39. Lev
“So, when was the last time you saw her?” I ask Feliks.
We’re standing in a tunnel in Central Park, waiting for his contact at the FBI to join us.
“A while,” he says sheepishly.
“So there’s a chance she might stand us up?”
“She’ll be here.”
As if on cue, an attractive redhead in a serious trench coat and killer heels walks up to us. Feliks steps forward to give her a kiss, and she turns her head so it brushes her cheek.
“When I said call me, I didn’t mean eighteen months later,” she says smartly.
“You look stunning, Olivia,” he says.
She flashes him a look. “Your flattery will get you nowhere.”
Ten seconds in her company, and I can already tell she’s a no-nonsense woman. She’s all business, and I doubt she’s easily intimidated.
I offer her a hand. “Lev Zarkov.”
She has a solid handshake. “Olivia Vega. Nice to put a face to the name. Feliks always spoke so fondly of you.” She shifts her gaze to Feliks. “I found the information you wanted. She gave a statement.”
I grit my teeth. What Brooke said in that statement will be able to be used against me. “I need to see it.”
“Statements are sealed,” Olivia says.
“Not to someone of your caliber,” Feliks says.
“Again, flattery won’t get you anywhere. Eighteen months ago, maybe, but not now.”
“What will it take to unseal it?” I ask.
She thinks for a moment, then replies, “Dinner at Edgewater.” She locks eyes with Feliks. “For me and my husband. It’s our one-year anniversary in two weeks.”
Feliks’ brow lifts. “You’re married?”
“Well, it got tiresome waiting for you to call.”
“Consider it done,” I say. “I will make the arrangements.”
Olivia gives me a pointed look. “There’s a six-month wait to get a booking. You’ll never pull it off.”
I give her a smile. She really doesn’t know who she is dealing with. “You will have the details within the hour.”
She tilts her head. “Feliks always said you made magic happen. I guess we’ll find out.”
“I guess you will.”
Her immaculate red lips spread into a slow smile. “Fine.”
She removes a folded piece of paper from inside the breast pocket of her trench coat and hands it to me. “Agent Michaels never submitted the statement. But it was found on his phone right after he was fired.”
Feliks looks surprised. “Fired?”
“Because Agent Michaels couldn’t come up with any credible evidence of your alleged crimes, he falsified his reports so he could keep the case active. Then his supervisor discovered Michaels had used his credentials to get a family member’s drug possession charges quashed. Not once, but a total of four times. The FBI doesn’t like that behavior, and unfortunately for Michaels, this family member was involved in a much bigger ongoing case, which means Michaels tampered with evidence. He’ll probably do time. Looks like Lady Luck is on your side, Mr. Zarkov.”
The last part has nothing to do with luck. I had one of my investigators look into Agent Michaels’ past for something I could use against him. It took a while to find something on the over-zealous agent, and for a while I thought I might actually have to kill the mudak for fucking with my life. But once I got my hands on the information, I knew I wouldn’t have to waste a bullet.
I made sure the damning evidence made it to the director’s office and waited for the fall out.
Fallout achieved.
Michaels was fired.
You fuck with me and my girl and I will take you down.
I look down at the piece of paper in my hand. “This is what she told Agent Michaels?”
“Word for word,” Olivia replies.
My jaw tightens as I read Brooke’s words.
Lev was nothing but a gentleman during our time together, and I have no knowledge of any criminal behavior that you claim he orchestrates.
She didn’t betray me.
I re-read the statement before handing it to Feliks.
“We heard Agent Michaels claimed he had an informant in the bratva. Do you know who it is?” I ask.
Olivia shakes her head. “There isn’t one. It was another one of his lies. Michaels fabricated the claim when the director questioned the solidity of the case he was building.”
Fuck.
“You have some loyal people in your camp, Mr. Zarkov. You’re a lucky man. Loyalty can be hard to come by nowadays.”
I give her a curt nod, because right now, I’m not sure I even fucking deserve Brooke’s loyalty.
Feliks releases a slow whistle. “Well, damn. She was telling the truth.”
“Thank you,” I say to Olivia. “You went out on a limb, and I won’t forget it.”
“No, you won’t. Because you’ll be sending me those dinner details.”
I resist a smile. “You have my word.”
I like this woman. She’s a bit of a ballbreaker. She would be an asset in the Zarkov camp.
“Well, gentlemen, I need to get back to the office,” she says.
“Thank you,” I say to her.
She nods and walks away.
“I owe you one,” Feliks calls out after her, but she doesn’t look back as she leaves the seclusion of the tunnel and disappears into the sunlight.
“God, why didn’t I call her?” Feliks asks.
“Because you’re an asshole,” I reply.
He turns and presses Brooke’s statement into my chest. “Yeah, seems there’s a lot of that going around.”
Feliks is right. I am a fucking asshole.
I pushed Brooke away because of this.
What the fuck have I done?