Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan, now you can read online.
Skyler Daratrazanoff pulled the long black shawl closer, making certain her hair was covered and there was little to see of her face. Her heart beat so hard she was afraid anyone close would hear. Everything hinged on making the official believe her. Josef had forged the papers, and he was the best. He could hack any computer, provide information or get it. She didn't doubt for a minute that the papers he created would be in order and pass close scrutiny, but she still had to make the official believe her.
The tin building was rusted and looked as if it might fall apart at any moment. A man came forward to meet her, looking solemn as the casket was wheeled ahead of her into the shade of the building. Fortunately the sun was setting and shadows fell around her, helping to make it more difficult to see her clearly.
"Your papers?" he said. His voice was kind. The name on his badge identified him as Erno Varga.
She glanced back toward the small plane she'd flown to the airport and then handed her papers to the official, making certain her eyes were downcast and she looked weepy. She had taken care to use drops to make her eyes red and watery, just in case she couldn't pull off acting on her own.
Varga looked over her papers and then up at her several times with sharp, disbelieving eyes. "You're young to be bringing home your brother's body alone. No one else is traveling with you?"
She shook her head, trying to look more tragic than ever. "My father is dead, and now my brother." She choked back a sob worthy, she was certain, of an Oscar performance. "There is no one else to bring him home to our mother."
The official looked at her again and studied her papers closer. "He died of a broken heart?" There was skepticism in his voice.
Skyler nearly choked. When I get my hands on you, Josef, you're going to die of more than a broken heart. She used her telepathic connection with Josef to let him know he was in huge trouble.
A terrible tragedy. Josef was unrepentant as always. There was amusement in his tone. No matter how serious a situation, he didn't mind in the least being mischievous.
She managed to keep a straight face and gave Varga a solemn nod. "He just wasted away when his girl left him. He refused to eat." She had no choice but to go with it, even if it meant twisting her fingers together hard in order to prevent the official from seeing she was shaking. "It's a terrible tragedy. Nothing could save him."
Okay, even to her ears, that sounded totally lame. But a broken heart? Only Josef would come up with something so dramatic and unbelievable. How else could she explain he'd died of a broken heart? There was definitely going to be another cause of death after they opened the casket.
She could feel Josef's laughter. Of course you're laughing. You're safe in the coffin, the tragically dead brother, while I'm lying my ass off to this man who could put me in prison for the rest of my life.
She knew Josef would never let that happen. If necessary he'd give the official a "push" to believe her. Right now, he was having too much fun listening to her squirm—and she supposed she deserved it. She was making him do something highly dangerous, and he would be blamed more than she would be if anything went wrong. Her father would probably just kill him on sight.
He will, too, Josef said. He'll rip me from limb to limb.
You should be worrying about me ripping you from limb to limb, she threatened.