Chapter 16
16
Nico
I ’m summoned to Sheriff Mills’s office at an ungodly hour and in the utmost secrecy. My nerves and my reflexes sharp. I left my brothers in charge of Anya’s safety while I travel into town well after midnight.
After parking behind the station and trudging through the persistent snow, I make my way into the building and straight to Mills’s office.
“What is going on?” I ask my friend as soon as I find him standing stiffly by the window, suspiciously casing the street.
Seated in a chair across from his desk, a man nurses a double scotch. Bruises on his rough face are still healing, and the neck tattoos emerging above his winter coat speak of gang affiliations. I recognize the style and the defiant look in his eyes.
“This is Shane,” Mills says, looking at me. “He’s from New York.”
“I can tell,” I reply.
Shane gives me an amused glance. “You can tell?”
“That ink on the left side of your neck. Southside Hustlers,” I say.
“Ah, you know your crews then.” He sounds impressed.
“I’m from New York. Grew up around various communities, wandered into the wrong neighborhood once in a while,” I say, making myself comfortable on the two-seater next to Mills’s desk. “Learned to read people before I’d start any dumb trouble. What brings you to our neck of the woods, Shane?”
Mills takes a deep breath. “Detective Perez sent him over for his own safety.”
“Who’s Perez?” I ask.
“The lead detective originally in charge of the Dalton murders. Even after the Feds took over, he continued his own investigation on the side, off the books. Shane, here, has been keeping his eyes open and his ear to the ground over the past couple of years. Made a pretty penny from it, too,” Mills says. “But he got a little too close to someone who’s friendly with the Sokolovs. Asked the wrong people the right questions.”
“Next thing I know, I got a target on my back,” Shane scoffs. “They shot up my mom’s diner. Damn near killed my sister in the process. I had to leave my own city because of those pricks. Sent my family to Pasadena just to keep them alive.”
My blood runs cold as I look at him, then at Mills. “I take it you rattled Leo Sokolov,” I conclude, my tone low.
“And then some.”
“Because the investigation itself was off the books, and there are no charges pending against Sokolov or anyone else in his organization, Detective Perez couldn’t get Shane and his family into a WitSec program,” Mills adds. “So, when I reached out to see what’s been going on over there, as per your request, Detective Perez offered up Shane. Everything he knows. Everything he’s heard and seen.”
“And proof. I took photos, too. Wherever I could, I’d snap-snap-snap away like a tourist in the Big Apple,” Shane says and chuckles dryly.
Mills says, “I’m keeping Shane here for a bit. I’ll work out something more comfortable soon enough, but until then, I plan on debriefing him, and I figured you’d like to hear what he has to say.”
“Absolutely,” I reply with a broad smile. “My brothers and I would also be more than happy to further assist Shane, as well as his family, with the financial means to keep them out of the Sokolovs’ reach.”
Shane gives me a curious look. “You would?”
“Leo Sokolov is after someone I care about deeply. I need him to go down in flames, yesterday, if possible,” I tell him. “So, yes, I would.”
“Is this about the Asimov girl?”
The question hangs in the air, the sudden silence enveloping the room in glacial tension. The sheriff crosses his arms. “I never mentioned anyone from the Asimov family to you or to Detective Perez. What do you know about her?”
“Not much about her, specifically. Just that everybody in the city knows what the Dalton massacre was about. Leo Sokolov wanted to take over all of the Asimovs’ territories. The man is a psycho. Ruthless and greedy as hell. And without the Asimovs, he’s got quite the pull with the Bratva’s upper echelon. Those old-money Russians are way too stiff and traditional in that respect. Meanwhile, Leo’s popping old-money Russians, like the Asimovs, without a care in the world.” He smirks before continuing. “Except he didn’t get them all,” Shane says, leaning back in his seat. “Rumor has it, he missed a few.”
“A few?” I ask.
“Well, there’s the daughter. Rumors were already circulating that it wasn’t her body the cops identified at Dalton, but a cousin’s, or something like that. No one’s seen her since, though. Someone claimed they spotted her up north around Chappaqua, but nothing was ever confirmed.”
“Who else?” Mills asks.
“The grandma, Zoya Asimova. When Paul took over the family, Granny stuck around for a few more months, then completely retired from the family business,” Shane says. “Nobody except her closest kin knows where she moved.”
“Word on the street?” I wonder aloud, fully aware this twenty-something gangster-turned-informant did a great job of keeping his ear to the ground for the cops, otherwise Mills wouldn’t have agreed to protect him.
Shane gives me a wry smile. “Word on the street is Zoya’s been living it up somewhere north of the city. Again, Chappaqua popped up once or twice. As soon as tensions rose between the Sokolovs and the Asimovs, the old lady made sure to wipe away any trace of herself. I know she’s got some high-level security keeping her hidden, but I also know Leo is determined to find her and whack her. Not just the daughter.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Leo doesn’t have the full support of the other families unless it’s confirmed that every Asimov is dead,” Shane says. “That’s the trouble with old-money Russians. They know how vindictive the survivors can be. The last thing any clan would want is to side with the Sokolovs, only for Anya or Zoya to return with just enough firepower to reclaim even a fifth of their turf. The syndicate boys are loyal. They’re scattered now, but if either of the Asimov ladies comes back, it’ll be a whole different story.”
“And the other families within the Bratva might end up siding with them instead of the Sokolovs.” Mills reaches a conclusion similar to mine.
“Yeah. And they might turn their back on Leo, too,” Shane replies. “He’s so adamant about wiping out every Asimov. Sooner rather than later.”
I nod slowly, trying to wrap my head around this new information. “What do you know about the Asimovs’ enforcers? You said they’re scattered?”
“Those who survived, yes. Leo’s been putting out hits on each and every one of them, but he hasn’t been as successful as he hoped. That only pissed him off more. He sent his brother out to find Anya; that’s what I heard.”
“Max is off the game board,” I tell Shane.
“Ah, that makes sense.” Shane frowns. “Before I left New York, I had one last chat with one of my people in Hell’s Kitchen. They said Leo Sokolov flew out of the city yesterday morning. I figured it had to be serious. He wouldn’t leave at such a delicate time for his syndicate and the Bratva, not with the persistent rumors of Asimov survivors, anyway.”
Shit. He’s looking for Max most likely.
I give Mills a worried look. “What does this mean for us?”
“I’m not sure. We did our due diligence,” the sheriff replies. “In fact, I specifically remember you going the extra mile and breaking a few more laws in the process. Technically speaking, Leo Sokolov shouldn’t be able to find Max as quickly as he would’ve under normal circumstances.”
That doesn’t soothe me as much as I’d hoped. “He might follow his credit card trail, he might pass through Seeley Lake.”
“Wait, you said I’d be safe here,” Shane interjects. “If Leo Sokolov comes to town, I’m screwed.”
“Max’s credit card trail leads farther away from here,” Mills insists. “He’s got no reason to stay here very long. He’ll go where Max’s financial footprints end, which is closer to the border.”
I’m still not happy about the possibilities, but Shane seems to relax a little.
“If you keep your head down and your nose clean, you won’t have a problem,” the sheriff tells him. “I’ll give you one of the cells, out of sight. I’ll have one deputy watching your back and assigned to escort you wherever you go. You’ll have access to a secure landline, so you can reach out to your family. And once I’ve got all the paperwork in order, I’ll have you moved into a motel nearby. You’ll be fine, Shane.”
“If you say so. At least I’m not in New York.”
Once Shane is out of the room and settled in one of the single holding cells with a deputy in charge of his well-being, Mills and I head to his office. He offers me a glass of scotch as I take one of the guest seats.
I politely turn it down. “I have to drive back up the mountain.”
“Suit yourself. I’m walking myself home,” Mills grumbles and turns his into a double, then downs it, taking a deep breath as the liquor works its way through him.
“How sure are we that Shane’s intel is accurate?” I ask him.
He gives me a wry smile. “We go back many years, friend. You know me better than this. It’s extremely accurate, or I wouldn’t have bothered with him.”
“I’m not doubting your abilities,” I say. “I doubt anything coming out of New York with any connection to the Bratva.”
“Technically speaking, Shane isn’t connected. But I verified every piece of information he fed Perez, and it’s been pretty on point so far. The man has earned his keep. And asking about Anya put him on Sokolov’s hit list, so we’re definitely on to something here. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear.”
I shake my head slowly. “It isn’t.”
“Now comes the part where I politely ask you to let me do my job the legal way.”
“And I tell you to do whatever you have to; so will I.”
Mills knows what that means. I’ve rarely had to play this card, but the circumstances require it.
“You don’t have any authority in the matter. If Leo Sokolov comes to Seeley Lake, I’m going to handle him.”
“You could deputize my brothers and me,” I suggest.
“We’d need exigent circumstances for that.”
“Two attempts on Anya’s life don’t count as exigent circumstances?”
Mills sinks into his seat with a second double scotch. Inhaling deeply, he stares at the amber liquid in his tumbler, his gaze momentarily lost. “You know, when I first took this job, I figured most of my work would revolve around keeping the peace between drunken locals. Or keeping the lumberjacks from wandering onto the reservation to take wood that isn’t theirs. The region has a history on the matter.”
“Oh, I remember your first days in office. You were like a fish out of water,” I chuckle.
“But I was relieved. It was better compared to what I saw in the service.”
“I know, brother.”
“And when the three of you settled in, started buying up properties and businesses, replenishing the entire district, I really had hope, you know? Thought I might actually spend the rest of my days policing a trouble-free zone, where the worst issues I’d have to deal with is crazy old Sam Johnston and his fetish for women twenty years his junior.”
“We moved here for the same measure of peace,” I remind him.
“That girl is trouble,” he warns me.
“It’s not her fault. None of this is her fault. She got caught in the crossfire because of the family she was born into. Her brother was our best friend. I loved him like a brother. He was a good man, and he tried his damnedest to keep her safe. He’s gone now, and we made him a promise. We intend to keep it.”
Mills nods slowly. “I need to protect the people of this town, Nico. Maybe sending Anya away will keep Sokolov away from here.”
“She’s not safe anywhere but with us up there on the mountain, where few dare to venture. But don’t worry too much. The Russians won’t come in all gung-ho and guns blazing. They’re cautious. Organized. And they target their victims specifically.”
“If you keep protecting Anya, you run the risk of becoming victims, too.”
“Remember who we are,” I say. “This woman means the world to us. And the Russians have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. Besides, didn’t we just agree that we took the right precautions?”
“We did, but I’m still iffy. I just didn’t want Shane to worry about it. He’ll be useful as a star witness, if we do manage to help the Feds with Sokolov’s capture and indictment. That’s why I need you to help me keep this on the legal side of things. We don’t want their defense to have any ammunition against the federal prosecutor when the time comes.”
What Mills is saying makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, it runs in complete opposition to what I know we’ll have to do, if push comes to shove. I’m not worried about taking Sokolov and his cronies to prison. I’m more interested in wiping him and his syndicate off the face of the earth. Then again, watching Leo rot in prison for the rest of his life, stripped of his power and influence, does have a certain appeal.
“All I can do is promise that we will do our best to follow the law,” I tell Mills. “In the meantime, you need to alert your deputies about Leo Sokolov.”
“Already done. This isn’t my first day on the job, you know,” Mills says, his brow furrowed as he leans back in his seat. “I wonder how long it will take him to find Max.”
“The time he spends looking for his psycho brother will be time we use to our advantage. Now that he’s out of New York, your buddy Perez and the local Feds should be looking deeper into the Sokolovs.”
He nods once. “He’s already pushing to bump the Dalton investigation back to the top of the pile. But he wants to find Anya. Perez believes the rumors that she’s still alive.”
“Rest assured, as soon as Anya is out of harm’s way and has her memory back, she will gladly testify against them. Until then, we’ve got a dragon to slay.”
And this dragon has already proven himself capable of atrocities.
The mere thought of losing Anya to this monster again fills me with uncontrollable rage. It blurs the line between right and wrong, between legal and illegal, between good and evil. I’m willing to straddle both sides and lean hard into whichever side lets me keep her.