Killian (Hope City #8) - Kris Michaels Page 0,67
out any difficulties in the project management database and advance the timeline to where they’d stopped today.
Killian opened the door to the trailer and stopped short. Bekki was dancing in circles and laughing. “Something good happen?” Perhaps they caught the man that had attempted to abduct her…
“Killian! Yes! It’s the Mob! We’ve got them!” Bekki placed her hands on his shoulders and jumped up. He dropped his phone and tablet to catch her legs.
Finally! “The cops caught the guy?”
She stopped and her brow furrowed. “What guy?”
“The guy at the Tipsy Tavern?” He narrowed his eyes. Obviously, they were having two different conversations. Again.
“Why would you think that?”
He blinked and started to comment but stopped. She really was a difficult woman to communicate with sometimes. “Why don’t you explain what you’re so happy about.”
Her eyes widened. “The property being purchased can all be traced back to the Mob. The Russian Mob. Kozlov Oil Enterprises, to be exact. I have all the information, but better than that, there are traceable kickbacks, deposits in the millions.”
He hefted her higher up on his hips and grabbed her ass, holding her there.
“Congratulations. What are you going to do?”
“Break the story wide open!” Her smile dropped. She dropped her legs and spun away from him, breaking his hold. She paced the small area. She mumbled to herself, “How am I going to do it? There are so many people getting kickbacks.” She grabbed a printed sheet of paper and shoved it at him, her finger pointing out the names and dollar amounts.
“Well, looks like our friend Davis is the scum you thought he was.”
“Right? But look. The Lieutenant Governor.”
“And you can prove this?”
She nodded and grabbed a stack of paper, pushing it at him. “Jewell, my cousin, got a federal warrant. She followed the money. Deposits from KOE to these people. Multiple deposits.”
Killian leaned against the desk and thumbed through the document. “What exactly is KOE again?”
“Kozlov Oil Enterprises. A front for the Russian Mob.”
He stopped and lifted his eyes, hoping that she’d stop for a moment so they could discuss the ramifications of the Russian Mob being involved, but she was still pacing. “You’re happy about this?”
“About what?” She stopped and her brows pulled together as she stared at him.
“The Russian Mob being behind all of this.”
“Yeah.” She resumed pacing.
“Bekki.”
He called her name and she stopped. “What?”
“This information could get you killed.”
She waved off his concern. “Not likely. I have less than a day before Jewell releases this information to her bosses who are federal or something, so I need to find a way to break the story before they act on it.”
“The first thing we’re going to do, however, is call your father. He needs to know what’s happening.” He lifted her cell phone from her hands because his was still on the floor with his tablet. He wasn’t going to take any chances. The weapon he’d strapped to his ankle while working hadn’t been there for his comfort. He was committed to taking care of his woman.
“I already did. He’s probably in a meeting, but he’ll call me back at his first opportunity. I’m not going to be stupid about this. The bad guys will be pissed, but when I go live and break the entire story, they won’t have any recourse, all the information will be out there.”
He shook his head. “All the information you have, but why are they doing this? What is so damn important that they needed to bribe city, county, and state officials?”
Bekki stopped and looked at him. A smile grew until she looked like the Cheshire Cat. “I thought about that, and I’m going to let the cops do their jobs, but I will be the one to release this story or they don’t get the information. At least not from me, and they won’t know that Jewell has to fork over the information, so I have an imaginary bargaining chip.”
He crossed his arms. “What did your amazing mind just come up with?”
“A plan to share with my father. I get the story, he gets the slimeballs.” Bekki wrapped her arms around his neck. “Whatever should we do until he calls?” She pressed her body against his and purred the question.
Killian stood and started walking her backward, locking the door as they moved toward the back of the trailer. Between kisses, he managed, “I can think of a thing or two to pass time.”
Bekki hummed. “Two? I like two.”
Killian managed to guide them into the small bedroom.