create copies of both. And before you ask, at the time, I didn’t know he was a forger, but it makes sense that they would have one given their line of work.”
“You know, you reading my mind is kind of unnerving,” he said, going for a sip of wine because this really was like the plot of a Tom Cruise Mission Impossible movie.
“Occupational hazard,” she smirked. “Knowing my dad, he planted the forgeries in our home, but hid the real ones. Probably in two separate locations. An insurance policy perhaps? So, while the FBI were busy killing my parents, Russian agents probably stole one or both of the forged copies. And since no one came forward with another copy of either after that night, the SVR felt it safe to target the Volkovs.”
His eyes fell to the ice cream as the chocolate liquified. “And if the real ones were hidden by your parents, they became lost forever with their deaths.”
“Well, lost for fifteen years, at least. Grigory claimed to have found the ledger and key to keep the SVR at bay, but I know he doesn’t have both. And as to whether he has the original ledger or another forged copy, I have no idea.”
A.J.’s gaze whipped back to her face, first to her full lips before meeting her hunter green eyes. “Yeah, no way does Grigory Volkov also have the key, or he wouldn’t be so willing to cooperate with you. He needs the key to protect himself from the SVR.” A.J. paused for a moment because something wasn’t adding up. “How can you be sure Grigory found the ledger? It could be another rumor.”
“Because I’ve spoken to Grigory Volkov.” Her admission sounded more like a plea of “guilty” in a courtroom. What did she mean she spoke to Grigory Freaking Volkov? Was she already in that deep?
“What?” He retracted his hand from her leg on reflex, but he didn’t want to be that guy again. That guy back in the office whose shocked reaction had her fleeing the room in shame.
A lifetime of betrayal flashed in her green eyes, but he refused to hurt her. He set his hand back on her thigh and looked into her eyes. He offered her a tight nod he hoped conveyed, I won’t let you down. Her lashes were wet, but there weren’t any more tears. She was a stunningly beautiful woman who’d been put through the Russian wringer of life.
“After Porter came to me with my new assignment—to infiltrate the Volkovs—he presented a few possible Volkov sources to look into to help me gain access to the organization.”
“Katya was one of them?”
“Yeah, I tracked her every move for about a month. She was dating Dominick Volkov, and I caught him having an affair.” A soft blush crawled over her cheeks as if embarrassed she caught Dominick having sex. “I used that as my chance to turn her to work with the Bureau. She admitted she never really wanted to be a spy for the Volkovs, but Dominick had pressured her into it.”
“Katya helped you make contact with Dominick, then?” But what about Grigory? He’d do his best to let her unravel the “complicated” story, now understanding why she’d opted for part two of their talk down by the pond.
“No, not officially. It’d be too risky for her since she was going to work with the FBI. But from my surveillance of her, I was able to track Dominick to an apartment in Newark, New Jersey. I made first contact, but he was hesitant to trust me.”
A.J. removed his hat, swiping the slight sheen of sweat from his brow before setting it back on. “You had to offer him Katya?”
“Yes, but in exchange, Katya was going to receive a cushy payout, new identity, and a chance to be free of the Volkovs. She was okay with the arrangement,” Ana explained, her tone confident.
“What exactly was the plan? How were you going to do that?” He’d swear he was smart, but every so often while they spoke, he found himself wondering if he’d be able to find his ass with both hands in his pockets. Maybe he’d blame the two bumps on his head.
Ice cream—no, milkshake break, anyone?
“Since the Russian government was the most notable enemy of the Volkovs, why not ensure the Volkovs in Hungary intercepted word that a Russian hitman had been hired to take out a Volkov asset in the U.S.?” She paused for a breath as though her thoughts