Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Crouse was already on the phone, across the room, likely with his boss. Since I couldn’t hear him, I couldn’t say for sure.
“When was this?”
“Yesterday morning.”
“They just left you?”
That was it. She broke down, sobbing.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. What does that mean for you?”
It took long moments to get her to stop crying, and there was that staccato breathing of trying to stop before we all heard nose blowing, and finally, she was back.
“My dad offered to take me with them, but what the hell am I supposed to do in Russia? Plus, Burian Petrov—oh my God, I need to tell you what happened with that fuckin’ psychopath!”
“What? Tell me.”
“He was here, outside my place when I got home. He said he was gonna have you introduce him to me but didn’t want to wait. He sent guys to your place and—God, I was so worried about you. Thank God you finally called me back.”
“I’m not home, so it’s fine. What did he say to you?”
“He said he wants my business, but we both know it’s Kayson’s, not mine, and—”
I texted Washington that he should offer to pick her up. Now.
“Hey,” he rushed out, interrupting her. “Let me come pick you up. I’m scared for you. Tell me where you are.”
“You’re scared?”
“Honey, I know Burian Petrov, and though Kayson thinks he’s a goddamn gangster, he’s gonna get you both killed.”
Quick whine from her like she was barely holding on. “Burian’s here, in the other room. He’s all coked up, and he and his buddies are shooting at the walls. They tried to shoot Daisy, but she’s in here with me now.”
“They tried to shoot your cat?”
She dissolved into tears again.
“So you’re at your place? Yes?”
“Yes,” she managed to get out.
“And how many guys are there?” he asked after a text from me.
“I dunno, people are coming and going, but, like, twelve maybe?”
“Okay, I’m coming now,” he promised her. “Lock the door, and don’t let anyone in there with you no matter who it is. Don’t leave the room. I’ll be right there, honey.”
He hung up and turned to me, looking frantic, his breath catching.
“You fuck,” I growled at him. “You love her.”
“Can we go already?”
“Yes, we can go,” Bodhi snapped, clearly just as annoyed as I was. “But on the way you have to tell us everything, Terry. We’re on your fuckin’ side.”
“I––”
“You knew it was Kayson’s business, not hers.”
He nodded.
“Why not tell us that?”
“Because if you guys went after Kayson, he’d think she rolled on him and that could get her killed.” Terry answered with a catch of breath. “I can’t have her hurt.”
“I get that,” Bodhi assured him, “but, Terry, you must be straight with us.”
“I know,” he said, sounding miserable. “It just happened, and neither one of us thought we should say anything. It wasn’t safe.”
“No, it’s not,” I muttered in agreement.
“How come they can shoot in her place and no one’s called the cops by now?” I asked him. If I shot a gun in my little house, there would be cops at my front door in minutes.
“Oh, her place is soundproof. It’s a really nice building. It’s gotta be worth at least a million. Her father bought it for her.”
Of course he had.
“So I’m guessing you guys are out,” Bodhi said to Crouse, sounding tired. Both of us hated not knowing all the facts going into something. It was a recipe for disaster.
“Fuck no, we’re still on Rasha’s folks. I need to put in a call to our office in Warsaw and to Interpol, but taking out Petrov is high on our priority list. He’s been deadly since the Lenkovs went down, with his something-to-prove bullshit.”
“And because of the murdered ATF agent,” Bodhi reminded him.
“Come on, you know that’s the number one reason we’re going after him,” Crouse said defensively.
Bodhi nodded.
“It is,” Crouse insisted, glaring at my partner.
“Sure. But the good press for taking down the Wexlers is more important, right?” Everyone knew how much the Feds liked taking down big, splashy targets. They were glory hounds. “Every OCTF Jed and I have ever worked on, the FBI took over and took credit for. That’s just the way you guys roll.”
It was true. Whenever Bodhi and I were on an Organized Crime Task Force, the FBI turned up right after the bugs were placed and we had our targets in our sights, and took down the culprits. And yes, we were all on the same team, and yes, they had more resources than all the rest of us put together, but still. It would have been nice if they’d at least given up a little bit of credit.
“Washington’s not gonna testify against Rasha,” I told Mabe and Salazar, “so does he still qualify for protection?”
“Yeah,” Salazar made the call. “Without him, she won’t talk to anyone.”