To Russia With Love (Countermeasure Series) Read online

  Almost on cue with her thoughts, a flashing light in the task bar caught her eye and words appeared on the screen.

  Cassie, you there?

  Here. Thanks for getting back so quickly!

  Think you read my mind. I was about to call you. What’s up?

  Remember when I mentioned that if you ever wanted a change in scenery to let me know?

  Yeah?

  I’m changing that to a direct job offer. We are. Trevor and I would love if you would consider helping us out with a few aspects of our business and other things. It would require that you also move here.

  OMG! Did you say job? YES! Of course I’ll take it! Wait…what about Bob?

  I’ve talked to him. He isn’t happy to let you go, but he understands we need you here. Business is booming!

  So I don’t have to fight to leave? Yay! LOL!

  Nope. Your passport is up to date, right? We’ll need to get you set up with a work permit and registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau once you’re here.

  Yes. Everything is still good. No worries. Work permit? Registration? Damn, sound ominous!

  Nah, just a pain. We’re glad you’re coming! It will help with our load for sure.

  Get ready Ireland, here I come! Let me know what I need to take with me for the work permit and I’ll let you know when I’ve squared everything here.

  As Trevor would say, “Brilliant!” I can’t wait. You’ll stay with us until you find a place of your own. We have the space and you’ll have a floor all to yourself. We can spend more time together that way. Send your flight info when you’re booked. We’ll meet you at the airport.

  Jinkies! Already bossy. Did you learn to be pushy from Trev? It’s working.

  Velma? LOL! I’m looking forward to kicking your ass.

  Just so you know…the office is not the same without you. It’s quiet now, no snoring to be heard.

  Watch it, buster, or I’ll take back the offer.

  NO!!! Okay. Looking forward to seeing more of you and the hunk. I gotta run! Give Trevor my love! Later!

  *****

  Trevor had listened to the call and read the transcripts several times. He’d used the initial information provided by George to trace the call to Mark Devlin Software, a budding computer development company out of Austin, Texas. Assuming that Mark Devlin was the man captured on the recorded conversation, Trevor sifted through the digital maze for details on him.

  A quick search on Devlin revealed a sharp businessman who had picked the right time to invest in software development in a city that promised to be the next technology hub in the United States. Although Devlin himself was not a developer, he had the knowledge and instincts on how to harvest the best brains in the field. That explained why he was aware of Conor Brennan’s work. Trevor would have to tread softly with that one—or not.

  Trevor hoped George’s taps would yield additional information on Mucha and the notes. He wanted to find out more about the man who apparently had been in close contact with his father. It was still too early to know if the taps would bear any fruit. For now, he had no time to waste.

  With only a glimpse to check the clock, he picked up the phone and made the call.

  “MDS Enterprises. How may I direct your call?”

  “Mark Devlin, please.”

  “May I have your name?

  “Trevor Bauer.”

  “One moment please while I connect you.”

  After a brief pause, a curt prompt sounded on the line, “Devlin.”

  “Mr. Devlin, I’m calling in regard to some scientific material you have in your possession that’s of interest to me.”

  “Who is this again?”

  “Bauer. Trevor Bauer.”

  “I don’t think I know a Bauer. Have we met before?”

  “Not yet. But I think after our talk you’ll want to.”

  “Exactly what material are you referring to? Everything regarding our current product line can be found on our website—”

  Trevor cut in before Devlin could continue to spew the standard company sales pitch. “Dr. Brennan’s notes. Word on the street is you’re in possession of them.” Trevor held a tight rein on his eagerness to get a hold of the notes. While talking, he cradled the phone against his shoulder and composed a succinct email to Devlin.

  “How did you—”

  Trevor interrupted him again. “I’m curious. How much do you want for the notes? I’m sure you must have a figure in mind.”

  “I don’t know how you found out about them, but they’re not for sale. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve things to do.” Devlin’s response was terse and clipped, forbidding further discussion.

  But Trevor wasn’t about to give up that easily. The email would be another pitch for the notes he wanted so badly. “Nevertheless, I’ve sent you an email. I recommend you read it.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Trevor had thought hard about what he could offer Devlin in exchange for the notes. As he had run through the options in his mind, he recalled the dark undertone in Devlin’s voice when his conference call had been interrupted. Based on the little Trevor had been able to hear, the stolen files were of high value to his company.

  “Hey! Hold on a second. How do you know my email?” Devlin asked in a rush.

  “All that matters, Mr. Devlin, is that I can be of assistance with a more pressing situation—more like the big pickle—your company is facing at the moment.”

  “What? How do you—?” Devlin sounded decisively flabbergasted.

  “I’ve explained it in the email. But let me make it simple for you. I can track those missing files. My price, the notes. Think hard before you make your decision. Ask yourself, what’s more valuable to you: your company files, or some old man’s chicken-scratch?”

  Trevor hung up and met Cassandra’s eyes trained on him.

  “What do we have on our hands?”

  “Nothing yet. Let’s hope he bites.”

  “Give me names. Let me do my part.”

  Trevor raised his eyebrow humorously. “Antsy, are you?”

  “Just trying to help,” Cassandra shrugged. “Besides, if he bites we’ll be way ahead of the game.”

  Laughing, Trevor sent the information to her computer and Cassandra began her background checks. The only sound that filled the office was the clack of the keys as their fingers danced across their keyboards. Trevor stretched back in his chair and was about to call it quits when he heard the familiar beep of an email hitting his inbox. He opened the application to find Devlin’s name on the screen. He cleared his throat and called out to Cassandra, “Heads up. I think we’ve got a bite.”

  Cassandra swiveled her chair to face him as he opened the email. After a few minutes of deep silence she asked expectantly, “So?”

  “Yep. A big bite. He’s agreed to the exchange. But I still need to stipulate a condition.”

  “Condition? What condition?”

  “That Mucha has to handle the exchange in person. I need to meet the man.”

  “To pick his brain about your father?”

  Trevor nodded. “If he spent time with my father right before he disappeared, he might have pertinent information and not even realize it.” He composed a second email to Devlin to which he received an immediate response.

  Agreed.

  “We’re on. I gotta let George know.”

  A rush of adrenaline hit Cassandra her. They were a go. The hunt was on. She loved working these cases with Trevor because it gave them time together. Granted it was busy time, mostly spent buried in work, but it was an enjoyable partnership. The ring of the landline startled her, and she quickly grabbed the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, Cassandra.”

  “Stephan! What’s up?”

  “I’m calling to see if you two are free for dinner tonight. It’ll be a foursome, as Terese will be joining us.”

  “Not tonight. We’re up to our ears in work. Maybe another time?” />
  “Maybe another time then. Has Robert mentioned when he’ll be visiting? I still have that Bushmills bottle I mentioned waiting for him.”

  “No word yet, but I am sure it’ll be soon. Oh, by the way, remember my friend Jessica? You met her at the wedding.”

  “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “I remember her. Sweet lass.”

  Cassandra’s excitement at her friend’s visit inundated her voice, “We extended a job offer to her to help alleviate some of our load, and she’s accepted! I’m hoping to have a nice dinner to celebrate when she gets here. You’ll join us, of course.” Silence filled the line. “Stephan, are you still there?”

  “Yes. Yes, I’m here. That’s great Cassandra,” he said in a low, composed voice.

  “Well…make sure you block some free time in your busy schedule when she gets here.”

  “I need to go. Just tell me when and I’ll put it on my calendar.”

  “Do you want to talk to Trevor?”

  “Something’s come up. I’ll call him later. Goodbye Cassandra.”

  “Goodbye.” Cassandra stared at the receiver in her hand and wondered at Stephan’s reaction. During the rehearsal dinner and the quick farewell after the wedding ceremony, she had caught Jessica’s eyes hovering on Stephan Connellan, Trevor’s honorary uncle. Between both Stephan’s skittish behavior and Jessica’s strange reference earlier, one would think they were interested in each other.

  Trevor glanced up at Cassandra and noticed her raised eyebrows. “Who was that?”

  Cassandra turned to him with a bewildered look. “Stephan.”

  “And?”

  “Let’s just say for the record, I expect Jessie’s move here to be an interesting one.”

  “That’s brilliant. She accepted! Why will it be interesting?”

  “Don’t ask me; just a hunch.”

  *****

  Stephan dropped the phone in the cradle, fell back in his chair, and laid his head against the headrest. His heart raced in his chest and anticipation rippled in his gut, tightening his stomach muscles in knots. Jessica. When he had traveled to California for Trevor’s wedding, he hadn’t thought he’d get a surprise in the form of Jessica Forrester. He had been seated next to her at dinner the night before the wedding and was immediately intrigued and attracted to the pixie. Thoughts of her had plagued him ever since.

  During the wedding, Stephan hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off Jessica and had been thrilled that hers had seemed to seek him out, too. He’d been blown away as he watched her come into the church. Her petite slender frame had been perfectly adorned with the delicate maid-of-honor dress, her skin lightly tanned as if kissed by the sun. Her large eyes were as blue as a bright summer sky and radiated happiness for her friend. His heart had been captured and, for an instant, he’d tuned out the niggling voice babbling about their age difference.

  After the wedding, an impulse, one he could only describe as a streak of masochism, had him offering Jessica a ride home so he could spend more time in her company. It was an offer he had come to regret.

  Many a night he’d tossed and turned. His thoughts kept finding their way to her. The idea of having her within reach again filled him with excitement and his blood stirred at the memory of her mouth under his—until guilt punched him square in the face: she was almost seventeen years younger than him, a man in his forties. Doubts began to consume him. Had she been playing him that day? He could have sworn he had seen a real spark of interest in her eyes, but then again, it could have been wishful thinking on his part.

  Stephan had returned to Ireland and buried himself in his work, but this time it didn’t make up for his loneliness or block images of the captivating American girl who had stolen his heart in only two days.

  It was then he had decided it was time to move on, and he had made the effort to come out of his self-imposed shell. He had called on Terese, the woman Maeve had planned to set him up with, in an attempt to wash away his memories of Jessica. In the weeks and months that followed, they had come to an understanding, but Terese didn’t tempt or whet his appetite the way Jessica had.

  Distance and time apart from Jessica had been instrumental in numbing his feelings; he thought he had finally put her behind him until Cassandra had mentioned the latest developments. Jessica. Would he be able to withstand temptation a second time?

  Chapter Two

  Meet & Greet

  THE BULLET TRAIN SPED DOWN the tracks, blurring the landscape along its path. The cruel glint in the blonde man’s eyes gave full indication he was not joking around when he pulled the trigger. Cassandra’s scent wafted in the air as she appeared out of nowhere. The pain. Her pain. His rage. Then everything blurred to that last moment.

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “You don’t have the guts.” The man’s sneer grated his nerves.

  “Try me, asshole…”

  The shot rang out.

  Trevor sprang up in bed shivering, his body covered in a thin film of sweat.

  Cassandra stirred in bed beside him and once her eyes focused on him, alarm flooded them. She sat up and wrapped an arm around his back. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing new.”

  “Niklas?”

  Trevor nodded. Killing a human being, no matter how psychotic that human being might be, didn’t sit well with him, and had plagued him since he had pulled the trigger.

  “It was self-defense. Just as confirmed by the French authorities.” Cassandra rubbed his shoulder gently.

  “Doesn’t change the fact that I killed him.”

  Cassandra placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder and coaxed him to lie back. He complied, lying on his side and drawing her into his arms. Her warm breath feathered his chest and soothed him back to sleep. If only he could erase that one memory.

  *****

  Cassandra woke to the morning light filtering through the curtains and a warm hand resting on her hip. A soft smile broke across her lips as she rolled to face the source of that warmth: Trevor. His head was turned toward her and an arm bent above his head, framing it on the pillow. Love swelled in her heart as she took in the length of his eyelashes, the five o’clock shadow on his cheek, the soft up and down of his chest as he remained deeply asleep. He lay on his back undisturbed by her scrutiny.

  She watched the play of sunlight as it moved across his barely covered body. Her hands itched to follow in its path as it flowed across his skin. She could still feel the imprint of his hand, which now rested between them on the bed. She glanced at it and traced the length of his fingers with her eyes. Her breath quickened and her heart jolted at the memory of those hands touching and brushing over her body not that long ago.

  Soft light caressed his face, he stirred, and she moved closer, casting a shadow on him, waiting in anticipation. Cassandra’s excitement swelled as his lashes fluttered and eyelids crept open. His sleepy eyes met hers. She leaned over him and smiled in greeting before she touched her lips to his.

  “Good morning,” she breathed against his mouth.

  His sinewy arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. “Hmm!” he exhaled contently, moving his mouth over hers, devouring its softness. The firmness of his lips sent spirals of heat through her. The harsh, uneven rhythm of their breathing filled the room as they parted and touched foreheads.

  After a few moments, Cassandra pulled back. “I can’t believe how much I miss you when we’re sleeping.”

  He stared lovingly into her eyes and Cassandra felt the beat of his heart accelerate beneath her hand. “I can try and make up for the lost time. Any thoughts?” A seductive smile spread across his face.

  Cassandra grinned down into his dark blue eyes, which always left her with the sensation of sinking in a deep ocean. By the press of his growing erection against her stomach, she sensed exactly where his train of thought was headed, and knew it was on a collision course with hers.

  She leaned down again, shading his eyes from the sunlight. As she moved closer, her hair slip
ped from around her shoulders and surrounded them, closing out the world. She exhaled a moist breath and licked along his lower lip before sucking it into her mouth. Trevor moaned as she released it with deliberate languidness. “Does that give you any insight?”

  His eyes smoldered with desire as they met hers and he exhaled deeply. “Yes. Definitely gives me a clue. Can I test a theory?”

  Cassandra chuckled and nodded.

  Trevor rolled quickly on the bed, inverting their positions, laying the length of his body along hers and spreading her legs with a nudge of his knees. His cock pulsed and grew even harder as she threw her head back, pressing tighter against him. He grasped her wrists, moved them over her head, and held them tightly. He lifted himself to his elbows as he slowly rubbed his body against hers and thrust into her wet, slick channel.

  Cassandra inhaled sharply at the contact and arched her back, placing her breasts within reach of his mouth. He swooped down and pulled a dusky nipple into his mouth while his body moved in a slow, easy tempo against hers.

  “Faster, Trev!” Immobilized within his grasp, she used her legs to urge him on, circling them around his hips, locking her heels behind his ass. She tightened her thighs and pulled him deeper. “Yes! Love me!”

  Cassandra bucked against him with each thrust, with each pull of his mouth and swipe of his tongue on her nipple. Her little cries appeared to rouse Trevor to a peak of desire and override all other thoughts but to give her what she demanded of him, moving faster and deeper into her.

  “So close!” she breathed, unlocking her heels and raising a leg higher along his waist to pull him deeper.

  Trevor slammed into her, his penetration a mix of pleasure and pain. Cassandra gasped as a flash of heat surged through her veins. He lifted his head and kissed a trail across her chest to her other breast. Capturing her nipple, he clenched it between his teeth and nipped it slightly. “Trevor!” she cried out as he rolled and teased its tip with his tongue.