“We’re detectives, Ryan, so isn’t it our job to uncover people’s real motives?”
He loses the chance to reply when Nate opens the door. He’s the rookie cop I mentioned last week. He always has a cheeky smile on his face, like he’s forever causing trouble, but it droops when I say, “We’ll take things from here.”
Acting as arrogant as Alex did anytime he wanted to boost superiority, I nudge my head to the door, giving Nate and a stunned-silent Benny their marching orders. It’s bigheaded for me to do, but they’re not seeing a frightened boy who never had the chance to grow into a moral, upstanding citizen sitting across from them. They’re seeing a criminal mastermind they want to take down no matter how much blood is shed. I’ve seen enough bloodshed in my life. I don’t want any more.
Once Benny and Nate leave, I gesture for Ryan to join me before shutting the door and spinning around to face Enrique. His eyes track me when I make my way across the room. Even with him shackled like a criminal, my knees knock with every step I take. I’m not scared of him. I’m just scared about what could happen to him if he doesn’t expose the real reason he’s here. And no, I’m not solely referring to the Bureau or Ravenshoe PD. I’m also referencing Isaac’s response to Enrique’s return. I don’t see it being pleasant.
“? ?????? ??????, ??? ??????????? ???? ??????? ? ??????? ????????. ? ???????, ??? ?????? ? ??????? ???? ?????? ???????.”
I cringe, having no clue what Enrique just said. “You need to speak English. My Russian is still poor.”
When Enrique strays his eyes to Ryan, standing awkwardly at the side of the room, I smile. “You can trust him.?? ??????? ???????.”
Enrique’s smile reveals we didn’t just get our eyes from our father. We also got our toothy grins from him as well. “It seems as if your Russian has improved since we last spoke.”
I apprehensively nod. “Somewhat.”
After taking a seat across from him, I hit the button under the stainless-steel table. Enrique appears as surprised as Ryan when the shackles around his wrists and ankles disengage. Ravenshoe PD has had a massive uptick in security since I was arrested, compliments to the kind generosity of one of its biggest benefactors, the incredibly alluring Mr. Isaac Holt, but it isn’t needed today. Enrique is not a threat to me.
While Enrique circles his wrist, encouraging new blood flow, he asks, “Did you get my note?”
“I did. Both of them.”
His eyes dart up to mine during the last half of my comment. I don’t need to mention Callie’s bunny for him to know what I’m talking about. The glimmer his eyes were missing earlier reveals he knows what I’m referencing.
As much as I’d love to pretend this is a personal visit, I’m not so daft to pull that off. “What are you doing here, Enrique? You have to know it isn’t safe.”
“I have matters I need to take care of. Personal matters.” If I needed any more indication his visit to Ravenshoe wasn’t friendly, his tone leaves no doubt.
Enrique works his jaw side to side when I murmur, “Blaire?”
I only say one word, but the flare it detonates in his eyes makes it seem as if I said so much more. “No.”
His denial is a lie. Don’t ask me how I know, but I’m certain he’s lying.
“I’m here for Kirill Bobrov.” His Russian accent rings true in his tone when he mentions Kirill.
It also gains him Ryan’s utmost devotion.
After joining us at the table in the middle of the bomb-proof room, Ryan pulls his notepad out of his pocket before securing a printout in his hand. “This man?”
He slides a crinkled photograph across the table for Enrique to see. He either had his own photographs of Kirill printed, or he borrowed one of the many Grayson has tacked to the conference room walls in the hub of Ravenshoe PD.
“Yes.” Enrique’s reply is for Ryan, but his eyes are on me. “He has something I need.”
Not missing the flare his nostrils got when he glanced at the redhead attached to Kirill’s side, I ask, “Something… orsomeone?”
Enrique smirks, either impressed by my skills or amused by them. I really hope it isn’t the latter. “I can’t take him down by myself. Kirill is paranoid. He’s making costly mistakes.”
A chill rolls down my spine when I recall him saying a similar thing during our altercation with Col. He said Col was making uncalculated mistakes that were putting his crew in jeopardy.
I try to weave through the coded messages he’s relaying. “What are you saying? You got arrested as you need Ravenshoe PD’s help?”
If he is, that makes no sense whatsoever. Police officers are bound by ethics entities like the Popov clan isn’t required to follow. If he really needed help with this, he wouldn’t have sought legal help. He would have gone in guns blazing like all criminal entities always do.
Like most people in my life, Enrique underestimates me. “Yes.”
“You’re lying.” My chair scrapes against the floor when I stand from my seat. After placing my hands on each side of the photograph Ryan placed down earlier, I peer down at my brother, wordlessly telling him I’m not a daft wallflower. “You have access to resources we can’t use and weaponry we’ll never see. If you merely wanted to take down a competitor, you would do it. This has nothing to do with a Russian setting up shop in Ravenshoe, and everything to do with you upholding a promise you made to Blaire.”
