Page 52 of Ignite

Stud took her hands and forced her to look at him. “Hey, that’s enough. Do not blame yourself for whatever is happening. Bruiser gave us a few details about how he and his group target scammer scumbags.Theyare the criminals, not you.”

“But—”

“No buts. None of this is on you. Got it?”

The man could say that on repeat dozens of times and she would still feel responsible. The tears tracked down her face, and she let them fall. “All I ever wanted to do was help people. I get so mad when I hear about someone getting ripped off. Madge and Bill, they worked so hard, and now their business is gone and their insurance might not be enough and?—”

She found herself enfolded in a set of strong arms. Her forehead pushed against a leather cut, and she sobbed into it.

“It’s a lot to take in. We get it. We’re not pointing fingers, sweetheart. We’re not even mad about Bruiser. Who we’re mad at are the bad guys. You’re not one of the bad guys. All we want to do now is help you protect yourself and your family.”

“Cool. Let’s start with you taking your fucking hands off my woman,” Wolf snarled as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

30

The summer heat in Washington,DC, didn’t stop the hordes of tourists who flocked to the National Mall. Crowds of people walked from the National Air and Space Museum across to the National Art Gallery in a never-ending flow. The Capitol Building sat at one end with its majestic domed spire within sight of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial farther down. Beyond the mall perimeter sat other buildings full of workers going about their daily business, including the Library of Congress and the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which held the headquarters of the FBI.

The man had no interest in the museums, art or history. His goal was the building just a few blocks north of the National Mall. The US National Central Bureau, otherwise known as Interpol.

Technically, he should go to a field office first, as the central agency was for law enforcement assistance, not for the general public. But he had the feeling he would be welcome inside once he showed someone what he had.

Nassar stood outside the building and stared at the security doors. Fatima and his children were in Pennsylvania, staying with a distant relative of hers. The escape from their own country into this one had been long and tedious. They’d started travel by train and then boat, hopping countries in a roundabout way through port areas that had less security until arriving in London and securing a flight to the United States. He’d tried to plan for any contingency, from tourist papers to whatever his children might inadvertently say to a stranger. Ironically, their money was all on Visa gift cards, so there were no banking records to track. They’d lived with new identities, fake passports, and the constant fear that something would tip off either his old employers or the authorities. Either way, he could get screwed for life or his family destroyed in the process.

He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer, hoping that when he walked into the building, he could walk out again. His hand shook as he pressed the button on the intercom.

“This is a restricted area. Please step away from the building,” a disembodied voice announced. It could have been a man or a woman. What it wasn’t was friendly.

Nassar wiped the sweat from his brow and licked his lips. “I have information to report about the network collapse a few months ago and international cybercrimes.” He pulled out the flash drive he’d smuggled across the world. “Names. Dates. Transactions. All of them here.”

He held his breath as he waited.

Then the door opened.

Nassar let out a long sigh, and his entire body went numb. He raised his chin and stepped through.

31

Wolf leanedhis head back on the couch. He was uncomfortable as hell, but there was nowhere else to be. The boys had crashed in Jazz’s bedroom, leaving the two of them to rough it in the living room. She was curled into his side and probably just as uneasy as he was.

First thing I’m gonna do when this blows over is either find a new place or expand this one.

Wolf had seen where the property lines lay, and there was room to build out some additions. His mind designed as he shifted to find a better position. Extend the foundation for an open great room with a cathedral ceiling. Knock out a wall in the current living room to make it a loft. Master bedroom suite on the other side leading to the deck facing the river. Clear the land between the house and the street for a side yard and proper driveway. Two small bedrooms downstairs used for guests or office space or?—

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.

He’d stayed at the station longer than he wanted to, but they had to let him go when his alibi checked out. Denny seemed relieved when he opened the cell door. Yeah, there was paperwork, but his cop friend would take care of it without a big fuss.

“I hope there aren’t any bad feelings between us. Nothing connects you or anyone else to Candie’s murder. We got shit for evidence, as innothing. Good for you, but bad for us. It’s gonna be tough to solve this. We may never find out the truth.”

No witnesses. No hair, semen, or other physical evidence. No credit card or money trail. Whoever did Candie was a ghost.

The constant uneasiness in his gut amplified by a thousand after the conversation with the two visiting bikers.

“Bruiser said he’s got his end covered. We don’t know how, but we trust him to keep himself and us safe. Can we trust you to do the same for her?”

He hoped so. It seemed like the world had turned into the latest James Bond screenplay. A hired assassin? That was some seriously far-fetched fantasy shit that’s only supposed to happen in books or movies.

He glanced down at the sleeping woman beside him. There were deep shadows underneath her eyes, and she’d lost weight she didn’t need to lose. The world put a huge burden on her shoulders that she carried as best as she could. She was no Atlas, though. Wolf recalled the Greek myth of the Titan god condemned to hold up the sky for eternity. His mouth contracted. All those other people who’d been killed had been shut off from others and isolated. Even this guy, Bruiser, had hidden his shielder activities from his brothers. They would have to deal with that on their own.

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