Chapter 10 | Leo
Leo
Katia jogged to meet my car at nine a.m. on Saturday. When I hopped out and opened her door, I noticed her playful smile.
“You don’t have to do that, you know?” she said, sliding into the passenger seat.
“My dad would have a fit if he knew I let a lady open her own door. Just humor me.”
As we drove, she turned her head to study me. “So, is your dad the one responsible for turning you into a nice Catholic boy?”
She’d called me that before, when we’d met in the club to share intel, and I felt my lips twitch. “Both of my parents are responsible for that, actually. Mom was a teacher and Dad was a cop. Church on Sunday was a requirement, and so was following the law and being ethical.”
Her teeth gnawed her lip as she pondered. “I know I tease you for being conflicted about informing for Michael, but I don’t think I’ve taken the time to understand how big of a decision it must’ve been for you.”
I nodded. “I hate informing for the mafia, but I realized a long time ago that it could help me in ways I just couldn’t access otherwise.
Michael has helped me save so many lives.
We’ve worked together for years to bring down Victor’s human trafficking ring, and it’s finally slowed down immensely.
If Michael goes to prison, that gives Marco Nunez ample opportunity to step in and resume it, and I refuse to let that happen. ”
“And your new boss is a jerk who doesn’t get it,” she said, arching a brow.
“He’s a strait-laced agent all the way. My impression is that he deals in black and white and will never see shades of gray, even if it saves lives.”
Her throat bobbed. “Are you going to get fired?”
Shrugging, I grinned. “Maybe one day, but until then, I’m going to keep saving people and doing it my way. Daniel can fuck off for all I care.”
“Fuck Daniel,” she said, scraping her hand under her chin. “Ta on jobu.”
My grin deepened. “I assume you’re cursing him out in Russian.”
“Estonian, but close enough,” she said with a nod.
We chatted until we neared the apartment building where the supposed hacker lived. I found a parking spot a few blocks away so we could approach on foot. We hid in the alley, near the dumpster where Katia had been assaulted, and I cupped her shoulder.
“Are you okay waiting here?” I asked softly.
“Yes. I don’t let jerks scare me away from my purpose.”
Admiring her grit, I stood behind her as we both peered around the corner of the building.
Her perfume, or lotion—or whatever the hell she wore that smelled so good—wafted around me, and I felt myself harden in my jeans.
I’d dressed more comfortably today since I wasn’t on duty, but I was hard as a fucking rock as the front of my body bracketed her back against the brick wall. God, I hoped she didn’t notice.
Accepting my uncontrollable reaction to her, I concentrated on observing the building entrance. We waited for what seemed like hours, but it was really only about forty minutes. My ears perked when the door swung open and a scrappy teenager in a hoodie and worn Converse sneakers stepped out.
Katia’s head whipped around, her eyes connecting with mine as I lifted my finger over my lips. She nodded, and we waited until he’d rounded the building to follow him.
We walked slowly, staying a block and a half behind as he walked toward a busier street with businesses and shops. He entered one of the coffee shops that Alexis had mentioned, and I gripped Katia’s arm. Tugging her between two buildings, I spoke softly.
“We’ll go in and buy coffee and sit at the table next to him. You and I will just talk normally and let him get used to us. After a few minutes, I want you to turn to him and introduce yourself in Russian.”
“Got it,” she said with a nod.
“When you start talking to him, he’s most likely going to recognize you. I don’t think he will beforehand because he won’t be focused on us, but once he actually dials in, we won’t have a lot of time.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll show him my gun and I want you to tell him in Russian that we just want to talk. We’ll hope that he doesn’t run. If he does, I can detain him and question him, but we don’t want it to come to that.”
Her eyes darted between mine. “So, what’s the goal?”
“Get him to see you as human, not as a target. If he feels any sort of empathy for you, he could possibly start to waver in his desire to hurt you. Then, we can eventually turn him.”
“All right. I’ll do my best.”
“You’ve got this,” I said, squeezing her arm.
We entered the coffee shop and bought two cups before sitting at the table next to the hacker. Katia was a pro, chatting with me as she surreptitiously eyed our target. He was buried deep in his laptop and hadn’t paid us any attention, so I knew his guard was down.
“Now is a good time,” I said softly, giving her a nod.
She licked her lips and then looked over at the kid. He wore a hoodie and ear pods, and his fingers moved quickly over the laptop.
“Izvinite, vy russkiy?” she asked.
His eyes lifted and he removed his ear pods. “What?”
“Oh, you speak English,” she said, smiling. “I was just asking if you were Russian. I see you have a sticker on your laptop that says yбей в себе раба.” Glancing at me, she said, “That means kill the slave within yourself.”
“Cool,” I said, lifting my eyebrows.
“Yeah, I was born there, but I live here now.”
“I love meeting fellow Russians. My mom was Russian, and my dad was Estonian.”
The kid gave a droll look. “That’s nice.” He returned to his laptop, and Katia looked at me, a question in her expression. I gave a nod, and she continued.
“I’m Katia,” she said, scooting her chair closer and extending her hand. “What’s your name.”
Recognition washed over the kid’s face, and his hoodie slid from his head as he whipped it to look toward the door.
“I wouldn’t run, kid,” I said, tapping the holster on my hip. “We just want to talk.”
His eyes darted between the door and Katia as tension swirled between the three of us.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” the hacker finally said. “Marco and Oskar want Michael Caruso.”
Katia’s chest lifted as she inhaled a huge breath, the realization that we’d found our hacker washing over her. “I don’t want to get hurt, but your actions are making that impossible. Kak vas zovut?”
His nostrils flared as he contemplated. “Dmitry.”
“Nice to meet you, Dmitry,” she said, her words slow since she knew he was spooked. “I want you to know that I’m not upset at you. The organization you work for is evil. I know this because they killed my sister.”
Dmitry’s eyes narrowed. “When?”
Katia’s mouth softened. “A long time ago,” she said softly. “And it was the worst day of my life.”
“Oskar brought me here when my parents died,” he said, his brown eyes solemn under a mop of curly brown hair. “He pays me to help him. No one in his organization knows shit about tech. I mean, not as much as I do.” He lifted his chin with pride.
“You’re a very talented hacker,” Katia said with a nod. “We also work with someone talented, and she says you’re very good.”
“Rossi’s daughter,” he said with a nod. “She’s good. I’m better, but she’s good.” He shrugged.
“Let me tell you what happens as we close the gap here, Dmitry,” I said.
“Dima,” he said, his tone annoyed.
I looked at Katia.
“It’s the informal derivative of his name. Teenagers never use their full names in Russia, and you look very uncool right now.”
Dmitry scoffed. “For real. Are you with him? I like you, but he’s a tool.”
Katia grinned. “He’s not so bad. He grows on you like a good fungus.”
“I’m right here,” I muttered. “As I was saying, we have your DNA, Dima. It’s only a matter of time before we have enough proof to prosecute you. Not only will you go to jail, but you’ll be deported if you’re not a citizen. I have a pretty big hunch you’re not.”
Dmitry crossed his arms. “So? I help Oskar because he pays me and we’re distant cousins. I don’t care about his stupid organization. Believe me, if you get close to catching me, I have ways of creating a new identity, booking a ticket, and getting the hell out of here.”
“What if I could pay you more than Oskar?” I asked, leaning forward. “A lot more.”
The kid seemed to actually show some interest for the first time since we started talking.
“How much more?”
“I’m negotiable.”
He gnawed his inner lip as he looked back and forth between me and Katia.
“Oskar will kill me if I defect.”
“Not if I protect you. I have ways of keeping you extremely safe.”
“I don’t want to hide,” he murmured.
“Dima,” Katia said, her face filled with compassion. “You already are. You’re hiding in a sinister world as long as you work for Oskar. It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a whole world of possibility out there for someone as talented as you.”
“Says the woman who works for Michael Caruso,” Dmitry said.
Sighing, she nodded. “Yes, but I’m not forced to hurt people, and I don’t want you to be either.”
Dmitry slammed his laptop shut and rose, stuffing it into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.
“I’m sorry you’re involved in this, lady, but it’s not my problem. Turn against Michael and you won’t go to jail. Oskar and Marco want him in prison, and they’re going to make it happen, with or without me. See ya.”
He skulked toward the entrance, and Katia rose to follow him.
“No,” I said, gripping her wrist. “He got the message. We need to let him sit with it for a while. We want his indecision to fester until it starts to create some serious doubt about his activities. He likes you, and that’s a good first step.”
“What if he tells Oskar we confronted him?”
“Oskar already knows Michael is surveilling him and wants to cripple his organization. I doubt he’ll be surprised we finally found his hacker.”
Katia lowered to her seat and sighed. “I wanted to convert him today. I guess that was wishful thinking.”
“You did a great job. Now, we wait. Michael’s guys are tailing him; Alexis is tracking his digital profile. It’s possible he’ll make a mistake, and that could be telling. We need to give it a few days.”
“And if another fraudulent transaction happens? Or something else I haven’t thought of?” she asked.
“We’ll deal with that if it happens.”
She nodded and gazed out the window. “So, what the hell do we do now?”
“We wait. I can drive you home. Come on.”
We walked back to the car, Katia solemn as I walked beside her. I knew she wanted more from the encounter, but sometimes things developed slowly, and we needed to have patience.
When I pulled up to her apartment, she slid her hand over my wrist. “Come inside and have a drink with me.”
Grinning, I checked the clock on the dashboard. “It’s not even noon yet.”
“Then we’ll have a mimosa,” she said, tilting her head. “Please?”
Nodding, I resumed driving until I found a spot. I walked her to the apartment, promising myself I’d only stay for one mimosa. Spending time with Katia was becoming a habit. If I didn’t exercise some self-control, I was going to end up forgetting all the reasons we weren’t right for each other.
And that was something I’d promised myself I’d never do.
Katia had chosen another man over me once, and barely looked my way for years.
She was embedded in the mafia, and although I liked her immensely, there was no world where a strait-laced Catholic FBI agent and a mafia former exotic dancer accountant belonged together.
I’d do well to remember that.