Targeted Risk (R.I.S.C. #7) - Anna Blakely Page 0,30
hell did you know she was here?”
The other man snorted. “Have you been out so long you’ve forgotten what we do?”
“I’ve tried to.”
“Right. Look, I get that we didn’t end things on the most amicable of terms, but your girl’s in trouble.”
No shit.
“What do you know about it?”
“I know Juliet Farrow has a price on her head. And after the shit you pulled at her place the other night, Jay Reynolds might, too.”
His chest tightened. Mike didn’t give a shit if someone was gunning for him. He was ready and would take them out the second they tried something. But hearing the confirmation that Juliet was still in danger left his gut churning and his blood cold.
“Who ordered the hit?” he demanded.
“Who do you think?”
Mike’s teeth ground together. “Volkov?”
“The one and only.”
Looking through the glass, he made sure the house was still quiet before asking, “Why would Alexandar put a hit out on his own daughter?” When Lopez didn’t answer right away, that churning in his gut became even more nauseating than before. “Ben?”
“I’m here,” Lopez answered immediately. “Listen, what I’m about to tell you could get my ass fired.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because you have a right to know what kind of woman you’re trying to protect before you put your ass on the line for her. More than you already have, anyway.”
“The fuck does that mean?” Mike demanded of the other man. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he sure as shit was going to find out.
The sound of Lopez sighing hit his ear. “She’s not the person you think she is.”
“Pretty sure you’ve got that backwards.”
“I’m serious, Mike. I’m not talking about something as simple as having an alias.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about?”
“Back when you were working that last case, you were adamant that Juliet didn’t know about her father’s business.”
“And?”
“She lied.”
“Jesus, Ben.” Mike ran a hand through his hair. “It’s been two years. Volkov’s gonna die in prison, and so will Ivan. So why are you still hammering away at this shit?”
“Alexandar’s out.”
The bomb Ben had just dropped was like a kick to the balls. “What the hell do you mean he’s out?”
“The son of a bitch was released yesterday afternoon.”
Mike closed his eyes and tried not to focus on the time he’d spent trying to put those two behind bars. Swallowing down his rage, he bit out a sharp, “How?”
“His lawyer started working on an appeal the second the guilty verdict came down. Gotta hand it to the persistent prick, he’s good. Really good. Found a loophole that set Alexandar free. Some sort of clerical error.”
“What fucking clerical error would put a goddamn Russian mob skin trader back on the street?”
“Don’t know, and at this point, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is whatever the mistake was, it was enough for the man to be granted a new trial. Not only that, he was also allowed bail. Which means—”
“He’s walking around free and clear while he awaits the new trial,” Mike finished for him.
He felt sick. As in ready to puke in his potted plants, sick.
Barely controlling his shallowing breaths, he swallowed back the rush of nauseating bile and refocused on the conversation.
“You said Juliet lied. About what, exactly?”
“She knew all about her father’s business. Has ever since she was a teenager.”
“You’re wrong.” Mike shook his head.” Juliet hates her father and her older brother. If she’d known what they were involved in, she would’ve put their assess away in a heartbeat.”
“And she was going to...until Mikhail Volkov put a stop to it.”
Mikhail? “What are you talking about?”
“While Juliet was being held in protective custody, the agents assigned to her questioned her ad nauseum.”
“She told me all that, already.”
“Yes, but what I suspect she didn’t tell you was that those agents finally broke her down.”
“Bullshit.” Juliet was one of the strongest woman Mike had ever met.
“I still have the signed agreement, Mike. Juliet Volkov Farrow agreed to give a sworn statement against her father and brother. Said she could name names and even give us details of a few deals she’d witnessed involving their sex-trafficking business Alexandar had from one of his Vegas strip clubs.”
“You’re lying.” The bastard had to be lying. Although...
It would explain the cache of guns and knives Juliet had kept hidden around her house.
“By itself, her testimony probably would’ve been circumstantial,” Lopez ignored the accusation and continued. “But combined with what Mikhail knew and the evidence you collected, the Federal case against both