I kicked the sheets off, pulled on his discarded shirt, and padded down the hallway to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I dug out some mascara and lip-gloss from my cosmetic case. I stared at my reflection in his brightly lit mirror. My lips were swollen. My hair was snarled. But my eyes glowed with happiness, and it hit me. I hadn’t felt this happy or hopeful since the morning before my mom disappeared without a trace nearly fifteen years ago.

Uneasiness snaked around my chest, and for a second, I couldn’t move. The mascara and lipstick slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the countertop and rolling to the tiled floor. I wasn’t in love with Knox, right? This was just a hook-up between two people in the right place at the right time who enjoyed each other’s company.

Images of the last few days and last night played through my mind. I bowed my head, gripping the edge of the countertop while my mind caught up with my heart.
Fuck!
If I wasn’t already in love with Knox, I was tipping over the edge of sanity. I should reel my emotions in and concentrate on my life, so I wouldn’t get hurt. I couldn’t handle another failed relationship right now.

I needed to go back to my place and put it into some kind of order. Reality couldn’t wait any longer. Neither could my talk with Derrick. He’d sidestepped all my requests to meet him, but I was going to put my foot down today. I refused to be ruled by another man’s two-decade old sins any longer.

I twisted my hair up into a bun and made my way back to Knox’s bedroom with every intention of putting some space between us for a few days.

“Hey.” I froze mid-step, my brows pulling together. He was completely dressed.

He glanced over his shoulder as he slid his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. “I need to head out, but you can stick around and help yourself to whatever you want.”

“Oh, okay.” My stomach dropped. I should’ve been happy I didn’t need to come up with an excuse not to spend the day with him, but I wasn’t. “Did something happen with Representative Lang?”

“Yeah.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “His housekeeper found him dead this morning.”

“How?” I asked, feeling disoriented and more than a little dizzy.

“A self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, or at least that’s what it looks like.”

My eyes widened as my whole body sagged. “Holy shit.” I’d worked for Miles for over a year. Most of our missions centered on gathering information. I’d never been involved in anything where someone ended up dead; at least to the best of my knowledge.

He caught me around my wrist and gathered me close to him. The palms of his hands moved in smooth, even strokes up and down my arms. “Hey. It’s okay. I should have warned you this was a possibility.”

“You knew he’d kill himself?” I sounded lost and vulnerable. I didn’t even understand why I cared. I’d seen a few of those photos on his computer. Lang was a child predator. I knew that, but his death made everything seem more severe, more inescapable. The reality of it hit me with the force of a ton of bricks.

His hands framed my face. “I didn’t know anything for certain. Are you upset?”

“No. Not really.” I pushed away the uncomfortable feeling in my gut. “Just shocked.”

“Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”

“Really. I’m fine.” I swallowed, my throat feeling unbearably dry. “I’m actually going to head home today and clean up the mess. Maybe I can get Leslie to help me. It’d be nice to spend the afternoon with her.”

I’d been living with Knox for over two weeks. Other than stopping by her bar before we had dinner, I hadn’t made any effort to see her. I dodged her phone calls and ignored her texts because I didn’t want to explain my actions or my relationship with Knox. She wouldn’t approve, and I cared what she thought.

He nodded. “That’s a good idea. I had someone clean up your place, but he left your clothes in a pile. I didn’t know if you’d be comfortable with a stranger organizing your closet and drawers.”

“Thanks.” I lifted onto my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. My fingers curled around his neck, holding him like he was a lifeline. Like I was drowning, and he was the only thing keeping me above the surface. Even though I needed space to think, I didn’t want to let him go.

He stepped back, eyeing me through the fall of his thick lashes, the smallest smirk on his face. “I need to get going, but I’ll see you tonight. You’re coming back here, right?”

I shifted my gaze to the floor, studying the chipped baby blue polish on my toes. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good.” He reached around me, grabbing his keys off the dresser. “I don’t think you should stay at your townhouse alone. Not until we figure out who’s threatening you and your sister.”

The minute Knox walked out, I fired off a text to Leslie asking her to stop by my place. By the time I arrived at my townhome, my thoughts were bouncing all over, and I felt like an emotional wreck.

“You beat me here,” I said as I padded up my front steps.

“Hey.” Leslie lifted her head, a huge smile on her face. “I’m glad you texted me. I was starting to think you were mad at me.”

I jammed my key into the lock and pushed the door open with my hip. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I’ve been really busy.”

She slung her tote bag over her shoulder and followed me inside. “I noticed. I stopped by two nights ago, but you didn’t answer the door.”

I paused in the entry. Knox’s guys did a good job. My house smelled fresh. Everything was back in order. Even the sofa looked normal. They probably flipped the cushions to hide the damage.

I dropped my purse on the long console table and retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen. “I’ve been staying with Knox.”

“Wow.” She blinked. “Things are moving fast between you two.”

“It’s not like that.” I poured the wine into the glasses, then rubbed my hands together, deciding what to tell her. I settled on a half-truth. “Someone broke into my house, trashed everything, and my cat is gone.” My voice shattered on the last word, and I silently prayed she wouldn’t force me to go into the gory details. “I didn’t want to stay here alone.”

She frowned. “What the hell, Trinity? That’s crazy.” She paused, then her eyes widened. “Wait. What do you mean Max is gone? Gone as in missing or gone as in dead?”

I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes for a second, fighting back tears. “He’s dead, but I can’t talk about that right now,” I pleaded, my voice low and urgent. “Not yet. Okay?”

“All right.” She nodded. “But I don’t get it. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve let you stay with me.”

“I tried, but Knox insisted I stay with him.”

“Huh.” She cocked her hip to the side. “And how’s that going?”

“I don’t know.” I flopped onto the sofa. “Good. I think. I like him. I really like him, but I’m scared.”

She sat next to me. “Scared of what?”

“Everything. My relationship with Miles was a mess, and I ignored all the signs.”

She squeezed my hand. “Don’t beat yourself up over Miles. Everybody needs a shitty ex or two so you know when you’ve found someone worth your time.”

I tipped up my head and closed my eyes. “Maybe you’re right. I’m just so confused.”

“About Miles or Knox?”

My eyes popped open. “I don’t give a shit about Miles. I don’t know if I ever felt anything more than friendship for him, but Knox…”

She elbowed me. “Knox what?”

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “Even when I hate him, I like him. The last month has been the worst and the best month of my life. All this earth shattering stuff has happened, but when I’m with him, I feel sheltered and safe.” I turned to face her. “I don’t even know if that makes sense.”

She laughed, a light tinkling noise that was so her. “Not at all.”

I sat, staring at the wall, thinking over the last month. With Miles and every man before him, I pretended to be who I thought they wanted. Leslie said it was because I wanted them to accept me, but I didn’t think she was right. In truth, I couldn’t take facing the sting of rejection. I had a lifetime’s worth of it bottled inside me from my mom’s unexplained disappearance.

Yet I fell asleep night after night in Knox’s arms, revealing tiny parts of myself piece-by-piece, even though I knew it was like flirting with a stick of dynamite. My uncle told me the ones I loved the most would hurt me the most, and I finally understood what he meant. I loved Knox. His rejection would crush me.

“I’m in love with Knox,” I said quietly, fear coiling around my chest. “I don’t even understand it myself, but I am.”

Leslie’s eyes flared, confusion and concern etched into every line on her face. “Trinity, sweetheart, I don’t know what to say.”

I lifted one shoulder, then dropped it. “There’s nothing to say. It’s already done. I can’t hit the rewind button and make it go away.”

Groaning, she threw her hands into the air. “What about him? Does he love you?”