Kincaid’s show, and I’m just grateful he’s promised me the help I’m going to need in West Africa. Leaving the States to work always gets my blood pumping. We don’t get to do it often, and I know my guys are going to be hypervigilant in the field. The president of the Cerberus MC expects the same level of professionalism from his own guys.
After Kincaid introduces the newest member of the team, surprisingly a tall woman, he steps aside and I have the floor. On the flight over here, I spent hours trying to figure out what I’m going to say to these guys to get across the importance of this case to them. At first, I was going to leave out all the personal details, but if the roles were reversed, I know I’d want that info, so that’s what they’re going to get from me today.
I nod at Kincaid as I step forward and clear my throat.
“It’s not easy standing up here and admitting that I’ve failed, but here I am. This mission is more than a little personal for me, and I thought it was in my best interest to come to you guys for help rather than fucking everything up by letting my emotions control the outcome,” I explain.
“Who are we looking for?” Grinch asks. I’ve met him before, but we haven’t had much interaction.
Shadow, the guy in control of the computer system, uses this moment to put Dani’s picture up on the screen behind me. I gave them several from her social media, and I’m grateful he chose one where she isn’t hanging on the arm of some rich asshole. I don’t want anything to detract their attention from the mission.
“My ex-wife.”
Everyone in the room stiffens, and even though I know they were all paying attention before, they’re even more attentive now.
“Daniella Altieri and I have been divorced for over eight years, but after being contacted by her best friend last week about an altercation that happened in Dani’s condo, I got involved.”
The screen flashes again with an image of Nicolay.
“Nikolay Petrovich was shot during that altercation and left for dead. He survived and has recently checked himself out of the hospital.”
“They’re looking for your girl,” one of the Cerberus guys deduces.
“I’ve not had any interactions with my ex since we signed our divorce papers.” I don’t know why that distinction matters, but for some reason I feel the need to tell them. “If her friend, Annalise Grimaldi, hadn’t called me, scared, I probably wouldn’t even know she was missing. There has been no action on any of her accounts since the shooting.”
A grim expression washes over several of the guys’ faces before they can stop it. They’re thinking the same thing I can’t get out of my head either, but I can’t not try to find her. If she’s gone, her family is going to need closure. I’m going to need closure. Fuck, Anna will need closure.
“My guy has found info that the Russians are looking for her.”
“Because of the shooting?” one of the guys asks.
“Because she disappeared with something they want.”
A throat clears, but no one outright asks what it is.
“Chatter obtained through Russian text messages and phone calls leads us to believe they think Dani took off with some diamonds.” I swallow again. “A lot of diamonds.”
“The bag of blood diamonds they’re looking for has a street value of three-point-two-million dollars,” Shadow adds.
A whistle rings out as several of the guys shift in their seats.
“Our access to their phone calls and texts dried up two days ago, but as of the last transmission, they hadn’t found her yet,” I continue. “Petrovich frequents West Africa. His family has a compound there. Your expertise with international raids is why I’m here today.”
“We’d like to do this with non-lethal force,” Kincaid says, and this is the point the men around the table all grow agitated.
Tug shakes his head when I make eye contact with him.
“Non-lethal?” one guy scoffs. “The Russians don’t know that. We go in with guns blazing loaded with plastic bullets and bean bags and they’re going to come at us with the full force of the Bratva.”
“Sounds like fucking suicide,” another guy mutters.
Despite their outburst, everyone grows silent when Kincaid holds his hand up.
“Other than distant ties, we haven’t been able to tie Petrovich to the Bratva,” Shadow informs them. “Hence the reason they’re operating out of West Africa rather than Russia.”
“We’re not trying to start a war. That’s why we’re not