What am I supposed to do with all this?
Max wants me to go to my father. And that’s got to be the move, right? Dad will know what to do.
But a warning bell rings.
That’s what the Baranovs want. And what they want is exactly what I shouldn’t do. I mean, how will my dad react to all this? To literal proof of his criminal activity in the hands of people who want to destroy him?
They could do it now too. They could leak this to the DA’s office and Dad would be in cuffs in a few days. But even worse, they could use this information against us, they could dismantle the operation Dad’s been building all his life.
They could coopt it for their own purposes.
This firm is a machine. It’s not a structure for permits and building codes; it’s a complex web of financial interactionsdesigned to hide flows of illegal, unclean money. It’s a laundering operation, plain and simple, with some construction jobs bolted on top.
It’s every criminal organization’s wet dream.
That’s why my dad’s so important to the Whelans.
Now the Baranovs want to rip all that apart.
And they’re using me to do it.
“You want anything else, hun?”Hal pours more coffee. I wave her off and drink it black and piping hot.
“No, I’m good, but thanks.”
“Sure thing.” She doesn’t walk off right away. Instead, she moves in closer. “You’re waiting for him, huh?”
“I guess so. I don’t really know what I’m doing.”
She checks over her shoulder before slipping into the booth across from me, coffee pot clutched in one hand. “You want my advice? Liam’s bad news. But you knew that already, right?”
“Kind of hard to miss.”
She nods. “But he’s not the sort of bad news you necessarily need to avoid. Do you know what I mean? Some guys, they’re black holes. They suck everyone in and crush them. But Liam’s not that way.”
I hold my mug in both hands, not sure what to make of this. “How do you know him so well?”
“He did some work for my boss a while back. Yeah, I know, everyone’s shady in this town, right? But he scared some guys off that were bugging my boss about some debt he owed. Saved the diner. Risked himself to do it too and never asked for anything extra. He was always polite when he was around. And then he kept coming back and I guess he became a regular. I never forgot the way he handled himself though. Very professional. Anyway, if he shows up, I’ll send him over. Figured you’d want to know that.”
She drifts off and I’m left alone. The envelope at my elbow feels like a ticking bomb. What am I supposed to do with all this? My future husband is a thug, but he’s very polite and professional, so that’s fine. He was covered in blood the other night, but that’s not weird at all.
Now Max Baranov is paying me visits.
All thanks to Kieren and his stupid dick.
Did he steal from us before he fucked Vera or after?
Not that it matters.
I sit and drink coffee for a few hours. The dinner rush comes and goes. Darkness falls on New York and I should get home before Mom notices I’ve been out all night again. I’m not even sure why I’m here.
This is exactly what Max warned me against.
But what else am I supposed to do?
I’m about to give up when Liam sits down heavily across from me. He looks up gratefully when Hal fills his mug. “I’m off for the night. You two be good.” She gives him a meaningful glare and pats my shoulder.
When she’s gone, Liam turns to me. “She likes you.”
