to here, but it’s still sketchy. However, Interpol and boys from both our governments are wanting this one cracked.”
“Of course they do.” Child porn. Ian closed his eyes and shook his head, wishing the hot sickness would vanish “You know where I want to be right now?”
John’s chuckle grated across the space. “Anywhere but here?”
“Anywhere but here, any person but me.”
John’s eyes narrowed on him. “You know anything about this?”
Ian shook his head again. “No, but then we’re just learning of it.” How in the hell had he missed this? Was this Elianya’s brain child? Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised.
He sniffed and looked out at the night. “What else do you know, you’re not telling me, John?”
“Well apparently, this is one of the largest, most lucrative rings the guys have ever uncovered. Everyone wants it stopped so they’re tapping all their resources.”
“And that includes me.”
“That includes you.”
John cleared his throat. “There is also the deal with the hit on you, and of course your mystery woman in the photograph.”
God, he’d forgotten all about the woman. “And? You know who she is?”
John frowned and rubbed his forehead. “Where did you say you saw her again?”
He watched John carefully. “I told you, she was in Nero’s tonight. I saw her watching me when I walked in. She watched for me while I met with Viktor and then followed me out. Asked Ivan who I was.” He narrowed his gaze thinking about that cab.
John nodded and continued to rub his forehead wrinkling the skin. His sigh slumped his shoulders. “I know her.”
“What?”
“Right there in front of our fucking faces all this time and no one ever noticed.
Never. I hope to God I’m wrong on this.”
“I’m tired, I have to find Elianya tonight and I don’t have time for figure out what the hell it is you’re talking about.”
John sat forward, his elbows on his knees, the blue sweater bunching. “The woman in that picture is a woman I once worked with. She did a stint in both MI5 and MI6 and she was bloody wicked.”
“So what is she doing here?” he asked.
36
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
“What do you hope you’re wrong about, John? You think she’s Raven?”
John shook his head. “Nothing is certain and I don’t want you shooting her if I learn she’s come back in to work, or even if she’s investigating the porn rings from another angle.”
He arched a brow. “So then she’s perfectly harmless.”
“There is nothing harmless about her. Watch your back.”
* * * *
Raven sat on the bed in her hotel, now in jeans, and a black sweater. She knew where he lived, or had an idea. Why else would he drive all the way out there? Girlfriend? From accounts he had none. A meeting? Probably not in a residential section of the city. Then again, anything was possible.
So was she taking this job or not?
She sighed and nibbled on her thumbnail, listening to the traffic whir below.
Truth? She knew she was probably going to turn this job down. B-Widow had never given a reason for the hit and until she had it, there was no way Raven was just carrying it out. Which was dumb considering the fact the price had gone up to five million Euros.
But if someone wanted him eliminated to that extent, one had to wonder why The hell of it was, she was too curious to just leave this alone. She knew. She had to find out what was going on and if a hit had been put on one of the good guys she’d rather know and warn him. For now, she’d put B-Widow off again on the fact she was doing research and still deciding and wanting until the end of the week. Should be no problem.Dimitri Petrolov was cocky, that was for certain, but if he’d taken her photo, then what? She knew he held something in his hand earlier that evening as he’d studied her.
Everyone and their bloody grandmother could take a digital photo these days with nothing more than their mobile
“Of course they do.” Child porn. Ian closed his eyes and shook his head, wishing the hot sickness would vanish “You know where I want to be right now?”
John’s chuckle grated across the space. “Anywhere but here?”
“Anywhere but here, any person but me.”
John’s eyes narrowed on him. “You know anything about this?”
Ian shook his head again. “No, but then we’re just learning of it.” How in the hell had he missed this? Was this Elianya’s brain child? Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised.
He sniffed and looked out at the night. “What else do you know, you’re not telling me, John?”
“Well apparently, this is one of the largest, most lucrative rings the guys have ever uncovered. Everyone wants it stopped so they’re tapping all their resources.”
“And that includes me.”
“That includes you.”
John cleared his throat. “There is also the deal with the hit on you, and of course your mystery woman in the photograph.”
God, he’d forgotten all about the woman. “And? You know who she is?”
John frowned and rubbed his forehead. “Where did you say you saw her again?”
He watched John carefully. “I told you, she was in Nero’s tonight. I saw her watching me when I walked in. She watched for me while I met with Viktor and then followed me out. Asked Ivan who I was.” He narrowed his gaze thinking about that cab.
John nodded and continued to rub his forehead wrinkling the skin. His sigh slumped his shoulders. “I know her.”
“What?”
“Right there in front of our fucking faces all this time and no one ever noticed.
Never. I hope to God I’m wrong on this.”
“I’m tired, I have to find Elianya tonight and I don’t have time for figure out what the hell it is you’re talking about.”
John sat forward, his elbows on his knees, the blue sweater bunching. “The woman in that picture is a woman I once worked with. She did a stint in both MI5 and MI6 and she was bloody wicked.”
“So what is she doing here?” he asked.
36
“I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”
“What do you hope you’re wrong about, John? You think she’s Raven?”
John shook his head. “Nothing is certain and I don’t want you shooting her if I learn she’s come back in to work, or even if she’s investigating the porn rings from another angle.”
He arched a brow. “So then she’s perfectly harmless.”
“There is nothing harmless about her. Watch your back.”
* * * *
Raven sat on the bed in her hotel, now in jeans, and a black sweater. She knew where he lived, or had an idea. Why else would he drive all the way out there? Girlfriend? From accounts he had none. A meeting? Probably not in a residential section of the city. Then again, anything was possible.
So was she taking this job or not?
She sighed and nibbled on her thumbnail, listening to the traffic whir below.
Truth? She knew she was probably going to turn this job down. B-Widow had never given a reason for the hit and until she had it, there was no way Raven was just carrying it out. Which was dumb considering the fact the price had gone up to five million Euros.
But if someone wanted him eliminated to that extent, one had to wonder why The hell of it was, she was too curious to just leave this alone. She knew. She had to find out what was going on and if a hit had been put on one of the good guys she’d rather know and warn him. For now, she’d put B-Widow off again on the fact she was doing research and still deciding and wanting until the end of the week. Should be no problem.Dimitri Petrolov was cocky, that was for certain, but if he’d taken her photo, then what? She knew he held something in his hand earlier that evening as he’d studied her.
Everyone and their bloody grandmother could take a digital photo these days with nothing more than their mobile
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