Devin: A Romantic Suspense (V Mafia Series Book 2) Read online

  “What did you call the pseudo drug?” Drake asked.

  “It wasn’t a fake drug. It just wasn’t a new drug.” I drew in a breath. “They were called Bettys. They became all the rage. The face of Betty Paige was imprinted on each ecstasy pill, but that was just to hide the tracker.”

  Drake and Blake exchanged knowing looks and Jax hadn’t a clue.

  “Well, this makes me feel a hell of a lot better than what the Lieutenant has been chirping in my ear.”

  My blood chilled as I thought back to Jax’s conversation I’d overheard.

  So I’d been right.

  “And what was that?” I asked.

  “That you’d started some side runs, mainly drug runs.”

  I shook my head. “There are no side runs. The only thing was that I slipped a little extra something in each tablet for one of our guys to deliver to a few special somebodies. It wasn’t widespread so your source, the Lieutenant, isn’t exactly on top of it.”

  “Yeah.” Jax nodded. “Truthfully, I didn’t like how the Lieutenant was coming off. It makes me wonder about motive. Regardless, we’ll have to figure out how to explain this to Mama V and get her excited about it.”

  “No need. I already did and she loves putting an extra wall between us all. In fact, she thinks that I take after her.” I grinned, feeding my brothers shit. “The visionary of the family, I think is what she said.”

  “I can’t argue with her on that.” Jax grinned, nodding in appreciation. “There are a lot of traffic lights in the area we want to monitor though. How many devices do we need?”

  “That’s why it’s taken me over a year to get this hammered out. Joel found a way to bounce the signals off one another so we don’t need the device at each light. The overall cost is probably close to half a million.”

  “Which is a lot less than any of our bail would ever be.” Drake cracked himself up.

  “Well done, Devin.” He reached out to shake my hand and pulled me in for a hug. “Well done. Now, if we can just get the rest of the shipments out of Miami, I’d say this year will be a good one.”

  “Excuse me,” Avery’s voice cut through the room and Jax’s gaze flashed to hers. “I normally wouldn’t interrupt, but I think there’s a problem.”

  “What kind of problem?” Jax questioned, coming around the desk.

  “Stephanie from downstairs said she was trying to reach you but couldn’t. She said there are three police officers coming up to our floor.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Avery

  Miami.

  Of course that would explain all the trips to Miami. Their shipments weren’t ever coming into this port. The manifests Ellis gave me, and the ones I saw a few days ago, were completely inaccurate. I held in a silent sigh and climbed out of the company car and said my goodbyes to the driver before going into my building.

  The Volkovs weren’t a trusting bunch. Why in the world would they have false manifests saved on their servers unless they were setting a trap?

  But for whom?

  A chill ran over me as my mind settled on the answer to that one. I decided to take the stairs up to my apartment. It gave me a little more privacy before I had to deal with prying eyes.

  One thing was for sure. Davis would be finding out the expected shipments were bogus. I slid my hand up the worn wooden banister and passed another floor. I was tempted to climb right on past my floor and tap on the door of the apartment above mine. I shrugged off the idea and made my way to my temporary apartment that didn’t feel nearly temporary enough.

  I slid my key in the lock, pushed open the door, and kicked it closed with my foot.

  “Well, hello, Lara Avery.”

  My pulse spiked as my eyes flew to the back of Lieutenant Davis. She was standing in front of the window peering, down at the streets below.

  “Why are you here?” Anger replaced concern. “It’s not safe to be at my apartment. You’re compromising the entire assignment.”

  “If you don’t get me better information, the assignment will be over and you’ll be without a job.” She spun around slowly and folded her arms in front of her. She’d cut her dark hair into a short bob. She wore a navy pantsuit similar to the one she’d worn the first time I’d met her.

  “What are you talking about?” I kept my voice steady and took a few steps deeper into my apartment. “Every day, I’ve listed people of interest just like you asked of me. I’ve learned about shipments coming into port. Give me more requests and I’ll give you more answers.”

  Lieutenant Davis sat down in a chair and crossed her legs.

  “We tracked the shipments you gave us and there was nothing.”

  “That’s not my fault. My job is to get you the information. Your job is to investigate it. I’ll continue to hand over more as I get it.”

  “We don’t have that kind of time.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I saw a tired expression rest behind her gaze.

  Had Jax gotten to her, used her, and disposed of her, or was she still tied to his hip, putting on a good front for the department?

  Or was there nothing between them in the first place? My mind flashed back to the photos of her and Jax, and I knew I’d never find a reasonable answer to any of it.

  “I’ll continue to feed you the information you want, but you can’t just take me off the assignment. I can’t just vanish into thin air. They’ll know I was a plant.” I drew in a deep breath. “Or worse, they’ll think something happened to me, search for me, and I guarantee you, they’ll find me.”

  “Your concerns are valid, and your exit will be done with as much delicacy as the situation warrants, but right now, you need to give me something more to keep you on the case.”

  My skin crawled with apprehension. My life would never be the same. It didn’t matter if I stayed or went. I’d started something that was never going to be finished. I’d been used, and nothing had come of it and nothing ever would.

  “Jenn.”

  The Lieutenant’s eyes flashed to mine. “What about her?”

  “Exactly. What about her? Did she work for you? Why was she murdered?”

  Davis stood and walked over to the window. “I don’t know.”

  “Is that why you want to pull me off the case?”

  “Partly.”

  “What’s the other part?” I set my purse down on my unmade bed.

  “It’s classified.”

  I laughed. “I know you’re lying about the shipments.”

  Her eyes sharpened on mine.

  “The reason you can’t find any weapon shipments coming into this Port is because there aren’t any. You’ve sent me searching for something that doesn’t exist.” I continued to test her for my own sanity. “But my guess is you already know that.”

  “Why would I waste my time or the department’s?”

  “You tell me.” My mind drifted to the photo of the murdered Agent Ellis showed me. What if Jenn’s and her murder were tied together and Ellis was looking in the wrong places altogether?

  “This is the problem with bringing officers into Vice before they’re ready. They think they know everything. They have the whole world figured out.” She flicked her fingers in the air and laughed curtly. “You don’t know shit.”

  Her bark sounded almost pitiful. I suddenly understood why so many officers bristled when she attached herself to their cases.

  “I know enough to understand that by your pulling me off this assignment too early, I might as well jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. My odds for survival are about the same.” I shifted my weight. “What happened to Jenn?”

  “She got too nosy.”

  “I don’t believe it for a second.”

  “Let it be a warning.” Her icy gaze stayed on mine. “We’ll be working on a plan for your exit from the assignment. I’ll let you know the details as they’re put in place.”

  “Give me more that you want me to find and I’ll do it.” I stared at the wom
an who was so willing to destroy not only my career but my entire life, and for what reason? Why would she start something she had no intention of finishing?

  Someone knocked on my door, and I stared at Davis, who shook her head. I pointed toward the bathroom, and she quickly made her way into the shower, pulling the curtain closed.

  I walked over to the door and peered through the peephole.

  It was Devin. My heart slammed in my chest. This wasn’t good. I quickly scanned my apartment, making sure there was no sign that Davis had been here.

  “You in there, Avery?” Urgency coated each syllable.

  I counted silently to ten and opened the door. My mind raced with the officers who’d shown up at Wolf Industries before I left. Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence Davis was standing behind my shower curtain.

  “Little impatient?” I flashed a smile even though my heart was beating a million miles an hour.

  “For you.”

  “I see.” I nodded, leaning against the door. “Did I forget to do something at the office?”

  “No.” A smile tugged at his lips and I tried to force myself to relax. “You left today before I had a chance to ask you a question.”

  “What’s that?” I shifted, still completely on edge about Davis in the bathroom.

  “I wanted to ask you to dinner.” He glanced behind me and I stiffened, praying Davis was still in the bathroom.

  “When?”

  “Tonight.” He surveyed my apartment, and I suddenly felt sheepish. I didn’t want him to think anything inside of it represented me.

  “Well, you’re in luck because I have absolutely nothing to eat and didn’t feel like going to the grocer. I’ll just grab my purse.”

  He took a step in and I inadvertently blocked him with the door.

  “Okay. I’ll take that as a sign to stay in the hall.”

  I cringed, chuckling, and opened the door. “Sorry. I don’t get many visitors.”

  “The general rule of thumb isn’t to shut the door in someone’s face, especially when they’re buying you dinner.”

  “I’ll try to remember that,” I said over my shoulder. “Do I need to change? If the answer is yes, you’ll have to go back into the hall. The joys of a studio.”

  “You look amazing,” he said softly, his eyes sweeping over my body.

  “Thank you. I don’t feel very amazing.” I picked up my purse and made sure my keys were inside before making my way back to the front door. I caught Devin’s gaze focusing on the ceiling right over the desk and pushed away the fear rolling over me. “I never got my first cup of coffee.”

  He laughed, and I slid my hand into his, hoping to distract him from whatever he thought he saw.

  “Ready?”

  He nodded, giving the area one more look before we slipped out the front door.

  For the first time since the initial knock at my door, I felt like things might be okay.

  “Where do you plan on taking me?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he said softly as we stepped onto the elevator.

  “I’m not big on surprises.” I pressed the lobby button and prayed for the doors to shut quickly. I didn’t need Davis wandering out of my apartment a second too soon.

  “Everything okay at the office?” I asked, wondering about the three officers who paid a visit earlier. When Greta and I left, they were still in one of the conference rooms with the brothers.

  Devin wrapped his arm around my waist and dipped his mouth to behind my ear, nearly breathing his response. “Totally. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “No reason.” I shrugged, thinking back to the man they most likely disposed of. Would that not make most people nervous? At least that they’d be caught? “Just thought maybe the officers had information on Jenn or. . .” my voice trailed off as the elevator doors opened and two females stood in front of us, waiting to get on the elevator.

  They both sent admiring glances in Devin’s direction as we stepped out into the cramped hallway where mailboxes covered the wall.

  He still had me pulled next to him, and it would be a lie if I said I didn’t enjoy being so close.

  “What made you think about dinner?” I asked as we stepped out into the brisk, night air.

  “A celebration.” He squeezed me tighter.

  “What are we celebrating?”

  We continued to walk down the street, his arm holding me tight, as he pointed at a tiny café tucked below the sidewalk. I’d never even noticed it before. “That’s where we’re headed, and it’s to celebrate several things.”

  We jaywalked across the street and hopped down the few steps to the entrance of the café. A few sleek flower urns had daffodils braving the cold and dotting the soil.

  “I hope you like French cuisine.” He opened the door, and the buttery smells intoxicated my senses. I never wanted to leave.

  The space was cozy with only a handful of tables, but they were all full except for one, near the open kitchen.

  “Bonsoir, Monsieur Volkov.” A petite woman smiled in Devin’s direction. I noticed a blush creep along her neck to her cheeks. She had blonde hair in an elaborate braid and wore an ivory chiffon skirt and a simple ivory sweater.

  As I sat down, Devin helped adjust my chair before he took his own seat across from me. The table was adorned with votive candles in the center of the white tablecloth and a sprig of greenery in a small vase.

  The woman rested her hand on his shoulder as she eyed me cautiously. She didn’t hand us any menus but motioned to the chalkboard above our table that was all in French. As long as we stayed firmly away from escargot, my life would be okay.

  Devin spoke something softly to the woman in French and my stomach knotted. I didn’t like not knowing what was going on.

  “I ordered us some wine,” Devin said, turning his attention to me.

  “Sounds wonderful.” I slid my hands down to my lap, taking in the charming restaurant. It was hard to believe something so quaint was so close to the apartment I was staying in.

  The woman returned with two glasses of red wine.

  “Parlez-vous français?” The woman narrowed her eyes at me, and I suddenly felt like we were in some sort of unsaid battle.

  “Oui, je parle français.” Why did I decide to lie? Any cop in the city knew greetings in a dozen or so languages just to navigate, but that was as far as it went for me beyond a little high school Spanish.

  “Je suis surpris,” she mumbled and walked away.

  “I gather she’s surprised?” My brow arched and Devin sat back and grinned. “What?”

  He didn’t say anything, so I glanced at the French menu and wondered how I’d know what to order. A few seconds of silence sat between us as I analyzed certain words, leaning toward dishes that included poulet, which I desperately hoped meant chicken.

  “Tu est la plus belle femme au monde.”

  My gaze flashed to his and heat pooled deep in my stomach. Hearing Devin speak French had to be one of the sexiest things I’d ever heard. It didn’t matter that he was talking about food. I loved it.

  “That sounds excellent. I bet it will be delicious.” I nodded, turning my attention away from the chalkboard menu.

  A wicked glint of amusement shot through his gaze.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, taking a sip of wine.

  “I didn’t think you could speak French.”

  I laughed, feeling the natural connection again that I’d fought to keep away.

  “What gave me away?” I looked at him over the top of my wine glass and his smile widened.

  “I told you that you are the most beautiful woman in the world.” He tapped his index finger on the table. “And your response was that you essentially wanted to order us up a plate.”

  “In hypothetical terms.”

  He laughed and shook his head. I loved getting to see Devin out of his element. I promised myself it was so I could get closer to what was needed, but lately, I wasn’t good at fooling myself.r />
  “Well, fine. You caught me. I do not speak very much French.” My brows arched and he chuckled.

  “Could have fooled me.” A devilish look appeared in his eyes, and it was so completely charming that I had to look away.

  I took in a silent breath to center myself and waited for the waitress to wander over, but she didn’t. This wasn’t the typical in and out type of establishment. We might be here until midnight at this rate.

  “How many languages do you speak, or did you just learn the basics for her sake?” I teased.

  “Four.”

  “And they are?” My brow arched in surprise. I was genuinely fascinated.

  “English, Russian, French, and Spanish.”

  “I’m impressed.”

  “Well, good. I’m glad something finally did it for you.” A smirk rested on his face.

  “There are a lot of things about you that impress me.” I took another sip of wine, and thankfully, the woman came back over to take our orders. Devin ordered for us both, which was a good call, even better when I heard the word poulet roll off his tongue.

  He leaned over the table. “And for the record, I didn’t learn several languages to impress the ladies.” The way the candle caught the silver flecks in his blue eyes was gorgeous. There was very little about any of these brothers that wasn’t near perfection, but the light behind Devin’s eyes drew me in to places I should never go.

  “Now, what exactly are we celebrating?” I asked, trying to move the conversation away from my own thoughts.

  “I’ve been working on a project for over a year, and my brothers actually like what I came up with.” His shoulders relaxed as if the weight of the world had been lifted.

  “Do they not usually like what you come up with?”

  “There’s not much room for creativity in our line of work. Jax is more logical in his way of thinking, whereas I tend to go where the impulse takes me.”

  My stomach knotted into a nasty combination of apprehension, intrigue, excitement, and worry. In order to stay on this assignment and come out breathing on the other end, I needed to hand Davis something, and maybe this was it.

  “So you’ll be moving forward with whatever it is.” I raised my wineglass. “Congrats.”