Spying Under the Mistletoe (Love Undercover #2) - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,71

general direction she pointed and grabs at the air instead.

I hand him the correct tree. He nods and slips his phone into his jacket pocket. “Thanks.”

Landon has finished paying for our tree by the time we arrive at the table. “See you,” he tells his colleague, giving him a meaningful look that’s lost on me.

Next, we go to a store that specializes in Christmas decorations and leave with enough ornaments to cover the tree. Ornaments he gave me free rein to choose.

Back at the town house, Landon sets up the tree in the living room, much to Whiskey’s delight. The puppy keeps inspecting it, no doubt wondering why a spruce is now growing in the room.

Landon arranges the lights on the branches. He might be smiling, but there’s something still off about him. The smile seems forced and is missing from his eyes.

“Are you okay?” I ask, repeating my earlier question. It’s possible that memories of his dead girlfriend, and memories associated with the holiday season before she died, are being dredged up, thanks to our tree.

“I’m fine.” He doesn’t look at me when he says it. He studies the ornament in his hand as if memorizing every tiny detail.

The doorbell rings as I’m hanging up a wooden mouse decoration in the tree. Landon goes to answer it and returns a minute later with Ava, Liam, and Adam. The man and woman with them, both wearing suits, are the same ones who showed up at the school with the police shortly after my attempted kidnapping.

All look as though someone kicked a litter of puppies several blocks.

I smile at Ava. “Landon didn’t tell me you were coming over.”

She opens her mouth to say something. Landon cuts her off.

“This is Agent Foden and Agent Ramsey with the FBI.” He nods at the two other individuals. They flash their IDs at me.

I scan everyone’s faces, searching for a hint of what’s going on. I draw a blank. Other than Ava’s pained expression, no one else is giving anything away.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Ava steps forward. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“No, I’m good standing.” I look at Landon, silently imploring him to explain why FBI agents are in his living room. Is he in trouble because of who he works for? That would make sense. I’m sure my cousin is on some FBI’s most wanted list. “Would someone tell me what’s going on?”

“As you’re no doubt aware,” the woman, Agent Foden, says, “Vadik Orlov, your grandfather, has been indicted for a long list of charges,”

I nod. “What does that have to do with me? He’s my biological grandfather, but I cut ties with the family years ago. I have nothing to do with him or any of his criminal activities.”

“We know. As part of the case, law officials have been combing through his various holdings, looking for evidence for the upcoming trial. As well as searching for evidence of additional wrongdoings.”

I nod in understanding, although I’m not really sure why they’re telling me this.

“Three bodies were discovered buried in a wooded area linked to one of your grandfather’s properties,” Agent Ramsey says.

“Bodies?”

“They were human remains.”

“Remains?” Nice. I’ve become a parrot.

“Skeletons, to be exact. Three males. Recent autopsies identified that they all died of blunt-force trauma to the head.”

I frown, not understanding what this has to do with me. “Okay. So you found three male skeletons on one of my grandfather’s properties. I’m not sure why you’re telling me this. As I’ve already explained, I have nothing to do with that family.”

Panic gnaws inside me like a beaver attempting to fell a tree. They seriously can’t believe I have something to do with this.

Can they?

The agents look at Landon.

He turns to me. “Chloe, the FBI was able to identify the bodies. They belonged to William Reinhart, Curtis Cartwright, and Mark Greenwood.”

My biological father, my stepfather, and my ex-boyfriend.

At their names, it’s like a tap has been turned on, the blood rapidly draining from my head. I sway, the ramification ping-ponging in my thoughts. It can’t be them. The FBI must be wrong. Not as convinced by my words as my brain, my legs call it a day, and I slump to the floor.

Landon catches me before my body has a chance to hit the hardwood. I’m vaguely aware of him scooping me up and placing me on the couch.

Despite the warmth of the room, a chill sneaks into my body, and I shiver uncontrollably.

Landon wraps his arm around me and says something to Ava. I