Chapter Two #2
always made people dangerous, and Sejal was dangerous all the time.
“Okay. Fine. You’re a shitty FBI agent who goes around kissing women you’re planning on handcuffing later.”
Oof. Yes, the kiss had most definitely not been part of his plan, but it had been the easiest part of this whole night.
“So what do you want from me?”
“I need to get to the head of Cobra.”
She blinked, then blinked again. “Uh, go to prison, then. Surely you know my mom is Cobra.”
“Not anymore.”
“What are you saying?”
“Your mom was Cobra. Our intel tells us that your aunt, Rhea, is now running Cobra.”
She had a poker face. Not by even an eye flinch did she give away that her next words were a lie. “Like I said in the car, my aunt’s dead.”
“She’s not.”
“I don’t know who told you that. She died in Mexico, building a well. Or using a well? I can’t quite recall.”
He shifted. Her flippant tone here was definitely at odds with the aching sorrow he’d heard in the car. Which one was real?
When Sejal had said what she’d said about her aunt being dead, he’d wondered if she was simply covering for her or if she
actually knew where Rhea was. He wasn’t sure. She’d sounded genuinely sad over it. “Her death was faked,” Krish said. “She
was taken into Witness Protection because she turned witness against Sal Lombardi, a rather dangerous guy.”
“If that’s true, then her whereabouts should be the government’s business, right? Why don’t you call up the marshals?”
That was not the reaction one usually had when told that the death of one’s beloved aunt was faked. “Because the marshals
can’t find her, and haven’t been able to find her for years.”
He was watching her so closely that he caught the lift of her eyebrow. That Rhea was in Witness Protection hadn’t surprised
Sejal at all. But her being missing had.
“What do you mean?” She straightened up. “How do you know she wasn’t kidnapped or killed by the guy she testified against?”
Her voice went up an octave, betraying her actual concern.
“We don’t,” he admitted. “But a day before your mother was found, tied up for the authorities, your aunt escaped her detail
and went on the run. Our theory is that she’s the one who handed Rushali to the police.”
“And then what? Risked getting killed by this Sal guy by skipping town?” Sejal shook her head. “She could already be dead, thanks to your colleagues losing her.”
“The risk wouldn’t have been so great if she gathered protection around herself immediately. Cobra should have been dismantled
after Rushali’s arrest, but it’s only grown. I think your aunt made sure your mother would get caught, then swiftly took over
Cobra, consolidating power under her.”
Sejal was silent for a moment, and her eyes became unfocused as she seemed to mull over his words. When she spoke again, that
momentary blip of worry for her aunt was gone, her tone flat and pissed again. “So, again, what do you want from me?”
He’d thought about this question for ages, it felt like, and he’d finally managed to come up with a plan. A madcap, desperate
plan. “We have good intel that Cobra is operating out of Los Angeles. I want you to come back with me to find Rhea.”
“And we get to LA, and then what? I wander the streets calling for my aunt?”
“I have the contact information for an attorney there who’s a known associate of Cobra. You’ll set up a meeting.” Krish had
considered reaching out to the attorney on his own, but without leverage like the woman’s beloved niece in his possession,
that seemed like a surefire way to place a target on his back.
“You think my aunt cares enough about me to come running if I contact her?”
“I know she does. Her assigned marshals reported that her nieces were all the woman talked about.” So much so that the feds
had kept surveillance on the younger sister for a year in the hope that Rhea would contact her. “And I can tell, from the
way you talked about her, and your worry over her now, that the feeling is mutual.”
“So I’m bait.”
“You’re not bait.” I want you to come with me to Los Angeles so I can use you to convince your aunt to give me information on my brother. Okay, fine, bait.
“Call up the attorney, then. I’d love to talk to my aunt, too.”
“It doesn’t work like that.” He needed as short of a lead time as possible between first contact and getting Rhea out of hiding
and face-to-face. He couldn’t risk that Cobra would kill Avi if he shook the hornet’s nest too much. “This has to be in person.”
“You can go fuck yourself,” she said softly. “Even if all of this is true, I’m not helping you arrest my aunt.”
“I don’t want to arrest her. I promise. I only want to talk to her about an ongoing case.” And then, if she still didn’t tell
him where his brother was, he’d wrap Rhea up with a bow and deliver her to the first trustworthy law enforcement officer he
could find.
Sejal ran her fingers through her short hair. The strands stuck up, revealing the buzzed undercut on one side of her head.
“You’ve lied to me over and over again. I don’t believe you. Besides, what are you going to do if I don’t help you? Arrest
me? For refusing to be a narc?”
Krish drummed his fingers on his leg. “I could tip the local authorities off to your little shell game at the bar.”
“It’s not a shell game.”
“You stole a man’s Rolex right off his wrist. I’m sure he’s not the first.” Though he hadn’t been close enough to overhear
what they were saying, Krish had admired her skills. Nowhere in his brother’s file had it said that Sejal did magic tricks, of all adorable things.
No! Not adorable.
He’d surmised that Sejal wasn’t as dangerous as the rest of her family, but that didn’t make her a good person or anyone that he could trust.
“I didn’t steal it. He owed me that watch. I found his jack of diamonds!”
Agent Krish had to be a harder-ass than Regular Krish was. “I’m not sure that’s a recognized defense anywhere, but you can try it.”
There was so much animosity in her glare, he had to hide his wince. He wasn’t used to a woman disliking him. While he wasn’t
a ladies’ man, most women tended to find him kind and respectful.
You don’t cuff most women after they kiss you. Or at least, only if they asked him to.
You have to press harder. You don’t have time for this, either.
He inched the chair back. “Or I can try your sister.”
Mira Chaudhary. Doesn’t know anything about Cobra. Shocked her mom is alive. Believes her aunt is dead. Accountant, no criminal
ties at all. Aunt Rhea loves Mira, but really has a soft spot for the older sister. Husband is rich. Dead end.
Unlike Sejal, Mira had been interviewed after her mother had been arrested. Krish had watched the tape. The younger sibling,
dressed in a prim little suit, hair neatly tied, had answered every question they’d put to her, taking occasional tiny sips
of water.
Krish had contemplated going to Mira first, but her husband was an attorney whose family was wealthy and well connected and could easily whisk her away on a private jet.
He couldn’t pretend to be an agent with them without getting immediately background-checked, and he doubted that Mira’s desire to help him would trump her feelings for her aunt.
No, Sejal’s loner lifestyle worked for this. She was without resources, and had a healthy reason to be wary of law enforcement.
Ice cold. That was what Avi used to call him when he was hyper-focused on a project. That’s what he had to be here.
Sejal drew in a sharp breath. When she spoke again, her words were low and sinister. If he hadn’t been desperate, he might
have been scared.
“Stay away from my sister.”
Ah. Here was a good pain point. Good, yes, get back to thinking like this. Ruthless. The way you thought before she pressed her body against yours. “I didn’t think you were close to your sister.”
“I’m not. But she doesn’t know anything about this world. She doesn’t need to be dragged into it.”
“Then all you have to do is come with me.” He tapped his watch. “Time’s ticking, Sejal.”
Her nostrils flared. “Okay, Anand. So if I help you, you’ll leave me and my sister alone after?”
“Yes.”
She looked around the room, as if she expected someone else to pop out. “We’re going alone? You don’t have a partner or anything?”
“Like you said, Cobra has eyes and ears in every agency. Only a few people know what I’m doing here. I’m not risking a leak
so Rhea can bolt.” Did that sound cloak-and-dagger enough?
“I’m not flying to California like this.” She jiggled the metal of her handcuffs.
Yeah, she couldn’t. His brother’s borrowed credentials wouldn’t hold up to TSA. “Once we get to the airport, if you promise not to run, I will take the handcuffs off.”
“You believe my aunt and I care for each other. You’re not scared that she’ll kill you for using me like this, to get to her?”
Sejal asked softly.
He almost laughed. He was scared shitless. There were a million things that could go wrong, including Sejal’s aunt believing
him to be an actual threat to her niece. If she could make his brother disappear, what could she do to him?
But the leader of Cobra was a ghost, impossible to find otherwise. These were the only leads he had. He had no choices left
except to hope that this hastily executed gambit would be so unexpected that Rhea wouldn’t have time to squash him. Rhea was
the only one who could help him. Avi could be dead—
No. He wouldn’t think that way. Not yet.
“Don’t worry about it. Get me to the head of Cobra, and our business will be done,” he confirmed. She sat back. His sweatshirt
slipped over her shoulder.
“Fine.”
He gave a long exhale.
“How am I supposed to pack my bag? I’m not traveling cross-country without a toothbrush.”
“I’ll do it for you.” He stood. “Any preferences or can I choose your clothes myself?”
Sejal sucked her teeth. “By all means, dress me, too.” She nodded at the door next to her bed. “Closet’s in there.”
He walked to her closet and stepped inside, turning on the light.
The girl was ruthlessly organized, something he appreciated.
Her pants were hung on one side, shirts next to them, and what he assumed were her con clothes—miniskirts and crop tops—at the end.
Everything was in neutral shades, black, gray, white, or tan. Mostly black.
It was a good thing she didn’t have much, because he wasn’t planning on taking much with them. The lighter they traveled the
better. He took the smaller duffel and opened it up, then paused. The closet light was dim, and she couldn’t see him from
the bed. He closed his eyes and allowed his shoulders to slump, the world weighing heavily on him.
For the first time since Avi had disappeared and he’d immersed himself in his brother’s research, Krish breathed. Finally.
Don’t celebrate yet.
Right. He’d fully exhale when he finally got his sibling back.
He’d only discovered that his brother was missing a week ago, but it felt much longer than that. Avi’s partner Peter had shown
up at his door to grill him about where his brother could be. He had sat Krish down and gently explained that Avi had been
put on administrative leave the month prior. The department had been quietly investigating him for a while for allegedly taking
bribes from Cobra to look the other way. Quietly because the last thing they wanted was more negative press about corrupt
officials.
The FBI, including a semi-reluctant Peter, believed that Avi had split because he was guilty, but Krish knew that couldn’t
possibly be the case. Krish had taken a leave of absence from work and flown from DC to LA immediately.
He could tell that the agency had already searched his brother’s house, but they didn’t know all the hidey-holes he and his brother had come up with growing up.
In an empty Spam container in the pantry, Krish had found a letter from Avi.
The letter had made it clear that Cobra had framed him, and he was going to prove it.
It ended with the words:
If anything happens to me, please know they did this to shut me up.
If anything happens.
Such a mundane way to hint at something nefarious. Krish had gotten down to business, utilizing his own superpower: research.
Luckily, his brother had helped him out by leaving incredibly detailed notes and files on Cobra and the Chaudharys in a cardboard
box under one of the floorboards. After a couple of sleepless nights, he’d stared at the scrawled list he’d made of his options.
Believe that Avi did what he was accused of and ran off.
Impossible.
Go to the authorities.
Can’t trust that they’re not working for Cobra or that they’ll believe Av3.
Somehow find Rhea yourself.
She’ll kill you and Av4.
Use the niece to scare Rhea out of hiding. Physically corner her. Demand answers.
Nuts.
No other choice.
And that’s why Krish was now here in Sejal’s apartment.
Krish raked his hands through his hair and patted his face.
Game face back on. No more thinking about that kiss or the small of Sejal’s back.
Cute magic tricks and pretty face aside, it wouldn’t do to show a Chaudhary a single ounce of vulnerability.
If she was anything like her family, she’d use it against him.
He quickly filled the bag with a few days’ worth of shirts and pants, along with an extra pair of sneakers. He hesitated when
he opened a dresser drawer filled with underwear and bras, all cotton, all shockingly brightly colored.
His hand hovered over them. It’s only weird if you make it so. Trying not to look at them or think of her wearing them, he grabbed a solid handful and stuffed them in the bag. There. Now
she’d be clothed.
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget your toothbru—” He stopped speaking as he came out of the closet.
The bed was empty. His handcuff hung off the bedpost, sad and lonely.
He ran to the open window. The street was still quiet in the earliest hours of the morning, the sun still far away.
There was no sign of Sejal.
Fuck. She might not be as guilty as the rest of her family, but she was slippery as all hell, and clearly, a very good actor.
He crushed the curtain in his fist.
Well. He would not be underestimating her again.