Page 54 of Crimson Love

“You underestimate me. A desperate money launderer is nothing compared to what I went up against when I was in the Army. And Devon hardly scratched the surface of the capabilities of his contacts. Hell, I probably only know half of it, and I know they are some powerful people. It took him under ten hours to gather three decades of intelligence on Petrov. But proof of knowing and proving it in court are two very different things. And Petrov is smart. He might flirt with terrorists enough to make himself a wealthy man, but he’s so far down the list of the CIA’s targets, he’s a nobody ... until now.”

I look up into his dark eyes. “I’m so tired. I want him to go away. If I have to hand over the jewels, I will.”

“You’ve come this far. Let me help you finish this so you can live free and clear without this nipping at your heels.”

I slide my hand up his chest and grip his shirt. “I don’t know what to do.” Jett’s touch makes its way to my face and pulls me to him. When our lips touch, it feels like a promise. A promise of safety and a promise of other things that could come true.

Like a normal life with no one threatening me and a glimpse of a future that I never allowed myself to dream of.

He breaks our kiss and tips his forehead to mine. “Let me read the file on Petrov. I’ll come up with a plan. But while he’s in town, we need to act fast.”

“There’s nothing I want more than to be free of him. That’s all I want.”

The door opens and Devon is back, but he’s on the phone in mid-conversation. “We think Petrov is in the area, so we can probably make that work. When can you be here?”

Jett and I both stand and turn to Devon. He’s surveying me in a way I’m not sure if I like it or not.

“All of you?” Devon goes on before he lets out a low whistle. “If this keeps happening, I’m going to need to build a bloody wing onto the manor just for times like this. Harlow and I have an extra room, and the other suite is available. As long as you don’t create a whole fucking task force, I should have room for everyone. Let me know when your flight arrives and I’ll send a car for you. Later.”

Jett wraps a hand around my hip and fits his front to my back. “A task force just for Winslet. Who knew there would be this much trouble.”

I look at Devon. “I don’t even know what a task force is.”

“It’s when agencies decide to actually work together instead of having dick measuring contests.” Devon lifts his chin to Jett. “Word travels fast when circles are small. Dean Moretti has a mate from the army who’s in the DEA. My sister knows them too. When those agents caught wind Petrov landed in Winslet, they jumped on this case. We’ve got two DEA agents from Miami plus my sister and her husband on their way.”

“DEA?” Jett asks.

“Yep. They’re heavy hitters. I’d give you their CVs, but we’ll have to chew on that another time. We’ve got bigger things to focus on. I’ve been told to get started. I need every detail you know about Andrei Petrov. Don’t be shy or leave anything out.”

“Oh my,” I say. “This will take a while.”

Devon moves to his desk. “I’ll order breakfast right after I let Harlow know I’ll be longer than I thought.”

“We still need to go over your security system,” Jett adds as we all take our seats again.

Devon picks up his phone. “We’ll get to that in time. I’ve got a new company coming out to look at things and give me a bid for an overhaul. It’s an outfit out of Dallas. Bella recommended them. He’ll be here this week. Settle in. We have a load to dig into and an operational plan to set up. I hope you two are up for a bit of acting—or maybe not by the way things are looking. We’re about to reel Petrov in.”

Oh shit.

“And one more thing.” Devon takes a seat behind his desk again. “Let’s get those jewels in my safe. We don’t need any more hiccups.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TICKING TIME BOMB

Lennon

I t’s happening. The whole reeling-him-in plan.

Me – I’m ready for this to be done for good. I will agree to meet

you about the jewels, but it has to be on my terms.

Andrei – Fuck your terms. Tell me where they are and I might

not kill you.

Me – If you want them, you can meet me for dinner at The