Targeted Risk (R.I.S.C. #7) - Anna Blakely Page 0,36
realized her brother was, in fact, alive, she’d left the safety of Jake’s cabin, and the man who’d been hunting her made his move.
“That was different,” Mike scowled. “That was for her protection.”
Jake looked away from the road to give him a raised brow. “Yeah? And how’d that work out for her? Or any of us, for that matter.”
It hadn’t fucking worked out, and Jake damn well knew it.
Mike still had nightmares about Liv being attacked in her own home by that Venezuelan fucker who’d become obsessed with her. He could still see his sister lying in that hospital bed, broken and battered after having been tortured and damn near killed.
The only solace Mike had from that whole situation was knowing Jake had killed the son of a bitch responsible. That and the fact that his and Olivia’s relationship had since mended, and now they were closer than ever.
“So, what did my sister say?”
“About Jules?” Jake smirked. ‘That you’re a dumbass, and you should’ve told her the truth about who you are the night you went to her house.”
Mike shot back with a loud, “I’d planned to. But then I got there and heard the gunshots. All hell broke loose, and at that point, I figured it could wait.”
“I suppose you haven’t found the time while she’s been at your place the last few days?”
He started to tell his friend to fuck off again but stopped himself short. Jake was right. He should’ve said something before now. The thing was...
“If I tell her now, she’ll take off. That happens, she’ll be on her own to defend herself from whoever’s coming after her. I know I need to come clean, and I will, but...I saw what you went through with my sister, Jake. If anything like that ever happened to Jules, I...”
Unable to finish the horrifying thought, Mike swallowed down the lump that had suddenly formed deep inside his throat. God, he couldn’t even think about Jules being hurt. Or worse.
His friend slid him an assessing glance before returning his focus to the road. “So it’s like that with this woman, huh?”
“Yeah.” Mike nodded. “It’s like that.”
“And you’re sure she wasn’t involved in all that shit with her father?”
“Juliet’s a good person, Jake. The woman doesn’t even jay walk, for fuck’s sake. She’d never condone the selling of women to the sex slave trade, let alone participate in it.”
“But she knew about it. Isn’t that what your CIA handler said? She was going to testify, so she had to know something. And if that’s true, then she kept that shit from the authorities all that time.”
“Lopez says she knows more than what she told me, but I’m not convinced.”
Jake shrugged a shoulder. “Might be too close to see it. Obviously, someone must think she knows something. Otherwise they wouldn’t have tried to blow her brains out the other night.”
“Juliet’s not the criminal here, Jake,” Mike bit out harshly. “Her father is.”
“Does she know he’s out on bail?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I haven’t told her, yet.”
“Why not?”
“She’s got enough to worry about, don’t you think?”
Jake rubbed his jaw and thought for a moment. “You got out of the deep cover life for a reason, Mike.”
“And there was only one reason I’d ever go back.”
A few seconds of silence passed before Jake finally nodded. “Okay.”
Suspicion ran through Mike’s veins. “Okay?”
His brother-in-law gave him a single, serious nod. “If this woman means that much to you, I’ll do whatever I can to help. The whole team will.”
Another knot filled Mike’s throat, this one for different reasons. “Thanks, man.”
“No thanks needed.” Jake turned onto another road and pulled the car next to the curb. Pointing at the large gate in front of them, he said, “There it is.”
He followed the man’s line of site, his gut tightening with what he was about to do. Not that he was afraid to confront Alexandar. On the contrary, Mike was looking forward to it.
It was the thought of facing that sick fuck Volkov again.
Knowing all the shit the bastard had been involved in before getting locked up was bad enough. Knowing Volkov had hired someone to take out Juliet?
He’ll be lucky if I don’t rip his heart out of his fucking chest.
“You sure about this?” Jake’s question tore Mike from his homicidal thoughts.
His voice turned low as he met his friend’s eyes. “The man put a hit out on his own daughter, Jake.”
“And you’re certain Volkov’s behind the attempt on Juliet’s life?”
“The prick I shot told Juliet