Page 33 of No Reason to Trust

“Not our problem to solve,” Jake said. “We’re pointing her in the right direction. Diana has to be the one who figures out how to keep tabs on them. How to ensure they’re caught with enough incriminating evidence to put them away forever.”

Livvy slumped back against the couch. “Knowing who’s behind it is good. But it still doesn’t tell us why you and I were targeted. What did we see or hear that made us targets.”

“No idea,” Jake said. “But I’m guessing that if Diana can get bugs set up in their homes and cars, if she can have agents tailing them, something will click. Because if we knew why they wanted to kill us, that would also tell us what they’re trying to hide.”

“Yeah,” Livvy said. “Easy to speculate. But until we have solid information, Windsor and Nelson are free to do whatever they want.”

“If anyone can get it done, Diana can,” Jake said.

Livvy shook her head. “She’s still got to follow the rules. And Windsor and Nelson don’t,” Livvy pointed out. “They can do whatever they want.”

“Diana has a lot of power,” Jake said. “I’m betting she’ll figure out a way to nail those two guys. And figure out who’s working with them.”

“I hope so,” Livvy said. She glanced at the clock on her phone. “Time to tune in to our other Russian buddies and see what they have planned for you tomorrow.”

Chapter 13

Jake put his computer on the table in front of the couch, then scrolled to the camera app and opened it. The office was empty, but the two cameras gave them a good view of the entire room. He glanced at Livvy, also studying the screen. “Now we wait,” he said.

She nodded slowly. She glanced at the phone. 10:45. “They should be arriving soon.”

His foot tapping the floor, Jake pulled a notebook out of his suitcase. It had a pen clipped to the first few pages, and he pulled it off. Began bouncing it on the table. The steady tap, tap, tap drove Livvy nuts. When she couldn’t bear it any longer, Livvy grabbed the pen from his fingers and held it out of his reach. “You’re gonna drive me crazy with that,” she said.

He looked from the notebook to Livvy. Back to the notebook. Sighed and flopped back onto the couch. “Sorry,” he said. “Nervous habit. The wait is making me impatient. Edgy. Are they gonna show up? Or are they out of the office, doing other things today? And if they are? What other things are they doing?”

Livvy stared at him, not allowing her mouth to twitch into a grin. “Maybe they’re out digging your grave in some abandoned lot.”

“Ha,” he said. He shook his head, but a smile flirted with his mouth. “Yeah, maybe they are. If they plan on killing me, they also need a plan to get rid of my body.”

Livvy leaned toward him and rested her hand on his knee. Even beneath his jeans, she felt the heat of his skin. The curve of his kneecap. “Don’t tempt fate,” she said, holding his gaze. “Or at least don’t give it any ideas. No one’s going to kill you, because they’d have to go through me to get to you. And I’m not easy to kill. Anyone pulls a gun or another weapon on you? They have to deal with me first.”

Jake’s shoulders dropped, and he sucked in a breath. “Believe it or not, that’s really reassuring,” he said. “Knowing you’ll have my back. Knowing I won’t have to fight off these guys by myself.”

Livvy scowled, the details of her own meeting with the Bratva still too fresh in her memory. “Yeah. I know what you’re saying. What was Nelson thinking when he didn’t send a backup for me?”

“He was thinking that he’d eliminated you,” Jake said, anger flashing in his eyes. “That he’d gotten rid of one of the people he’s, for some reason, afraid of.”

“You can bet that this group will be a lot more well-organized,” Livvy said. “Nelson’s probably learned from his mistake.” She furrowed her forehead. “Although I wonder how he’s going to explain not sending you information about your backup?”

“He probably hopes it won’t be necessary. If I’m killed, no one will know I didn’t have a backup.” Jake scowled. “Although if they were to succeed in killing me, there would be an investigation. There always is when an agent is killed. And it would come out that he hadn’t arranged any backup.”

Livvy eased back against the couch. Hooked one arm over the couch back. “His fatal mistake is that he thinks you’re alone. He doesn’t know I’m here, too, listening to the tapes and watching your back.”

Jake shook his head slowly. “Right, but he has to have planned for the unexpected,” he said. “And you showing up with me would definitely be unexpected.”

“Yeah, it would. But…” She grabbed his wrist. “Someone just walked into that office.”

Jake leaned forward, then moved to sit beside Livvy. Two men had walked in. One was middle-aged, with grey hair and an unshaven face. He was wiry but muscular, and he looked as if he could tear a man apart with his bare hands.

“Wouldn’t want to tangle with that guy,” Livvy said.

“Hell, no,” Jake replied. He didn’t take his gaze off the screen. Middle-aged guy took the chair at the desk, and younger and not quite as muscular guy sat on one of the couches.

Middle-aged guy said something to the other man, speaking what had to be Russian. Jake watched the two men’s expressions, looking for clues to what they were saying.

After another ten minutes, other men began drifting in. They all greeted the older guy, nodded to the younger one and sat on the couches. It looked as if they all had a usual seat -- either it was assigned to them, or they just chose the same spot every day.

By shortly after 11 a.m., the room looked full. Every seat was taken, and the men were speaking to each other in Russian.

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