Sinner Chapter 19
Somehow, Rowan made bail, according to Aven Lloyd, my personal lawyer.
He’d found a way to put up his new car as collateral.
The idiot had paid a hundred and fifty thousand dollars for it.
He was out until his trial, which was three months or more away.
He was working to find a lawyer so he wouldn’t have to use the public defender.
Maybe he’d have to sell a ton more of his stuff to raise the retainer.
The other legal battle hanging over us was due in court next week. There had been a problem, and the judge had rescheduled it. Iker reported that his people had spotted Sam a few more times, but he never approached Anastasia, so there wasn’t anything we could do.
As for the Shah family, Kathlyn resolved to wait until after the hearing with the judge before meeting with Savar. She’d told her daughter and me what she planned to tell him: after close to thirty-eight years of marriage, she was filing for a divorce.
A major factor in her decision was that he kept finding ways around her blocks, ignoring her boundaries and not respecting her wishes. He used other people’s phones or burner phones to call, leave messages, or text. He did the same with emails, too.
His communications were never pleading or filled with promises that he’d change. They were full of demands, threats, and allegations about how she was a terrible wife and mother. He even had his other kids weighing in.
Kathlyn was upset, but she admitted that her love for her husband had been smothered out years ago. She’d stayed because she felt, at her age, it was ridiculous to leave.
Anastasia and I had talked about it alone.
That was when she brought up the attention Iker and Poe had paid to her mom.
She didn’t want them to get any ideas about consoling the divorcée.
Like my woman, her mom wasn’t one to jump into a man’s bed.
In fact, she’d only ever been with Savar as far as Anastasia knew. Kathlyn wasn’t into flings.
I assured Anastasia that I’d tell them both that, and if anyone, those two or others, tried to play fast and loose with my mother-in-law, I’d set them straight with my fists. My friendship with Iker wouldn’t deter me.
One good piece of news was that, after I explained what was going on with my credit, Mr. O'Brien agreed to wait until my issue with Rowan was resolved.
He knew I was good for it. However, I assured him that I was working to get the money to him sooner.
The truth was, Anastasia and I were anxious to start the renovations.
I explained this to Mikhail and Hoss as we sat at lunch. They’d stopped by my office and asked me to have it with them. It had been a long time since we’d done it, so I said yes. I needed time with my male friends.
“So let me get this straight. Your brother forges your name to take out a loan. He blew it. Thinks that you shouldn’t press charges and needs someone to bail him out.
Oh, and you get penalized for having to freeze your accounts and other shit.
It’s putting into jeopardy your purchase of the building you live in and the expansion of your penthouse,” Hoss rattled off.
Mikhail sat there deep in concentration.
“That sums it up, yeah. Mr. O’Brien said he’ll wait, but I’m worried he’ll get a better offer and it’ll be sold out from underneath me. And I wouldn’t blame him. It could be months before my money is freed up,” I grumbled.
Hoss and Mikhail exchanged a look that told me they were communicating without words, which wasn’t unusual.
They’d been friends almost as long as Reuben and Mikhail had been.
Maybe they had an idea how to work around this.
The silence stretched to over a minute before they both nodded, then looked back at me.
“Alright, your ESP moment is over. Should I ask what it was about?” I asked, jokingly.
“We know how you can buy the building now and do your renovation without waiting on the shit with Rowan to be resolved,” Mikhail stated.
“Let me hear it,” I said eagerly.
“You allow us to loan you the money and then, once you’re unrestrained, you can repay us,” Hoss said.
Both men were very successful in their work. Mikhail owned Lustz and had investments. Hoss owned a software company, SackettEdge Technologies, that was extremely profitable. However, I wouldn’t ask for their money. Mixing friendship with money could get ugly. I shook my head before answering.
“No, I won’t do that. I thank you both from the bottom of my heart, but I won’t put financial strain on you or have money messing with our friendship. On the odd chance things go down the drain, I refuse to take you with me.”
“You’re being ridiculous. We know you’re good for it. Interest-free is better than other options. And if you won’t accept our help, as your friends, then you leave me no choice,” Mikhail stated.
“No choice but what?” I asked, mystified.
“I’ll have to go to Matvey, tell him the problem, and then he’ll show up, hand over briefcases of cash, tell you he won’t hear no, and he’ll walk off. How will you explain millions in cash from a Pakhan?”
I groaned and held my head as I thought through what he outlined. Matvey would do it in a heartbeat. And how the hell do I say it was a loan from a Russian Mafia boss, who happens to be a friend? I could imagine the conversation.
No officer, I’m not laundering money for the Russian mob.
It’s a temporary loan from the Pakhan while I untangle my personal wealth from my brother’s identity theft and forgery.
I will pay Mr. Ivanova back. I’m a legitimate businessman.
No, sir, there’s no reason to investigate every orifice of my body.
“Goddamn it, don’t do this to me.” There was a note of whining in my voice. The fuckers chuckled darkly.
“We’re not doing anything other than attempting to be you and Stasia’s friends. You would offer to do the same for us, wouldn’t you?” Hoss asked.
The truth was, I would. They had me cornered, and they knew it.
I tried to wiggle out, but after five more minutes of arguing, during which our lunches arrived, I gave in.
I waited until our plates were in front of us and we’d told our waiter we needed nothing else at the moment.
When our waiter was out of earshot, I capitulated.
“Fine, I’ll accept the loans. And while I thank you very much, I want to tell you that you’re assholes, too.”
Their laughter turned heads in our direction as I grinned and shook their hands across the table. With that out of the way, we settled in to enjoy the rest of lunch, which was delicious.