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“You said nothing.”
“Well, it is. Nobody trusts no one.”
I was ready to drag him outside, beating the shit of him for keeping something from me. “Talk.” He gave me a harsh look but fortunately for him, his expression softened. He knew better than to fuck with me right now.
“I know a guy who’s damn close to a powerful group of Russians. He lurks the rooms on the dark web, gleaning information just like I do. I made contact, shocked when he answered me. The dude might know what the fuck is going on and more important, who’s behind placing a price on Isabella’s head.”
I’d never mentioned a price. While I hadn’t been surprised he’d figured out who she was, the white paper he mentioned should have been wiped, securing not only the project but the scientist who’d discovered it for reasons of national security. That continued to trouble me. Either it had been placed where others could find it on purpose or a hell of a lot of people needed to lose their jobs. Whatever the case, it had provided an easy target in Isabella.
While Jeremy had no idea who I worked for, I’d told him everything I could about my suspicions, including Isabella’s concern that her father might be involved, even if he’d been forced into cooperating. I couldn’t leave any stone unturned at this point. I was beginning to think I’d done the wrong thing. “Who is this Russian?”
“You can’t question him about who he works for, but trust me, he’s the man you want to talk to.”
I cocked my head, taking several deep breaths. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Jeremy. However, I won’t allow this to turn into a shitstorm. If you’ve fucked with me, I’ll cut your head off with a pocketknife.”
He narrowed his eyes and for the first time since I’d known him, there was raw fear in his eyes. Good. I wanted him placed on notice.
“Hey, man. You know me. I’m not fucking with you. But you need answers. The only way to get them is to go to someone as close to the source of the issue as possible to provide data, no matter how small. Come on, you know the old covert tricks.”
‘Tricks’ was the right word to use. We’d bartered shit from the base in order to garner information in the old days. Sighing, I sat back, studying the door. “How long have you known him?”
“He’s a friend of Sofia’s. Okay? No, I don’t know him very well, but his reputation is solid.”
I laughed. “So your girlfriend is in the mercenary business.”
“Not exactly. She doesn’t need to get her hands dirty. She has people to do that. As I mentioned, he might not show. He doesn’t like being in this country. Like I said, it’s a huge favor.”
“Russian?”
He nodded, obviously refusing to give me any additional information.
After grabbing my whiskey, I took a deep breath then tossed it back, slamming the glass on the table. “Fine. I’ll talk to him if he shows.”
“It’ll be for a price. Just warning you.”
I half laughed. “How much?”
“Maybe fifty thousand.”
Inhaling, I stared at him. “I don’t carry that kind of cash.”
“I told him you were good for it.”
His statement meant he’d done business with the Russian on more than one occasion. His comments also indicated he worked for Sofia in an entirely different capacity. While I normally couldn’t care less, the clandestine shit remained a red flag.
As Isabella made her way to the table, I couldn’t get over how stunning she was. The disguises I’d seen her in had allowed her personality to change, becoming a woman who wasn’t pushed aside or kept in a gilded cage. I was beginning to understand more and more why she’d adopted two distinct personalities.
Jeremy noticed my gaze and laughed. “You got it for her bad, buddy. I’ll give you the same piece of advice I did years ago. Don’t think with your dick unless you’re ready to give all this up.”
“And Sofia?”
“I can take it or leave it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of her company, but neither one of us plan on falling in love.”
“It’s funny how best laid plans aren’t always the ones that happen.” I barely gave him a look. I was concentrating on the entrance, bristling the moment a new customer arrived. There was no doubt he had a piece under his jacket. As he scanned the room, he remained tense, a dead giveaway that he wasn’t comfortable in his surroundings.
As Isabella moved to her chair, Jeremy gave me a certain look, indicating the party in question had arrived.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, immediately getting to his feet.
