Girl Undercover 10 & 11: The Abduction & Dante's Inferno

  GIRL UNDERCOVER

  Part Ten—The Abduction

  Julia Derek

  * * *

  Published by Adrenaline Books

  Copyright © 2015 by Julia Derek

  This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Published as an e-book September 2015 by Adrenaline Books.

  To find out more about the author and to sign up for her new books release, visit JuliaDerek.com

  Cover design by Luly Blazek at Kalosys Art.

  * * *

  MORE JULIA DEREK BOOKS

  THE SMILEY KILLER(YA Thriller)

  The Smiley Killer

  THE DIARY(Dark Psychological Thriller)

  The Diary

  THE L.A. GIRLS ROMANCE SERIES (Sexy Romantic Suspense)

  Trigger

  Love Cursed

  Undercover Lovers

  Lovely Revenge

  * * *

  The Girl Undercover Serial is dedicated to Brad Slaight, a great friend and tireless critic/supporter of all my writing.

  Chapter 1

  “I need to quit the gym,” I told Ian, who was sitting on my couch, massaging my feet while I was stretched out beside him. Four days had passed since Alyssa killed Burt and Nadja. I had spent that time at home, pretending to have a bad case of the flu in order to avoid Jonah. I used the fact that he and I would for sure be kissing when we saw each other next. Super human or not, I feared he might still catch my disease as we exchanged bodily fluids, and I refused to get him sick. “It’s the only way I’ll be able to stay away from that lunatic.”

  “Yes, it’s beginning to look like that,” Ian said, pressing a spot under my foot that made me close my eyes and moan with pleasure. “What excuse would you give your managers for quitting so out of the blue, though?”

  “That’s easy. I’ll just tell them I have to go back home to be with my sick mom or something. I pulled a similar stunt the last time I had to leave Nikkei all of a sudden, and it worked marvelously. But I’ll of course remain here on Manhattan with you, so we can continue fighting them. Jonah won’t know the difference.”

  Ian moved on to my ankles, kneading my calves that were in desperate need of some massage. “I sincerely hope you’re right about that.”

  I frowned at him. “About what?”

  “About Jonah not knowing the difference. Naturally, I, too, would prefer it if you stayed as far away as possible from that prick. We don’t stand to gain much from you hanging around him any longer. However, the fact of the matter is that we don’t know if Adler’s watching our every step. We might feel pretty confident they’re not after we got both Nadja and Burt to that house without a hitch, but what if they are? Then Jonah might find out. I don’t think you lying to his face will sit well with him. He’ll surely try to kill you for disrespecting him.”

  I shrugged and stifled a yawn. “Maybe. But that’s just a chance we’ll have to take. I can’t go on pretending to date him, so we really don’t have a choice.”

  “That’s not true. We do have other choices.”

  I put my hands behind my head and raised a brow. “We do? And what might those be?”

  He clenched his teeth and his eyes went a dark moss green. “I could kill the bloke. You and I both know he’s a bad, bad egg. The sooner we’re rid of the bastard, the better.”

  I smiled. “Oh, so now killing Jonah would be a better solution than me wanting to take care of my sick mom? Don’t get me wrong—after what he did to Nicki, I’d like to see him dead, too. But come on. You don’t think that would tick off Stenger just a little? If they’re watching us and keeping us alive for some inexplicable reason, I’m willing to bet he’d draw the line at you killing his frigging son!”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Ian grumbled, not meeting my gaze.

  “Actually, my solution has additional benefits—if nothing happens to me while I pretend to be with my mom, we’ll know they can’t be watching us that closely, right? Or at least we’ll know that Jonah isn’t briefed about our most current statuses. It’ll be a good test.”

  “Yes, but it’s a test I’d rather not take.”

  I pushed myself up into a sitting position. “Well, killing Jonah isn’t an option, so we’ll have to do it my way whether you like it or not.”

  “Fine.” He let out a defeated sigh. “I suppose I must never let you out of my sight to be sure you’re safe then...”

  I patted his hand on my shin and smiled. “That’s very sweet of you, but I think I’ll be all right. Remember, I’m a cop.” I gave him a wink. “So then it’s a deal—tomorrow I’ll go talk to Rolf and tell him that I’ve received some bad news and that I need to go back home. And that’ll be that.”

  I wasn’t feeling quite as confident as I tried to come across to Ian. He was right; if Jonah found out I was jerking him around, he’d surely try to kill me. But I’d rather risk that than staying here and continue being his “girlfriend.” I knew myself. I could barely bear even thinking about making out with him again, not to mention sleeping with him, in order to squeeze information out of him. If I stayed in New York, I would have to do all of that. Luckily, Ian and I could find out what we needed through other means now that we knew that his father was Otto Stenger, The Adler Group’s elusive mastermind.

  “How will you break it to Jonah?” Ian asked.

  I chewed on my lower lip. The obvious answer was that I would do it in person. But right as I was about to say that, the words got stuck in my throat as I pictured myself having to kiss him goodbye then. “I’ll just text him from the airport and tell him that I had to leave immediately, so there was no time to say goodbye.”

  Ian gazed at me quizzically. “Really? Don’t you think that’ll make him suspicious?”

  “I’ll come up with a good excuse why I had to leave so abruptly.”

  “It’d better be a real good one.”

  ***

  “I’m so sorry to hear that, Jamie,” my fitness manager said, his features arranged in a compassionate expression. Adjusting his powder-blue shirt, he placed his elbows on the desk in his office and leaned toward me. “And you found out only yesterday?”

  “Yes,” I said, wringing my hands across my chest and making myself look miserable. “And it’s really, really bad. They think she may… um… pass this week.”

  I looked away for a moment as though needing a moment to collect myself after having shared something so difficult.

  “Oh, no, that’s terrible,” Rolf said in a concerned tone, his deep-set eyes growing bigger. “Well, I can understand if you must leave immediately then. Have you booked a flight yet?”

  “No, but I’ve looked into several. I could probably leave as soon as tomorrow morning. But I wanted to check with you first. I didn’t want to leave the company hanging by just leaving all of a sudden. I know we have numbers to hit.”

  He smiled, the tan skin around his brown eyes crinkling. “I appreciate that, Jamie. I really do. But I think we’ll be fine even if you catch one of those flights leaving tomorrow. Do you need help assigning your clients to other trainers?”

  “Yes, that would be great. I already reached out to all of them this morning, telling them I’d be leaving the club soon. I just didn’t know exactly when. Some of them already have other trainers in mind and will contact them for their next sessions as soon as I confirm my departure date, but I can show you who doesn’t.”

  Rolf found my active-client list on his computer. “Who are those clients?”

  I pointed out who they we
re and he took notes. Then he closed the screen and looked at me again. “Well, it’s been a pleasure having you with us, Jamie. Again, I’m so sorry about your mother. I hope she gets well soon.”

  He extended his hand, effectively ending our brief meeting. I took it and gave it a quick shake, thanking him for everything. Then I left his office, thinking that giving my notice had gone a lot smoother than I’d expected it to. Almost too smoothly, like Rolf couldn’t care less whether I stayed with the company even a day more. Oh, well. Who was I fooling? I could see with my own eyes how many new trainers were hired each month, all of them attractive, smart and hard-working like the ones who were already working there these days. I was obviously easy to replace.

  I walked with my head down as I turned the corner and headed for the bank of elevators immediately behind Rolf’s office. I wanted to get out of the building as quickly as possible in order not to bump into Jonah. It wasn’t likely that I would, as he should be on one of the workout floors, training a client. If he for some reason had to pass by this part of the club right now, I could try to act like I didn’t see him before disappearing into an elevator. The elevator would take me straight down to the lobby where I would be safe from unwanted encounters.

  Having thought about Ian’s words regarding not having time to say goodbye before leaving for the airport, I’d soon concluded that it would seem a bit odd, Jonah being my “boyfriend” and all. So, an hour ago, as I was about to leave my place and go talk to Rolf, I had texted Jonah, telling him I had received some very bad news regarding my family, and that I was on my way to work to give notice. I was well aware that he was usually busy with clients in the middle of the day. Surely he would not be able to do more than respond to my text, if that.

  His response had come right as I was about to enter Rolf’s office.

  Meet me for lunch and we can talk about it. I’m done with my last client at noon.

  I’d stared at the text, wondering how come he wasn’t asking if I was okay or at least saying that he was sorry about the bad news. Then I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. You’re dealing with Jonah, for Christ’s sake! Why are you surprised? It was to be expected for him to merely send me an order. Not that I was about to comply with it. It was eleven in the morning now. As soon as my meeting was over, I would tell him I needed to pack so I could catch a plane later that evening, leaving me no time to go back to Nikkei and meet up with him. He would have to come to my house if he wanted to talk.

  I pressed Send, having added in my long text how sorry I was I couldn’t make lunch with him and how much I would love to see him before I left town. I smiled as I powerwalked back to my house. Despite my affectionate words and wish, I doubted he would actually make the effort to come to my place.

  I was in the elevator in my apartment building when his response buzzed in my phone.

  What’s your address?

  I cursed under my breath as I typed it into my phone. Well, I’ll just have to suck it up, I thought, already dreading having to even talk to Jonah in person again. I’d do whatever I could not to have to kiss him at least. Blaming my still being sick should do the trick.

  I’ll be there as soon as I can, Jonah responded as I entered my apartment.

  I found my suitcase in my walk-in closet, opened it and put it on the living room floor. I would have to pretend that I was going away for real. In fact, as I was going to stay with Ian for the unforeseeable future, I might as well use this time to pack for that. Jonah wouldn’t be able to tell for what reason I was really throwing stuff into a suitcase.

  It wasn’t so bad, I consoled myself as I ran around, gathering things I would need while at Ian’s house. Not only would I be too busy and sick to make out with Jonah, but I could also use our time together to milk him for more information. I nodded to myself; yes, I’d turn this unfortunate situation around to something useful.

  The buzzer to my apartment sounded at twelve ten sharp, leaving me with the impression that Jonah must have rushed out of Nikkei the second he was done with his last client.

  He must be eager to see me. The thought made my skin crawl. Damn it.

  Taking a deep breath to steel myself for the inevitable, I pressed the Door button on my intercom. While I waited for him to get up to my place, I checked myself in the hallway mirror to be sure I looked as miserable as I had done when going to see Rolf. Someone who’d been as sick as I claimed to be both to my manager and to Jonah would not look great the day she was finally able to walk without collapsing with exhaustion. It took time to get over a flu as bad as the one I’d supposedly suffered. In order to achieve this pitiful look, I didn’t wear a shred of makeup except for the blue-gray eyeshadow I’d added under my eyes to appear extra tired. I had also left my hair unwashed for a few days so it became stringy and unattractive. I mouthed a silent prayer that it would turn Jonah off enough not to want to kiss me.

  As I took in the pale, red-haired woman with the dark circles in the mirror, I thought something else was needed in order to really drive home what bad shape I was in. Hearing how Jonah approached my front door, I rushed into the bathroom and got some soap that I rubbed into my eyes. It hurt like hell, but the effect was awesome. My eyes were now red and swollen, making it seem like I had cried hard recently.

  A knock on the door told me Jonah had arrived, so I went to open it.

  “Hey,” he said, staring at me as I pretended to struggle to smile at him. I could instantly tell that he wasn’t too crazy about the way I looked, even though he tried to hide it. But the fact that he didn’t throw himself at me the way he usually did spoke for itself. I smiled inwardly. Awesome.

  I opened the door for him to enter, wishing I had thought of ways to make myself stink, too. That would have really turned him off, and maybe he’d forget about me once and for all. Then I remembered what he had done to Nicki, what he was capable of, and was relieved instead that I hadn’t gone overboard. If he lost all interest in me, I would likely end up as dead as I would if he found out that I’d just manipulated him all along. I’d be reduced to a piece of useless ballast that knew too much and as such, the sooner I was eliminated, the better.

  What had I been thinking?

  Quickly sobering up to reality, I wiped away what remained of the fake circles under my eyes with the heels of my hands as Jonah entered my place. Then I removed the hairband from my wrist and gathered my stringy hair in a high ponytail, improving my look further. I needed this jerk to be in to me as much as ever.

  “Excuse the mess,” I said as I followed him into the living room. My big suitcase was splayed open in front of the coffee table. Clothes, shoes and toiletries were thrown inside it as well as all over the floor around it. “Please make yourself comfortable. I just need to use the bathroom.”

  As I was inside the bathroom, I washed my face to be sure the dark circles were completely gone. I added some Visine to get the red out of my eyes, hoping it would take effect soon. Regarding my image in the mirror, I applied a touch of blush and some lip gloss before I left the bathroom.

  Jonah was checking his phone as I appeared in the living room. Blowing his long, dark bangs away from his eyes, he raised his head.

  “So what’s the bad news?” he asked.

  “My mom’s really, really sick,” I said and took a seat on the sofa arm the way I’d done when Burt had been at my place only days ago. “She has lung cancer and the doctors have given her max three months to live, but possibly only a few days if we’re really unlucky.”

  To my surprise, Jonah had the decency to look like he was feeling bad for me. “That really sucks, Jamie. I’m so sorry. Is there something I can do? I have access to the best doctors in the whole world, you know. They might be able to cure her.” He screwed up his face like he considered something, then brightened. “Actually, I could have a couple of them sent there as soon as tomorrow night.” He smiled and nodded to himself. “Just give me the address to her hospital and I’ll tell my dad to send over a couple of doctor
s in his private jet.”

  It took all I had not to give away the horror that was spreading within me—this was not the direction I had foreseen this conversation to go in. I made myself press out what I hoped looked like a grateful smile instead. “Oh, that’s so incredibly sweet and thoughtful of you, Jonah! Of course, her doctors are really, really good. I honestly don’t think there’s more that can be done to save her life.”

  The contented expression on his face vanished and was replaced with one of outrage. He sat up and his beautiful blue eyes turned into small slits. “Are you kidding me? Don’t you want to give your mother every chance there is to cure her cancer? I just told you, I have access to the best doctors in the whole frigging world and they can be flown to her in twenty-four hours. I can promise you they’ll be a lot better than whatever doctors she has in New Mexico.” He spat out the last sentence, and I could tell he was getting angrier by the second. Fuck. I needed to do something to get this rapidly derailing situation back on track fast.

  I dashed over to him and sank down on my knees, grabbing his hands, peering up at him. “Of course I want to do everything there is to save my mother’s life. I would love it if you could have some of the doctors you’re talking about take a look at her.” I pressed my forehead toward his hands for a moment in a display of submission. Then I gazed up at him again. “I’m so, so sorry if I came across as ungrateful. Please don’t think that I am.”

  He regarded me in silence for a long, tense moment during which I honestly feared he might punch me in the face he looked so furious. If he did, it would be over. I didn’t think I’d be able to take his beating of me without defending myself. I was skilled at deflecting blows, which would be the last thing Jonah would want me to do.

  But instead of raising his arm, he closed his eyes and began to do the deep breathing he’d told me his father’s psychologist had taught him to control his anger issues. Ten breaths later, during which I stared at him, still petrified, he opened his eyes and his anger seemed to have subsided significantly. I let out the quiet breath I had been holding.