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I really do feel bad about giving them such a fright, but it was the only thing I could think of to ensure Melissa doesn’t do anything stupid like run away—or pull a gun on me. Minnesota’s an open carry state, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Melissa has a piece on her.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” I ask her sweetly, calmly.
She does, her whole body visibly shaking. “Look, Harper… This is between you and me. Leave my parents out of this.”
“I probably would have, but let’s not forget you threatened my sister first. All’s fair in love and war, right?”
Mrs. Pritt looks utterly appalled. “Melly threatened your sister. What—” She trails off, shaking so hard she can’t get the rest of her words out.
Mr. Pritt shifts in his seat. “If it’s money you want—”
“Don’t move,” I warn. “If any of you lift so much as a finger, the snipers I’ve stationed on your neighbor’s roof will kill you before you even have the chance to blink. All you have to do is answer my questions, and then I’ll let the three of you go. If you lie to me… Well, you know.”
Melissa gulps. I wish I could savor the look on her face, but I’m not going to lie—this feels fucking awful. I blame Pritt. She forced my hand. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
“You wouldn’t dare,” she grumbles. “You’re too righteous. You’d never hurt innocent people.”
I tilt my head to the side, not once breaking eye contact with her. I haven’t blinked in a while. Honestly, I’m starting to feel a little unhinged.
“I don’t give a fuck,” I confess. I turn to Mr. and Mrs. Pritt. “Did you know your darling daughter betrayed the FBI? Oh, yeah. She sold us out to the Russian Bratva, can you believe it? Many good men died because of her. She put me in afucking holewhere they starved me, kept me in the dark. Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have dreamed about threatening civilians, but I think you—Melissa—have finally succeeded in breaking my mind.”
Mrs. Pritt starts to hyperventilate. “Melly? What’s she talking about?”
Ignoring her comment, I lean forward against the kitchen table, resting my elbows on the surface. “I’m going to ask you three questions,Melly. Are you ready? One: where is Luka Antonov?”
I relish the look she gives me. It’s full of hate and shame and regret. If she thinks she can fuck with me and get away with it, she’s got another think coming.
“Alaska,” she finally answers. “They have some sort of compound in Alaska.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific. It’s a very big state.”
She’s broken into a sweat, her brow shiny with tiny beads of perspiration. “York,” she grumbles. “Just outside of York, Alaska.”
I mentally search my brain. I think I’ve heard of the place before. It’s a small town. Used to be a 20th century mining settlement in the westernmost part of the state. Now that I think about it, it sort of makes sense The Trinity would move to that location; it’s a hop, skip, and a ride away by boat across the Bering Strait back to Russian waters.
Willing my heart to steady, I move on. “Question number two: how many men does The Trinity have currently under their employment.”
Melissa shakes her head. “I don’t know.”
“That’s not a good enough answer. Give me a ballpark.”
Her nostrils flare. “At least a hundred mercs. A mix of Russian and American recently released convicts.”
I cringe internally. There was no question that rescuing Luka from his uncle’s clutches would be difficult, but a hundred against four is the furthest thing from fair. At least we know what we’re up against, but I’m not liking our odds.
“Last question,” I say.
“What?” she hisses.
“Was it worth it? Betraying your own country.”
Melissa’s face turns bright red, the vein in her temple popping angrily. “I did it for my parents.”
I scoff.
“Dad was in a car accident a couple of years ago. His insurance providers wouldn’t cover the cost of his medical bills. He had to tap out his retirement savings.” Melissa grits her teeth. “I did what any good daughter would have done. Tell me you would have done something different.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. I had no idea. If anything, Melissa’s explanation hits a little too close to home. Losing my own parents in a car accident is all too familiar. If I were in her shoes, would I not have done the same?
