To Russia With Love (Countermeasure Series) (57 page)

A sob took a strangle hold on her throat.
Oh God! Don’t let him be dead.
Cassandra struggled to control herself before she did something rash. Swallowing hard, she wrapped her arms around her waist and turned her back to him.

Nathan was like a dog with a bone. “Why Cass? You still haven’t told me why you’re really here. Is he involved in something dirty? Something you can’t even tell your own father about? I talked to Robert. He only knows the same bullshit you’ve been dishing me.”

Sighing deeply, a part of her wanted to tell Nathan to go to hell. But her other half had an overwhelming need to have him understand what Trevor meant to her once and for all. It pained her that her friend’s view of Trevor was distorted by misplaced jealousy. All she wanted was for Nathan to see Trevor for who he really was.

Cassandra sat on the edge of the couch studying the hard planes of Nathan’s face for a moment. “Okay, fine. You deserve to hear why I’ve been asking for so many favors and sounding edgy. We’re in Russia because Trevor was promised information in exchange for the retrieval of some stolen data.”

A calculating look blanketed his expression. “What do you mean, ‘information’?”

“The information revolves around Trevor’s parents. They vanished into thin air almost six years ago. Nobody knows how or why. They were never found. We need to know what happened to them.”

Nathan’s eyes hardened. “And what did the job entail, Cass?” His tone was angry and unforgiving.

Cassandra knew from experience that he wouldn’t let it go. “A mafia organization from St. Petersburg stole a powerful decrypter in development phase. If they managed to finish the development of the software, our client would be blamed for all the financial chaos that would ensue.”

Nathan cursed under his breath and threw his arms up. “What the fuck was he thinking?! He could have come to me! Passed on the information to the CIA!” His tone rose as he paced in front of her. “Hell, he used to work for the NSA, for fuck’s sake!”

Cassandra watched Nathan circle like a caged tiger in front of her and kept her own temper in check. “Yes, we could have; but we were honoring our client’s wishes to avoid government agency involvement unless absolutely necessary.” He stopped midstride and stared at her in disbelief. “Don’t give me that look. This is a job. It is what we do—”

Before she could explain further, a noise reverberated down the hall. Cassandra cocked her head to listen as she signaled Nathan to remain quiet. The noise sounded again—the creak of wood on the back porch followed by the beep of the keypad. She shot a questioning look straight at Nathan.

Seeing the look, Nathan mouthed, “No tail.”

Both sprang into action like old times. Exchanging a series of hand signals, they quietly jogged toward the kitchen. Nathan took point covering the door and Cassandra fell back, taking a position in the hallway, covering both Nathan and the door.

Her heart pounded and swelled with hope that Trevor had finally made it. It took all her strength to not rush the door and yank it open. For all she knew, it could be one of Mikhailov’s goons. Nodding to Nathan, she took a firmer grip on her gun, waiting for whoever it was to enter the kitchen, while he pressed back against the wall in the shadow of the cabinets, waiting for the opportunity to catch the trespasser off guard.

Cassandra wanted to yell at him to be careful in case it was Trevor, but had to content herself with shooting him a telling glance, hoping he would catch her drift. Her attention remained riveted on the door and her breath came in raspy gasps of anticipation. For the second time that night, a shadow eased into the house.

*****

Trevor managed to reach Zelenogorsk and catch last train to Vyborg with the luck of the Irish. After Yakov had dropped him off at the closest village, he had used Dmitriy’s money to procure a ride to the train station. With his left arm immobilized against his chest, courtesy of Tatiana’s proficient hands, he was able to sleep for the length of the two trips. Whatever she had cleaned the wound with, possibly some farm ointment or such, was working wonders. Although still in pain, it was bearable and his shoulder didn’t throb like it did earlier.

He arrived in Vyborg shortly before three in the morning and quickly located the street that would take him to the safe house. The ache of his shoulder faded to the background and the ache in his heart—the one as a result of knowing Cassandra was within reach—was front and center.
Did she make it this far? Walk this same path? Is she as anxious to see me as I am to see her?

The house was dark, an eerie shadow squatting in the dim moonlight. No glow of light peeked through the windows. That worried him the most. A sick feeling overwhelmed him.
What could have possibly delayed her arrival? Is she in any danger?
A new resolve solidified in his mind. If push came to shove, he would throw the damn plan and itinerary out the window. If she hadn’t arrived by noon, he wouldn't leave Russia. He would move heaven and hell to find her and take her home. Trevor rolled his sore shoulder and skulked to the back of the house. Following Cassandra’s instructions, he entered the memorized code. A soft beep sounded and a green light flashed, indicating the door was unlocked.

*****

As soon as the shadow crossed the threshold, Nathan rammed the barrel of his gun against the back of intruder’s head. The intruder froze in his tracks. The steady motion of his arm moving out from his body and his stance sent a surge of adrenaline like a drug into Cassandra’s blood, her heart thrummed out of control in her chest and, without any hesitation, she took off at a run toward them.

“Cass! No!” Nathan yelled, cocking the hammer of his gun.

Freakin’ Rabbits

“N
ATE,
N
O! DROP IT! IT’S Trevor!” Cassandra yelled, leaving her position and rushing toward the two men.

Trevor ignored the muzzle pressed to his temple and met her halfway, sweeping his arm around her waist and gathering her tight against him.

“
A ghrá
!” His voice was thick and unsteady as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Trevor!” she sobbed, cupping the back of his head and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her gun still tightly clenched held in her hand.

“Fucking bullshit!” Nathan grumbled flipping the lights on. Taking the gun from her, he snarled, “Let me have that before you kill one of us.”

Cassandra felt the rapid beat of Trevor’s heart synching with hers as they thrummed out of control in their chests. She cupped his face and pressed her lips tight against his. The relief of ending the many days of separation burning the ties that had held her heart in a tight grip since the last day she kissed him goodbye flowed over her. His familiar musky scent invaded her, comforting, soothing her frayed nerves.

Within seconds, Trevor took control of the kiss, thrusting his tongue past her lips, exploring her mouth, drowning her in wave after wave of need and desire. She had dreamed of being crushed in his embrace again, and there he was, holding her, crushing her, the images of her dreams now a reality.

“Hell! Just get a room!” Nathan’s growl penetrated her consciousness.

They broke the kiss with a big sigh, resting forehead to forehead, eyes locked, both working at catching their breaths.

After a moment, Cassandra pulled back and took in his appearance—stained pants, his left arm bound to his chest under a shirt she didn’t recognize, the tightness around his mouth, the pain in his eyes.

She narrowed her gaze. “I heard dogs and gunshots. I heard you cry out. What happened? Were you hit? How’d you get here? Are you in pain? Is all that blood—” Cassandra snapped her mouth shut.

Trevor grinned. “Wow, I’ve missed even that.” He pushed the loose wisps of her hair behind her ear.

Her hand covered his and pressed it against her cheek. He weaved his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand as if knowing the effort it took her to hold it together. The gesture brought a smile to her face, the first in hours, days. “What the hell took you so long? Take the scenic route?”

Chuckling, Trevor kissed her knuckles. “Something like that.”

The smile faded from Cassandra’s eyes. “Shit, Trevor.” She gently placed her hand on his chest. “How bad is this?”

Trevor shrugged dismissively. “Meh.”

His scrunched face and the flare of pain in his eyes told a different story. An overwhelming need to check his injury for herself and take his pain away swept over her. “Nate, I spotted a first aid kit under the bathroom sink. Get it, will you?”

Nathan grumbled, “He’s survived this long.”

“Nate. Please.”

“Wuss!” he muttered as he stepped from the room.

Trevor muttered under his, “Someone had some recent exposure to gamma rays….”

“Trevor!” Cassandra shushed him, but couldn’t hold back a little smile from touching her lips. She led Trevor into the living room and gently eased him onto the couch. He sagged against it with a deep sigh before tipping his head back and closing his eyes. Cassandra took a seat on the coffee table across from him and placed her hand on his knee, the physical contact a way to reassure herself that he was really there, that it wasn’t one of her crazy dreams.

Trevor covered her hand with his, rubbing his thumb along the inside of her wrist, a simple gesture that swelled her heart and sent a rush of moisture into her eyes. Silence filled the room, but the unspoken words that flowed between them never quieted.

Nathan’s brisk step echoed from the hall. Cassandra brushed the corners of her eyes, fighting hard against the tears she refused to let fall. She took a deep, long pull of air and exhaled it slowly.

A deep frown furrowed Nathan’s brow as he barged in and tossed the kit at her. Cassandra caught it with both hands, ignoring his childish behavior as she set the kit on her lap. “Trevor?”

Trevor grunted in response. Unwilling to cause him more pain, she let him have his space. After a few more minutes of silence, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Okay mister. Stop stalling. Tell me what happened.”

He flinched and opened his eyes to gaze into hers. “It’s a long story. Got any popcorn? Beer?” Trevor tried to make light of the situation, but his wife wouldn’t have any of it.

Her whiskey-brown eyes fixed on him and her mouth formed a grim line. “Quit being a smart ass. I want to know what the hell happened. I lost years of my life yesterday.”

His smile faded as he searched her face, trying to reach into her thoughts, and his stomach tightened at the distress he had caused her. He knew Cassandra and, by the gleam that was flashing from her eyes, he would be on the receiving end of a good badgering once she had pulled the entire story, down to the smallest detail, out of him.
God, I love her.

“This ought to be good,” Nelson sneered, leaning against the doorframe, his arms tightly crossed over his chest, a look of disdain coloring his eyes.

“Fuck off, Nelson.” When Nelson’s hands curled into fists, Trevor smirked. He returned his attention to Cassandra and began his recollection of the whole story, from the time they lost contact to the time he reached the safe house. As he unveiled each grueling chapter in his journey to reach her, Cassandra’s grip on his hand grew tighter and tighter. When he reached the chapter involving Deminov and Petrovna, Cassandra’s eyes grew wider and Nelson cursed under his breath. “And here I am,” he finished with a cocky grin, relieved the ordeal was behind him.

Aware of Nelson’s disapproving presence in the room, Trevor ignored him, focusing solely on Cassandra’s lovely face. The burn of Nelson’s gaze bore through him. Trevor turned to him and their eyes connected briefly. At that moment, Trevor realized that something had changed. Nelson’s body language and the old hatred in his eyes born on the day they met no longer carried the heat they once did. It wasn’t completely gone, but it wasn’t as prevalent either. In its place seemed to sit a painful acceptance. The marginally friendly look was quickly gone once he realized Trevor was well aware of it. The familiar pure, wholesome dislike was back in full force.

Cassandra rolled her eyes at them both. “Now what?”

Trevor returned his gaze to his wife’s. “I need a shower and a few hours of sleep before we can even think of leaving.” He leaned forward, kissed the tip of her nose, and touched the soft silky skin of her cheek with his good hand. His thoughts were clear now that she was close to him. He was almost feeling like himself, his usual wickedness and good humor surfacing once in Cassandra’s proximity. “While storytelling and gift of gab is in this Irishman’s blood, I would rather be horizontal.”

Nelson groaned from where he stood at the door. Trevor ignored his outburst and studied Cassandra closely. His heart tumbled in his chest. Dark shadows circled her eyes and her shoulders curved under the weight of exhaustion. “You look like you could use some sleep too, Cassie girl.”

Cassandra held the hand he had placed on her cheek and nuzzled it before dropping a soft kiss on the center of his palm. The touch of her soft lips sent a flash of heat tearing through him and a pang resonated in his heart. During their exchange, Nate continued to study them. From the corner of his eye, Trevor saw him listening intently to their conversation and watching their interaction—the way they looked at each other, touched, and caressed as they talked. That was fine with Trevor.