Targeted Risk (R.I.S.C. #7) - Anna Blakely Page 0,3
federal custody.”
“Why?” Mike put his arms through the sleeves and pulled the shirt over his head. “I told you a thousand times, she’s not part of her father’s business.”
“Maybe not, but she knows several players who are. Both brothers, included.”
“Bullshit.”
Lopez handed him the folder. “This is a list of names associated with Alexandar Volkov’s illegal dealings. The Feds have reason to believe your girlfriend possesses intel on at least one of the names on that list. Possibly more.”
“Jules isn’t my girlfriend.” Mike flipped opened the folder and began scanning the list of names. Having worked the Volkov case for nearly a year, now, he recognized most of them immediately.
“Of course, she isn’t. She’s Jay Reynolds’ girlfriend, and you and I both know he doesn’t actually exist. But you know who does?” Lopez, the fucker, paused for dramatic effect. “Special Agent Michael Bradshaw. You happen to see him around? Tall guy, shaggy beard, tats that probably drive all the girls wild...”
Asshole.
“You should get your eyes checked, then, because I’ve been here the whole time.”
“Have you? Because lately, I feel like I’ve been dealing with an angry, overprotective boyfriend rather than an undercover agent in charge of bringing down the leader of the worst Russian mob syndicate to ever hit the U.S.”
“I’ve done my job, Ben.” Mike shut the folder and slapped it against the man’s chest. “I’ve gotten you closer to Volkov than any other agent to date.”
“Closer, yes. But the man’s not behind bars just yet.”
“You said Mikhail agreed to talk.”
“He did.”
“Then what do you need Jules for?”
“Corroboration.”
“For what? Jesus, man. I’ve told you, she—”
“Knows more than she’s led you to believe.”
“Bullshit. Her mother left Volkov when Jules was still a teenager. They moved to a small town just outside Kansas City. She told me all about it.”
“Yeah? Did Jules also happen to mention the secret trips she took to Vegas without her mother’s knowledge?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“According to her brother, after Juliet graduated high school, she started visiting Alexandar. She knew her mother would never allow it, so she lied. Claimed to go away for a school function or a girls’ weekend away. The story was always different, but there was at least one trip to Vegas every summer. And, according to Mikhail, each of those trips were spent with her father. Not with a bunch of sorority sisters, like Juliet told her mother.”
“Mikhail’s probably just saying that shit so he’s not alone in the Let’s Bring Daddy Down plan.” Chickenshit bastard.
“Possible, but unlikely.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because when Mikhail told us about his sister coming to visit, he did so as a bargaining chip.”
A what? “You’re not making any sense, Ben. So she lied to her mom about going to see her dad. Even if that’s true, it was a long damn time ago. And it’s only natural for a daughter to want to spend time with her father.”
Especially if that daughter didn’t understand the kind of man her father truly was.
“Mikhail agreed to turn state’s evidence against his father and older brother, but only if we could guarantee his sister’s safety.”
“Why does he think Jules wouldn’t be safe?”
“Same reason you were able to convince him to keep you close to her in the first place. To protect her from possible backlash by her father or Ivan. Or both.”
Mike ran a hand over his beard. Three months ago, he’d been with Mikhail, still trying to turn him, when his sister had stopped by unexpectedly.
At the time, Mikhail was still wavering on whether or not to testify against their father. Mike, along with the other agents on the joint task force trying to bring Volkov down, had worked too damn long and too damn hard to risk losing this one. For him, Juliet was another way in.
So, after she left Mikhail’s place that day, Mike had gotten him to believe his sister needed protection.
It hadn’t taken much coaxing to get the other man to agree, and once they came up with a plausible story about one of their father’s enemies making threats, Mikhail had convinced Juliet to let Mike hang out with her. Just as a bodyguard of sorts.
The plan was a win-win for Mike and had made the higher-ups extremely happy. Mikhail was even more convinced than ever that Mike was on his side, and he also had an in that allowed him to determine whether or not Juliet was more than the sweet, innocent sister Mikhail claimed her to be.
It took less than a