Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
When I walk into the meeting room on the lower level, it doesn’t surprise me to see Jaxson Price sitting at the table.
“To what do I owe this honor?” I say in greeting.
“For the amount of money you pay, I figured I’d make a social call.”
“And here I thought you never left the Batcave.” The joke isn’t lost on him.
“Typically, I don’t, but seeing as you’re as bad as I am, I figured one of us had to give.”
Taking a seat across from him, I motion for him to talk. “Well, what do you have for me?”
He pulls out a computer. “Over the past few weeks, I’ve looked into all associates of Roman’s. Besides the people he knew through your organization, I picked up on some alarming patterns. I found some images, and I brought them here.” My eyebrow rises, and he rolls his eyes in return. “Don’t worry, I printed them out for you.” He winks.
“You printed out pictures? How 1994 of you.”
He chuckles. “I figured it was easier for you, being a boomer and all.”
“What exactly is that supposed to mean? I’m thirty-one. I’m younger than you, dick.”
Jaxson’s mouth parts into a smile. “Age isn’t what makes you a boomer. Remember, I know you. Did you forget I set up your surveillance?”
“Point taken.”
It’s not that I’m bad with electronics. I own a computer and use it regularly, but rarely for communication. In my business, nothing should ever be put in writing. As for the rest of the technology around this place, there’s no need for me to do it when there are plenty of people to hire that can do it better and faster.
Time is money, after all.
Jaxson reaches into the bag on the floor and pulls out a thick folder. I expect him to hand them to me, but he opens his computer instead.
“I’ll leave the photos with you, but we’re going to blow them up on here.”
My eyes narrow, and my nose scrunches as I try to work out what the hell he’s saying.
The tapping of his fingers reverberates through the room before it stops, and he turns the computer to face me. He flips through the images until I see a man who looks familiar.
Now everything is starting to make sense.
“By the look on your face, I see you recognize this man.”
“Unfortunately, I do.”
Dima Markov.
He’s the head of a Russian crime syndicate operating in the Brighton Beach area.
Fuck.
“Any chance you have any information on what he was doing?”
“I don’t, but now that we’ve identified this man, it won’t be hard to look into it further. Don’t you have someone on the inside?”
I shake my head. “I have someone deep within a different organization, but this one is very tight-knit. Hard to gain access to.”
“I’m sure now that we know which organization Roman was associating with, I can dig up some more dirt,” he says, typing something into his phone.
“I’ll see what I can do, too,” I offer, searching my head for any rats close enough to the Russians to give me information.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Word around town is that Roman stole something from the Russians, and that’s what they’re looking for. There’s also a bounty on Sasha’s head. Alive not dead.”
“What does Sasha have to do with that?” Jax asks as Julian strolls into the room and takes a seat at the table.
“We think they believe she might know where to find whatever is missing. She doesn’t.” I run my hands back through my hair. “She’s clueless about all of this. She wasn’t close to Roman in the end. Not after the drugs.”
Julian shrugs one shoulder. “Doesn’t seem to matter to them. They plan to kill her either way in retaliation. They don’t even care that Roman is dead. Their leader feels a debt is owed.”
“Do you have confirmation that this is the Markov?”
Julian shakes his head. “My contact only heard the rumblings that there’s a bounty on her head. Dead or alive, now.”
Anger builds as I think about anyone touching Sasha. I’d fucking kill them with my bare hands. Slowly. I’d take my time. My anger turns toward Julian. Why am I just hearing that they put a hit on her?
My fist slams down on the table. “How long have you fucking known this?”
“Only got word yesterday, but you were busy—”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. Nothing is more important than—” I almost slip and say Sasha’s name, but I catch myself. “Than finding out what the fuck Roman got himself into.”
I look around the room, daring any of my men to call me out, but the only one who tilts his head to study me is Jax.
“I want more information on what their next moves are and if they know where Sasha is.”
I don’t bother to say another word as I stand from the table.