Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88551 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“It’s taken care of. That’s not the reason behind my call.”
“Then what is?”
“Information and rumors that I thought you should be wary of. What should I start with?”
Kirill isn’t the type who offers anything out of the goodness of his heart. He’s cunning and only gives when he knows he can take twice as much. If I receive anything from him now, he won’t hesitate to ask me for things in the future. I could hang up and ignore him, but he has his ways of acquiring crucial details that even I can’t get a hold of.
The difference between us is that I’m strategic in a methodical way. He’s strategic but in the chaotic sense. He waits for things to happen before he reacts to them, making him the ultimate opportunist.
“Information,” I say.
There’s a rustling from his end and distant chattering in Russian. I can imagine him and his men waiting at a secluded warehouse in the cold for the shipment to arrive. “Richard Green’s murder is being investigated.”
“That’s nothing new. I know the police have got their noses in it.”
“This is not a police investigation. It’s Vladimir’s. The Pakhan ordered him to look into it.”
I pause as his words register. I expected Sergei to ask me to investigate it further, not Vladimir.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kirill continues. “I had the same thoughts. Why ask Vladimir when you’re the one who usually takes care of that stuff? Lucky for you, I’m a fast thinker and came up with two possible scenarios. Do you want to hear?”
“Spill. And stop wasting my time.”
“How I keep up with you is a mystery. Anyway, back to my scenarios. One, the Pakhan doesn’t want to distract you from growing our alliance with the Italians. Two,” he pauses for dramatic effect. “He suspects you.”
I tap my fingers on the arm of the sofa as the meaning behind his words reaches me loud and clear. If Sergei suspects me, everyone else does, too. So I choose to probe Kirill, “Why would he suspect me?”
“I don’t know, let me take a wild guess.” He speaks slowly, too slowly, drawing out the words in a provocative manner. “Let’s see. We were all counting on getting Richard to become mayor so we could get our hands on easy shipments without having to threaten the DEA at every turn, but suddenly, he’s dead. Suddenly, the Italians’ candidate is now on the road to be mayor. If I were Sergei, I would suspect the one who’s getting cozy with the Italians.”
Makes sense. At least none of them figured out the actual reason.
“I’d show up more if I were you,” Kirill continues. “Your absence only allows the others to speak behind your back.”
“The others? As in, you’re not involved in the backstabbing?”
“What do you think I am? I don’t bite the hand that feeds me. Jesus.”
“Hanging up.”
“You’re not going to ask about the rumors?”
“Not interested in rumors.”
“It concerns your wife.”
My fingers stop tapping for a second before I resume. If I show Kirill even an ounce of interest, he’ll latch on to it like a mad dog.
He’s an opportunist—a ruthless one at that.
“Still not interested.” I sound bored, even to my own ears.
“Listen anyway and answer with yes or no.” The Russian noises get quieter as he speaks. “Mikhail told us that his wife saw Lia going into Sergei’s mansion all alone at night. Some say she’s betraying you by telling all your secrets to either Sergei or Rai. Some say she’s having an affair with someone there. Is any of that true?”
My jaw tenses. “No.”
“Really?” he drawls the word.
“You think I’d let her breathe another second if that were the case?”
“Right. You wouldn’t.” He pauses as noises erupt from the other end of the line. “My shipment is here.”
The beeping sound is the only thing I hear after he hangs up.
I remove the phone from my ear, tightening my hold on it until my knuckles turn white.
“Kolya. Yan. I need you to uncover all the rumors circulating about Lia. Start with digging into what Mikhail’s wife is spouting and move from there. Don’t leave any fucking thing out.”
“Yes, sir,” Kolya says.
I fix Yan with a stare when I don’t hear his confirmation. “You have a problem?”
He stares right back, his light eyes clashing with mine. “Aside from the problem you created, sir?”
“Yan!” Kolya glares at him because of his show of insubordinate behavior.
I dismiss my senior guard with a hand. “Let him continue. You seem to have a lot to say. Let’s hear it, Yan.”
He doesn’t even smooth his glare. “This is wrong and you know it, sir. Stop this madness.”
Kolya punches him in the face. “Shut up.”
The punch is so strong that Yan staggers backward, clutching his jaw and staring at Kolya with hurt mixed with anger. He thinks Kolya hit him to cause pain, but Yan is an idiot sometimes. He fails to realize that the ever so diplomatic Kolya went out of his way and punched him because that will lessen my reaction toward his insolence.