Chapter 6 #2
Cam blew out a breath. “I’m still pissed that Mikhailov is in the wind.” He’d be a lot happier knowing the Russian was in jail. He had to be long gone, but still.
“Heard the feds are raiding all of his properties across the country,” Rome said.
Cam nodded. “Asshole probably jumped on a private jet, and is sunning himself in Mexico, or Tahiti, or Bora-Bora.”
Rome lifted his chin. “How’s your ballerina?”
“She’s not mine.”
The man raised a dark brow. “She know that?”
“I told her.” Cam choked down his frustration. Really, he barely knew Saskia. It shouldn’t hurt this damn much to lose the promise of her. “I…can’t offer her what she needs.”
Rome’s green gaze was like a laser. “You sure about that?”
“I’m sure,” Cam clipped out.
Rome lifted one broad shoulder. “Seemed to me you were giving her what she needed.” With a nod, he headed back down the hall to his office.
Cam stood there for a long moment, staring out the glass walls into the warehouse. A second later, another familiar face appeared.
“Hey,” his brother Ryder said. He wasn’t wearing his paramedic uniform, so it probably meant he’d had a shift at the free clinic in the Tenderloin where he donated his time. His brown hair was almost long enough to brush his broad shoulders.
“Hey,” Cam replied.
“How’s Saskia?”
“She was fine this morning. She’s with Savannah now.”
Ryder cocked his head. “But she’s staying with you?”
“Not now. She’ll stay with Hunt and Savannah before she goes back to New York.”
Ryder shook his head. “You idiot.”
Cam scowled at his brother. “Don’t start, Ryder.”
“She’s into you. She just had the worst day of her life, and she wanted you .”
“I got her out,” Cam said between clenched teeth.
“She needed more than that.”
“I know that, Ryder. That’s why I made her leave.”
His brother shook his head. “You shortchange yourself.”
Anger burned in his gut. It had been simmering since he’d watched Saskia get in Savannah’s car.
“Look, you, Hunt, the others, I get that you’re all in love.
You’ve got gorgeous women, you’ve got your life all sorted out—” He cursed and looked away.
“You’ve been home longer than me…and I’m not sure I’ll ever have it all together.
” Not enough to give a woman like Saskia everything she needed.
Ryder was quiet, then he sighed. “I love you, bro. I’m here for you. I still think you’re shortchanging yourself, and you’re making a mistake with Saskia, but I get it.”
Cam gave him a tight nod.
“You have the number of that therapist?” Ryder asked.
Cam stiffened. “Yeah.” He hadn’t seen the guy. Dredging things up, talking about Kris, dissecting his dead teammate like he was a problem to get over left a bad taste in Cam’s mouth.
“He’s good, Cam. We all saw him when we got back. He’s former military, he understands.” Ryder clasped Cam’s arm. “You’re worth sorting your shit out. And is she worth it?” With a pat, Ryder headed out. “Now, I’m going to see my woman.” He raised his voice. “Where’s my gorgeous Norwegian flower?”
Cam shook his head. Ryder was lucky that Siv didn’t deck him.
Cam turned Ryder’s words over in his head. Maybe he should think about seeing the therapist. At least try it.
He headed down the hall to Vander’s office and knocked. His boss was standing at his desk, on the phone. He held up a finger to Cam.
“Okay, you find out anything else, call me. Yeah.” Vander ended the call.
“Any intel on Mikhailov?”
Vander circled the desk and leaned back against it. “No. We haven’t got any confirmation that he’s left San Francisco or the country, but frankly, we have shit.”
“He wouldn’t risk staying in the city.”
“You wouldn’t think so. The guy likes his wealthy lifestyle, and the feds are tearing his US assets apart. But he’d still have access to some money, and that makes him harder to find.”
It was good that the asshole wouldn’t have access to all his assets. That gave Cam a sense of some satisfaction. Still, it was little comfort to the women Mikhailov had kept prisoner.
“Hunt said some of the guards from the estate are talking,” Vander continued. “There have been other women over the past year. Some sent overseas, and others who’ve disappeared once they…fell out of favor.” Vander’s tone vibrated with rage.
Cam’s mouth tightened. “Mikhailov is an asshole of epic proportions.”
“Yeah.”
“Guys.” Saxon appeared. He was wearing a suit and coat, his gold hair windblown. “I’ve got something.”
Vander straightened. “Go on.”
“An informant saw Mikhailov and two of his top guards. One’s Russian, the other is American. A former Army dropout who was dishonorably discharged.”
“Where were they seen?” Cam asked.
Saxon’s gaze met his. “Here. In the city. He hasn’t left San Francisco.”
Vander sucked in a breath.
Cam felt his senses sharpen. “He still wants Saskia.”
“We don’t know that,” Vander said.
“He’s got some sick obsession with her.” Cam’s gut tightened. He had a bad feeling about this.
“I have our network of informants searching for him,” Saxon said.
“Where exactly was he seen?” Vander asked.
“Nob Hill. Going to see a broker who can dispose of high-end goods.”
“Trying to drum up some untraceable cash.” Vander’s gaze turned considering. “He doesn’t have access to all his accounts, and he’s smart enough to know we’d be monitoring them.”
“He’ll have hidden accounts offshore,” Cam said. “These rats always do.”
“I want him found,” Vander said.
“It’s likely he’s getting money so he can leave the city and the country,” Saxon said.
Cam hoped so. He’d like Mikhailov dead or in jail, but he’d take the bastard being far, far away from Saskia.
Cam wanted her safe. A knot formed in his chest. She wasn’t his to protect.
She was better off without him.