Chapter 2
NORTH CAROLINA
Adria’s mind turned during her and Eric’s flight back. Her thoughts raced around all the complications Callen being in the Triune brought. Not even the North Carolina skyline or the feel of the leather in the backseat of her Maserati Grecale brought her peace.
Eric drove with his hands steady on the wheel, and Adria tried to concentrate on the passing trees and the scent of lavender filling the cab.
Her entire world had changed in such a short span of time.
This time last year, she had spent her drives worrying about a land deal and her mother.
Now the land deal, once central to her every thought, was the last thing on her mind.
Instead, her thoughts were filled with all things Winters.
Bryson, Kaydon, Seth, and now Callen. What was he up to?
What had he done for the Nine that was promotion-worthy?
Adria knew it wasn’t the land deal, because X had assured her the property still sat vacant.
She was so preoccupied that she almost missed the dark sedan that sat at the end of her driveway.
“Wait here,” Eric said.
It had been a long trip home, and after everything that had happened, Adria had every intention of staying in the car and letting Eric handle it. Except as soon as Eric put the car in park, the door of the green sedan swung open and a large man with a gray beard exited.
Maxim.
Adria was out of the vehicle before Eric opened his door. Stomping down the drive, she could hear Eric tailing behind her, muttering under his breath.
Something about how is he supposed to protect her if she never listens.
Ignoring him, Adria set her sights on the bearded, bald man in front of her. Stopping just shy of his personal space, placing her hands on her hips.
“Maxim, I expressly remember telling you and about a hundred others that I never wanted to see you again,” Adria said, heels digging into the gravel. “What do you want?”
His calm smile was hard to ignore. It was too calm, too casual. After her father had died, she fired everyone.
Every single soul.
Firing wasn’t something that usually happened in the Nine. Normally you were in or you were dead.
“Adria, it’s good to see you. You look,” he gestured with his hand up and down “so grown up.”
Adria just stood there, hands on her hips. She wasn’t in the habit of asking twice.
Maxim cleared his throat. “Can we speak inside?”
He looked the same. Straight out of her memories. Muscles filled out his large frame, which strained against his white shirt. The only sign that time had passed was the white hairs in his beard touching the BJR and Ram tattoo on his neck.
“We can speak here. I don’t invite strangers into my home.”
There was that smile again.
“I’m not exactly a stranger. I still have the brand,” he responded, absent-mindedly touching his chest.
As far as Adria was concerned, Eric was the only branded member of her staff. Anyone else was her father’s, not hers.
“We can speak here or not at all,” she answered.
Maxim glanced over her shoulder, no doubt clocking Eric’s presence for the first time. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, considering his words, or having difficulty saying them.
Adria inwardly rolled her eyes. Maybe she should have invited him in, just to get this conversation over with.
“You probably know that I work for the FBI now,” he said, his voice softer. Lower.
“I’m aware.” Adria had kept tabs on all of them. How he got a job at the FBI, with the Federov tattoos snaking up his neck, she had no idea.
He nodded, as if this information didn’t surprise him.
“When I left,” he said.
“You were fired,” Adria said.
He raised an eyebrow. “When I was fired. I left this life behind. I put the bad guys behind bars now.”
“Legally,” he amended.
How the FBI operated, and whether they did so within the limits of the law was a debate Adria didn’t want to have with Maxim, so she kept her mouth shut.
When it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything, he continued, “I’m not going to lie; it wasn’t hard not looking back. And I swore I would only get involved in the old life if it involved you.”
Now it was Adria’s turn to be surprised. He still felt loyalty to the family, even after everything.
“I cared about your mother,” he said. “And you.”
Images of her father bringing her kicking and screaming into his office came into her mind.
The staff knew what he did to her. They might have lied to themselves. Turned away and told themselves some sort of story, but it was hard to miss the middle-of-the-night visits. Even harder to miss was the time Jonathan, Ivan, and she spent in the office together.
They all knew.
And yet they all had done nothing.
Now he had the nerve to say he cared about her.
He could take that care and shove it so far up his ass that he could taste it on his way the fuck out of here.
She was about to say as much when Eric’s hand brushed her back.
He wanted her to hold back. To wait and see why Maxim had come before sending him packing.
Adria took a deep, audible breath and a long exhale before saying, “And?”
Maxim shifted, and his face took on a pained expression. It was clear he was torn about telling her whatever he was about to.
“Your name came up,” he said in a rush.
“Came up?” Adria asked.
“Your name never comes up. Your father’s back in the day, yes. But nowadays the Federov name isn’t on our radar, but something happened that has your name back in the system.”
Adria took a step forward, her posture less aggressive. If her name was coming up, she needed to know why.
Maxim reached into his pocket, and Eric tensed. Maxim held up his other hand and slowly took out a folded piece of paper.
Adria unfolded it, and her jaw nearly fell open when she saw a photo of Cole. The submissive she had trained right before Bryson, Kaydon, and Seth.
“What happened?” Her voice was full of concern. Why was Cole having his picture taken by the FBI?
This had to be her fault. She knew she should have cut off contact.
“He’s not in trouble,” Maxim said, reading her concern. “He’s up for a high-level job. Top security clearance.”
Adria’s breathing eased.
Cole was up for a promotion. That was great news.
“He put your name down on his application as a character witness.”
Adria couldn’t stop the laugh that came out of her mouth. “Cole put me down as a reference?”
Maxim’s face was a mask of severity. It was clear he did not find any of this amusing.
But a giant grin broke out across her face, and she turned to Eric. “I’m his reference.”
Eric gave her a soft smile and nodded.
Adria knew Cole had little family or friends, but she never would have guessed this.
She only wished he had told her. Cole didn’t know about her family or the Nine. But it was common courtesy to tell your references that you were putting them down.
Her hand itched.
She handed the photo back to Maxim. “Cole doesn’t know anything. Can you get my name off his application?”
“Probably not, but I can make sure it doesn’t go further than his immediate department.”
“And what do you want in return?”
“Adria,” Maxim said.
“Maxim,” she said, staring back.
He shook his head. “You are so much like your mother.”
“Look after Cole. Text me if he needs anything,” she said, extending him her card.
“Maybe it would be better for you if he didn’t get the job,” Maxim said, taking the card in his hand.
“Absolutely not. Cole isn’t a part of this.” Adria gestured to the house. “He is innocent. Do you know how rare that is?”
Maxim nodded. “I do actually.”
Adria straightened. “Okay then. So, he gets the job and extras. Or I come visit you next time.”
Perfect teeth greeted her again. “Are you threatening a federal agent?”
Adria narrowed her gaze. She didn’t understand what was giving him the impression that they were friends.
“A threat is an impending idea that a person is unlikely to follow through on. Do I seem like the type that doesn’t follow through to you?”
Maxim’s smile faltered. “I’m sorry for what happened to you when you were younger. I was way too young, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
The guilt. The gut-wrenching guilt she saw on his face made Adria want to run into the house.
But the anger and shame raging inside her chest rooted her to the spot.
“I don’t need your apologies. Not back then, and certainly not now.
You valued your life above a helpless child.
How can I blame you? Everyone enjoys breathing. ”
Heat flashed across his face.
And that was about all the trip down memory lane she could take. She started towards the house.
Eric’s footsteps were behind her, followed by Maxim’s.
“Adria, wait.”
Adria had no intention of waiting.
“I helped your mother escape.”
Adria knew her mother had help from someone. In her heart, she knew that her mother couldn’t have done it alone.
But Adria also knew that there was another person in the equation.
The dagger was out of her waist band and she was turning before Eric or Maxim could react. A second later, her blade pressed against Maxim’s neck.
Everyone froze.
“Are you the reason she got caught?”
“No,” he said, his face even.
“Someone had to tip my father off,” Adria said.
Maxim shook his head. “No, she got caught by your father because she didn’t stick to the plan.”
Her blade pressed harder into his neck, and Eric’s hand squeezed her shoulder.
“What was the plan?” she asked.
“She was supposed to wait at a hotel across the Canadian border. I had already paid someone off to let her through. I was supposed to bring you once she was settled. I called and called, but she never showed. A week later, she was caught at the Mexican border.”
Adria narrowed her gaze. “Maybe she didn’t trust you?”
Maxim’s face creased, and his voice was laced with defeat when he said, “Maybe.”
Adria put the knife away and searched his face. He looked like a man who had played the game and lost.
But she still didn’t trust him.
“Don’t come back here,” she said, turning.
The sound of Eric shutting the door behind her did little to calm her nerves. Did her mother really have a plan to get her? If she did, then why didn’t she follow through with it?
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down.
Unknown number: This is Maxim. If you need anything, please let me know.
Adria: I won’t.