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  Keeping the Spy

  Victoria Pinder

  Keeping The Spy

  Copyright©2017

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemble to actual events, business establishments, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

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  Published in the United States of America.

  Copyright © 2017 Victoria Pinder Love in a Book

  All rights reserved.

  Created with Vellum

  This book is dedicated to my daughter, Diana. While I hope she never experiences the dangers that Sherry and Liam face in her life, I do hope she one day grows big and finds a one true love.

  Contents

  Join Victoria Pinder

  1. Liam

  2. Sherry

  3. Liam

  4. Sherry

  5. Sherry

  6. Sherry

  7. Liam

  8. Sherry

  9. Liam

  10. Sherry

  11. Liam

  12. Sherry

  13. Sherry

  Secret Crush Preview

  Also by Victoria Pinder

  About the Author

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  1

  Liam

  "Black Falcon, in two days you walk out of the CIA forever? How?" Liam's coworker and close friend, Dwayne, at the Central Intelligence Agency leaned closer to his desk to ask.

  Liam cleared his throat as he stared at his computer.

  "I'm turning thirty."

  Sharing an office wasn't always bad; just sometimes. In a few more weeks no one would call him Black Falcon anymore. He'd simply be the billionaire without a job. His blue eyes envisioned how he'd be home with his parents and be the doting uncle to his brothers' children. He placed his feet on his desk and smiled at the ceiling.

  "In two days, I'll be vacationing on a beach and not care about any missions. Then I'm moving home to Hyannis and I plan to stay lost."

  "Time to give up what we both know you love this close to Valentine's?" Dwayne nudged his shoulder. Liam placed his feet on the floor as Dwayne said, "I am not as privileged as you, but I couldn't give this life up. There is no woman in the world worth it."

  "Let's get loud. Are we sure these people aren't Jennifer Lopez fans?"

  They were sifting through the evidence that the NSA delivered, the phone and email records of potential threats on this stifling hot day in Atlanta.

  "Boss want to know if they are using lyrics as code."

  "Pick a better singer then."

  "Agreed which is why I'm out." Liam shifted in his seat. He didn't want to be here anymore. "I need to stop living under the CIA rules and figure out what I want."

  He had the happy home life option, and lately that called to him. His married older brothers were having children, and Liam's gut told him to stop chasing every bad guy out there and to let the younger crowd do the footwork. He brushed his blond hair off his forehead and stood up to go get water.

  Skywalker called through the open door, "Boss wants to see you, Black Falcon."

  "I'll head upstairs."

  Liam tied his necktie and pressed his lips together. The boss only summoned field agents when someone did something wrong. Liam hadn't been in the field in weeks though, and no known screw ups surfaced in his mind.

  "Dwayne, whatever happens upstairs, I'm closing up my case work and sending you the encrypted files tonight."

  "Good luck." Dwayne answered, then stared at his computer screen.

  Liam's spine was stiff. He straightened and stood taller. At the glass door, he knocked then opened it. He stood still for a second and then called in, "You wanted to see me, sir?"

  "Black Falcon. Please sit. There is something we have to discuss." His boss, code name Nebraska, motioned with his hands for him to come sit on the black leather seat opposite the desk. "I think you know this woman."

  The senior agent, with graying hair that made him seem like George Clooney, twirled his monitor around. Liam's eyes widened and his skin grew cold. He stared at the open file on the computer. Dark brown hair. Walnut eyes. Curves he'd never forget.

  "Sherry? What about her?"

  Sherry was the librarian in his small town in Cape Cod. She was also a high school obsession who featured in his teenage dreams, though he had never actually spoken to her. His pulse quickened. She shouldn't be on the CIA radar. His muscles tensed as he pressed his lips together.

  His boss tapped his fingers on the desk and Liam turned toward him the moment he sat as he asked, "So you remember her from high school?"

  He had joined the high school play for a chance to talk to her, but he'd struck out. He swallowed and nodded.

  "There were two hundred graduating seniors in my class. And she's been friendly with my mom for years now."

  Liam lowered his gaze and told himself to not let any emotion show. Sherry should not be there. Sherry was always there, always smelled of iced cream sundaes, whenever he went home for a visit. She was the only person on the planet that made him tongue tied. He swallowed and his confidence returned to him.

  "What's going on?"

  His boss turned the monitor to its original position on his desk.

  "We're not sure. She might be trading secrets with the North Korean government."

  He jerked in his seat.

  "Impossible. Last time I saw Sherry was in a donut shop."

  "Sherry Worthing was engaged to Victor Kravenski." Nebraska leaned closer onto his desk. "He is an intelligence dealer."

  No. How would he not know that?

  "Intel says Victor died two days ago."

  Liam rubbed his chin and let his five o'clock shadow brush against his calloused hands.

  "Rumor is one of the Russian outfits killed their own for selling government secrets. It seems he was making a deal with the Chinese."

  Nebraska shrugged.

  "We were already tracking Kravenski. The secrets went missing and less than a half an hour ago Ms. Worthing boarded a plane bound for Miami. It's the gateway to South America. If she catches another flight, we might lose her..."

  No. His mind was clear as he pronounced every syllable.

  "Sherry wouldn't sell government secrets."

  Nebraska raised his eyebrow.

  "Victor might have turned her."

  A shiver ratcheted up his spine.

  "Absolutely not."

  "I don't have your faith in women. She might not even know what she's doing."

  "I'm on it. Whatever it is, I'll stop this and ensure whatever Victor had doesn't leak. Sherry doesn't have a secretive bone in her body."

  Liam stood up. The
pressure in his spine became heavier.

  "She's not a spy and besides, she doesn't speak Spanish."

  His boss's lips curved into a pencil thin line.

  "The files are missing. There are reports she has them, and we're not the only agency investigating Ms. Worthing. As you know her, you're on this case. I need you to bring her in for questioning."

  Liam stood and straightened his tie.

  "I'm going."

  "You should read her dossier, Black Falcon." Nebraska slid the folder across the desk. "You're the reason she met Victor in the first place."

  Resuming his seat, Liam flipped through the papers. He massaged his neck with the back of his hand as his eyes saw black stars. Sherry worked in a library. This was all a huge mistake. His mind reeled at the information and he processed.

  "How did she meet Victor Kravenski?"

  "Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. They were both there for a reception gala."

  Nebraska swiveled his seat and hit a few buttons to bring up files on his computer. Liam read the brief. The night she met Victor was at his parent's benefit at the museum. She must have been working for his mother as one of the usual volunteers. Liam could imagine Victor following Sherry into dark corners of the museum. His stomach twisted as he stared at a picture of Liam's brothers next to her, three months ago.

  Then he stared at the pictures of how Victor kissed Sherry's hand and read the papers. He tapped his fingers on his lips.

  "He was looking for me."

  Nebraska shrugged.

  "Possibly, but you never showed up that night. You were in Bulgaria for the pick-up, if I remember. It seems he spent the entire evening at her side. They became close quickly over the next few days.”

  Liam's fists clenched under the table.

  "There was also an art heist that same night. My sister-in-law took some heat as a false suspect."

  Victor would have no qualms about framing his sister-in-law, Kate. He'd also have no hesitation if Sherry ended up in front of the bullet intended for him. He continued reading and then saw an image of the diamond ring. Numbness grew inside him.

  "When did they get engaged?"

  "Over a month ago."

  Nebraska pulled up a picture on his computer of New Year's Eve. Liam stared at the star-studded picture of Sherry right next to celebrities and the ball in Times Square. Victor was down on one knee.

  "At midnight. The same night the Federal Reserve lost four hundred million dollars out of various accounts."

  "Crimes and romance don't normally mix." Liam closed his eyes. Sherry couldn't be involved. "She would have no knowledge of any thefts."

  Nebraska's chair squeaked as he turned toward his file cabinet. Picking up his water glass, he stared at it like he just found an old friend.

  "We have every reason to suspect both of them."

  Liam's collar was tight. Sherry was a good girl and would never be involved with crime or Victor. She worked in a library and last visit he'd spotted her in the donut shop selling donuts behind the counter, covering for her friend Angela. He stammered a bit.

  "B-but, four hundred million is not a lot of money to steal from the Fed. If you have access, they have so much more."

  "We all don't have your trust fund, Collins." Nebraska sipped his water. "I'll send the case file to your tablet. Read it on the plane."

  Liam's heart beat a mile a minute.

  "I'll prove her innocent."

  "You'll prove the truth. It's what you're required and expected to do."

  Nebraska didn't glance at him as Liam bounced out of his chair. He'd have to finally speak to Sherry. He had to find her before anything else happened to her.

  2

  Sherry

  Sherry checked the medallion she wore on her neck, prayed Joe was safe in luggage, and thought of Victor's last words he whispered in her ear, ‘Trust no one.’

  All she had now was her guard dog, Joey, until she figured out a plan. Home wasn't an option. She twisted her necklace and stared at the man seated two rows behind her on the plane. Was he the one that killed Victor? Were they after her too? And why did they keep the temperature so cold on planes? She shivered, then straightened herself in her seat.

  "Prepare for final approach."

  The stewardess on the speaker warned everyone.

  In twenty minutes, she'd have Joe back. Sherry's gaze shot straight to the door. Four rows in first class. Then two rows before she could escape into the airport. She locked her gaze on a balding man about her age in the aisle seat across from her. She turned away fast. For all she knew he could be here to kidnap her. She never should have let herself get videotaped for her engagement announcement. Victor had insisted, but she should have refused. She ran her hands up and down her arms and crossed her legs. Once on the ground, she'd collect Joe and run. She darted her gaze around the plane and she fidgeted with her seatbelt.

  The man coughed, stared at her breasts, and asked, "Are you in Miami for business or pleasure?"

  "I'm visiting a friend." She didn't look up and glanced to the couple beside her.

  He winked at her. Her face ticked as he said, "I'd love to buy you a drink while you're in town."

  Everything in her body cringed as the man licked his lips. For all she knew he was here to kill her and she didn't even have Joe to protect her. She shook her head.

  "No thanks. I'm good."

  It felt like eyes stared into the back of her head. She turned and looked at the other eighteen rows as she knocked over her untouched Sprite. The soda spilled on the floor and she mopped the liquid with the small napkin. Victor had told her to run, but she had no plans. The next flight out of Logan sounded good, at the moment, but now her hands shook. The stewardess came over with more napkins. She grabbed them out of her hand and dabbed until the area was dry. Then she handed the soiled napkins to the stewardess who left.

  The man whispered like a snake, "I didn't mean to frighten you."

  She needed to be further away from this guy. He might be the one Victor said was after her. She scratched at her sweater and her turned off cell phone which she had stuck in her bra. She was sweating despite the air pressure of the cabin.

  "I have good friends in Miami. I've no time to drink. Thanks anyhow."

  She pressed her lips together and turned her legs further into the row. She clenched her fists as the wheels of the airplane met the tarmac. Her heart beat wildly. In Miami, she'd have to rent a car, find a place to hide, and figure out where she'd buy some cabin in the middle of nowhere. She stared at the stewardess who stood from her seat the moment the plane reached a normal speed. What if the stewardess was in on the plan or on the payroll of Victor's assassins? Victor wasn't here anymore and never would be again. She was now all alone. She had limited connections.

  People stood. She unbuckled her seat belt and adrenaline rushed in her veins. No one moved out of the crowded aisle. Her muscles were tense as someone from the seat behind her bumped her arm. Her every muscle was raw. The older couple behind her might need money and could be after her too. She took a deep breath and told herself she had to solve the clues before someone killed her. The man in the aisle in front of her said something to her again, but the words were like echoes.

  Victor was gone. Adventure was overrated. Until she met him, she'd never gone further than a day trip in her old car. If she had to, a librarian friend had moved to Miami, so she had a place to crash and figure out a good place to hide.

  Right now, her neck was sweating. She'd never make it out of a plane full of people who pushed their way to a tiny exit. She clutched her necklace and bit her lip. Part of her wished she'd never met Victor. If he hadn't videotaped her, then maybe no one would be after her. Her car in Boston had been ransacked. Someone had been in her house, and she barely made it out of there with Joe. She rushed to Logan International and booked herself on the first flight out of town. Coldness enveloped her despite the warm tropical heat and her heavy sweater. She swallowed her own saliva to
warm herself, but the trick didn't work.

  Somehow she had to make it out.

  The line moved and enough people left. She stood, grabbed her bag from the overhead compartment, as the man who was in the aisle then slipped her his business card, "If you change your mind."

  Her fingers curled around it. No. She'd never call a creeper or her potential killer. From now on, she had no friends. He walked away, and her gaze drifted towards the man two rows down who had stayed in his seat.

  He could be after her too. Adrenaline rush through her. She clutched her bag and slipped the business card inside.

  She swayed until the crowd she was in moved forward.

  As she passed the passenger, she glared at him. On closer inspection, he didn't appear like a cold-hearted killer. What did one look like though? Dexter? He didn't seem that outrageous. A crazy mountain man with a beard would never get near her. She saw black dots in her eyes as she ran through possible answers. She let out a snort. She had no idea what one looked like anyhow. She wiggled her nose a bit and waited until she could race down the aisle and get off the plane.

  Her steps went from one painful slow step to the door, to a faster pace. She gazed at the exit as she dragged her bag behind her. This was it. Finally. She held her breath and stepped into the small tunnel to freedom. In Miami, she'd figure out her next move.

  There were people everywhere. The languages she heard boomed in her head. She wasn't home. Her heart thundered so loud in her chest that it boomed in her ears and drowned out the sounds of people. She had to make it to the baggage service office and get Joe. Men in suits walked and she instantly hugged her waist. A boy cried as his mother picked him up. Could that be a signal that she was here and alone? She swallowed. Her feet clattered on the white marbled airport floor and her eyes drifted towards the art deco theme. This had to end. She needed to get out. With Joe, she at least could pretend to breathe. She cleared her throat and pushed her hair off her shoulder. In another life, she'd shake less. Right now, she needed to hide under a blanket.