Tag: suspense

As she walked away Natasha looked stunned by the kiss but also encouraged to do what she needed to do.

Tony had no idea what he’d been thinking kissing her like that, but she’d looked so afraid and so unsure of herself and her ability to do what he was asking her to, and honestly he just hadn’t been able to resist.

Not only was the woman drop dead gorgeous but she was so very brave. What he was asking of her was a lot, and yet she had agreed. She was willing to put herself in danger for the greater good and that was the most attractive thing of all.

“Think she can pull it off?” Garret asked, making no mention of the fact that he’d just killed the sister of a suspect they were trying to bring down. For which Tony was eternally grateful.

“Actually, yeah, I do. All she needs to do is give me an in to talk to her brother, she can do this.” What he was more worried about was painting a target on Natasha’s back rather than her letting them down.

She’d told him about her trashed house and the bloody warnings to stop looking into the missing money. Since Brandon was no doubt behind the whole thing there was a chance that he might wonder why his sister was coming to him about it. Natasha was going to tell him she was scared and wanted his help, but the man might believe the timing was too suspicious.

Still he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

“You ready to head in?” he asked his partner.

When Garret nodded, they both headed into the crowded bar. It was Friday night and the place was packed. Like magnets his gaze was immediately drawn to the bar where Natasha was perched on a stool talking to her brother.

Perfect.

All he had to do now was look like all the other drunk patrons and sidle over to Natasha, striking up a conversation with her and getting an introduction to Brandon. After that he’d take over and Natasha could go back to her safe little life.

At least he prayed it was going to be that easy, but a sick feeling in his gut whispered that he’d just set in motion a train wreck he’d be powerless to stop.

I need to catch up!

The thought kept running through Natasha’s mind as she tried to take in everything Tony was telling her. She was doing her best but it was so much information all at once, and most of it was about her brother’s crimes which made it even harder.

Overwhelmed as she Natasha knew she had to keep it together.

Lives were counting on her.

Which was a terrifying thought.

She had no idea if she could pull this off but her guess was she couldn’t. And when she messed up not only might she ruin Tony’s case but there would be girls, young women just like her, who would suffer the consequences.

It was a lot of pressure.

Too much pressure.

But she’d said she would do this so she had to.

“Hey.”

Hands reached out and took hers and she turned from looking out the car window to face Tony who was sitting beside her in the back seat. They were heading to the bar where her brother worked as a bartender, and his partner was driving them while Tony ran through more and more intel with her.

“You got this. Okay?”

Mustering a smile, Natasha gave a shaky nod. “Yeah.”

“I mean it. You can do this, Natasha. I believe in you. And Garret and I are right out here. If anything goes wrong we’ll get you out, but nothing is going to go wrong. All you’re doing tonight is establishing a connection with your brother. Nothing more. I’m not asking you to solve this case for me, I just need your help getting an in with Brandon.”

It did help to know that Tony and Garret would be outside in the car the whole time she was in the bar.

Helped a little at least.

Bars weren’t her scene and she felt silly and uncomfortable in the skin tight black jeans, and v neck sweater that left little to the imagination. Tony had chosen the outfit, telling her she needed to look like she belonged in there. She got it, it was because they wanted men to hit on her, needed to use it as a cover so Tony could come in, spot her, and use that as a way to get closer to Brandon.

She got it but she didn’t like it.

This wasn’t her, she liked curling up in her comfy armchair at home, with a blanket and a mug of steaming tea, reading a book. She liked sweat pants and yoga pants and oversized hoodies.

Still if the last three days had taught her anything it was that her brother was a dangerous man and had to be stopped. If this was what she had to do to help that happen then she could suck it up.

The car parked at the back of the bar and Natasha dragged in a deep breath and climbed out.

Rounding the car Tony hooked a finger under her chin and nudged until she was looking up at him. “We’re right out here. Just do what we planned and everything will be okay. You got this.”

Then his head dipped and his lips pressed against hers in the steamiest kiss she’d ever been given.

When he stepped back and gave her a gentle push towards the bar, Natasha started walking but her mind was firmly stuck on that kiss and what it meant.

There was both denial and acceptance on Natasha’s face. She knew what he was saying was true but she didn’t want it to be.

“Someone trashed your house. Covered everything in blood,” Tony said softly, shoving down the rage he’d felt when he learned what had been left in Natasha’s home.

“How do you know that?”

“My partner.” He nodded at Garret who hovered in the doorway. “He went and checked out your place. I followed you home and when I saw you come running right back outside I knew something was wrong. Do you see how dangerous your brother is?”

She nodded but then shook her head. “I don’t know that he’s guilty.”

“Yes you do. He is. Yes he does have a legitimate job as a bartender, but his club is how he makes his money.”

Defeat and weariness filled her blue eyes, and she hung her head. “What do you want me to do?”

Success.

He’d just secured possibly the best asset his case could have, so why didn’t he feel happier about it?

Why did the thought of shoving Natasha, who was completely innocent, into the lion den’s feel him with such fear?

For months he’d been working this case with everything he had. This was personal to him, his cousin had been one of the victims, and he wanted this ring shut down. Thought he was prepared to do anything to make it happen.

Now, when he was so close, he wasn’t sure that that he was prepared to to risk anything.

Because when he sent her in to meet with her brother he was absolutely putting Natasha at risk.

Could he live with himself if she ended up another victim of her brother?

Natasha shook her head wildly as though that would take back Tony’s words.

Her brother didn’t run an underage prostitution ring.

This makes no sense.

Yet … Tony was here, and he said he was an undercover cop so … maybe it was true.

“Badge,” she murmured through the tightness in her throat. “I need to see your badge.” If he didn’t have one then he wasn’t a cop and none of what he’d said was true.

With a knowing smile he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a badge, handing it over to her. “I know this has to be a shock, but your brother is a dangerous man but you can help me stop him.”

Studying the badge for several minutes, running her fingertips across it, trying to process what she’d been told, Natasha finally looked back over at Tony. “Help you? How? I’m not a cop and I’m not very good at playing detective.”

“You knew the money was missing.”

“But you noticed it was missing.”

“Yeah but I wasn’t looking at my brother. I didn’t even know he was in town. We’ve never been close and even less since he was kicked out when I was eleven and he was sixteen.” Even as a young kid she’d known that there was something off with her brother. Brandon was … mean. There was no other way to describe him.

Tony closed the space between them, sat on the bed beside her. His large hand rested on her knee and he squeezed lightly. “He needs to be stopped, Natasha. And I’m desperate. Please help.”

Should she?

Could she?

While she didn’t think she had any skill she could bring to the table Tony obviously did. Remembering her trashed house and the blood smeared all over her walls. A horrible thought occurred to her and she clutched Tony’s hand, using it to anchor herself.

“I … think someone … Brandon I guess … knows I’ve been looking into the money.”

Shocked blue eyes looked up at him.

If there hadn’t been so much confusion in her expression Tony might have doubted her, wondered if she was somehow mixed up in her brother’s mess.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Brandon was kicked out when he was sixteen because he was getting into drugs and spending his days drinking rather than going to work. He was gone before my parents died, and he’s never worked at the family business. Even though he was supposed to be the heir he was skipped and I’m the one who’s going to take over when my grandfather retires. Brandon has never even worked there so he can’t be the one embezzling money.”

Natasha sounded so certain and he hated to be the one to burst her bubble.

“He can and he is, firecracker.”

“But … I don’t understand,” she said helplessly, rubbing at her temples as though fighting a headache. “You said Brandon is running some operation, something illegal since you’re an undercover cop. What’s he doing?”

Although she asked the question it sounded like she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.

She didn’t.

But the wheels in his head were already turning. Having the sister on board would help his investigation tremendously, she might be able to get more out of Brandon than he could ever hope to.

“Your brother is running an underground prostitution ring,” he informed her. “Using underage girls and trafficked women.”

Natasha’s blue eyes grew as round as saucers, and her mouth dropped open in horrified shock. “My brother? This can’t be happening! Why?”

That was a question he couldn’t answer. But he had one of his own he had to pose to her. “If you help me shut down his ring then maybe you can get the answer to that question.”