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Tai narrowed his eyes, weighing how to respond. “That depends.”
The lone woman in the group stepped forward, her sharp eyes boring into Tai’s. “We hate the Red Hand,” she bit out, “even more so now that they murdered my brother’s girlfriend. That was an in-your-face move.”
Her gaze hardened to flint. “The Red Hand wants war. We’re cool with that. But we figured we might help you do some damage to their outfit first.”
Tai held up both hands. “Hey, I’m just an angry husband looking for payback. I don’t have the resources to take on the Russian mob.”
The lead gangster fixed him with a knowing look. “You’re not the only one with access to high-level intel, my man. We pay very well for the scraps that come our way.” His smile turned wolfish. “We know exactly who you are, Mr. Kaholo.”
In Tai’s earpiece, Bridger coached softly, “Easy there. Don’t let them rattle you.”
Careful to keep his face impassive, Tai spread his hands. “Alright, you clearly have me at a disadvantage. What is it you want?”
The triad member straightened his immaculate suit jacket. “We know Zhezhnov is dead. We also know his sister is maneuvering to take control of their West Coast network.” His mouth flattened in distaste. “We don’t want that. The Moreau woman is smart and ruthless. Killing Li Wei’s girlfriend to make it look like her brother is still alive and obsessed with Tenaya Washington? Brilliant, if sick.”
He pinned Tai with an earnest look. “We want her out of the picture.”
In his ear, Bridger’s voice was tight with excitement. “This is huge, Tai. Get all the intel you can.”
Keeping his face impassive, Tai lifted one shoulder. “Alright, you’ve got my attention. What else do you know?”
The Golden Dragon leader smiled, satisfied. “Let’s talk terms first. Information like this doesn’t come cheap.”
Tai narrowed his eyes, adrenaline surging. “I’m listening.”
The woman stepped forward, fixing Tai with an earnest look. “Take her down, and we’ll give you everything we have on her operation.”
Tai shook his head firmly. “I won’t assassinate her, if that’s what you’re after. I’ll ensure she’s put in prison, but nothing more.”
The woman shrugged. “Whatever. That works for us. We just want her out of the picture permanently.” Her eyes glinted. “Having your people take her out is far better for the Golden Dragons. We get what we want, without having to deal with any threats of revenge from the Red Hand.”
In Tai’s earpiece, Bridger’s excitement was palpable. “This could be huge.”
Keeping his face carefully neutral, Tai crossed his arms. “Let’s talk specifics. What exactly do you know about Svetlana’s operation?”
The triad leader smiled, satisfied. She nodded to her companions, who opened briefcases to reveal stacks of documents, photos, and flash drives. “Locations of her safe houses, shipments coming in this week, names of her closest lieutenants—it’s all here. And I can tell you where she’ll be tomorrow.”
Tai lifted one eyebrow. “And in return, you want assurances we’ll remove her as head of the Red Hand?”
“Make her disappear.” The woman’s smile was cold. “Then the Golden Dragons get what we want, and your fake wife there gets to stop looking over her shoulder.”
Tai tamped down his distaste and nodded briskly. “I think we understand each other.”
In Tai’s earpiece, Bridger whooped excitedly. “Grab that intel, brother! We’re going hunting!”
The Golden Dragon woman held Tai’s gaze, her expression suddenly fierce. “I have a meeting scheduled with ‘Zhezhnov’ tomorrow. I’ll give you the time and location.”
She shifted her cold stare to Tenaya, still waiting in the Porsche. “You double cross us, and you know what happens to her, right?”
Though fury boiled in his veins at the threat, Tai kept his face impassive through sheer force of will. This scum wasn’t worth his anger. Besides, he and his team could decimate these punks if needed.
“Message received,” he bit out. “This goes down smoothly, we’ve got no issue with you.”
The woman smiled coldly. “Same here, Kaholo.”
As her gang moved back toward their vehicles, she nodded approvingly at the drones hovering overhead. “Nice tech. We could use some of those beauties.”
Tai forced a tight smile. “Not for sale.”
