as he likes to call himself, 00331984.”
Volkov appeared perplexed. “You go by your prison number?”
“Spent so long goin’ by it, I hardly remember I have a name.”
Jake played the part perfectly, laying the southern accent on thick.
“He’s a...friend,” Mike informed the older man.
“Ah, a friend.” Volkov shook Jake’s hand, as well. “Never can have too many of those.”
“Another lesson you taught me,” Mike commented. Needing to take Volkov’s intrigued gaze from Jake’s, he added, “We need to talk, Alexandar.”
“Regarding?”
“Aaron Schreiber.”
Dropping Jake’s hand, Volkov swung his eyes back to Mike’s. “What about him?”
Let the games begin.
“He’s dead.”
“And you know this, how?” Volkov didn’t so much as blink.
“I’m the one who killed him.”
With a schooled expression, Volkov motioned toward the house. “We should take this conversation inside, yes?”
“Good idea.”
Mike and Jake followed the man into his home. With orders to remain in the marble-tiled foyer, the two guards did as they were told while Volkov led them to his private office.
“Would either of you like a drink?” the older man asked.
Mike responded with, “I’m good.”
At the same time Jake said, “No, thank you.”
Pouring himself two fingers of what Mike assumed to be Volkov’s favorite bourbon, he took a long sip before turning to face them.
“Now. What is this about you killing Schreiber?”
“He broke into Juliet’s home a few nights ago. But I’m guessing you already knew, didn’t you?”
“Word does travel fast in my circle.” One of Volkov’s graying brows rose. “You’d be amazed at what one learns, even from behind bars.”
“I have no doubt.”
“If you thought I already knew about my former employee, then why did you come here?”
“When I went to Juliet’s place, I found Schreiber on top of her. His gun was pointed at her head.”
For the first time since he and Jake’s arrival, Mike saw a hint of real emotion cross over Volkov’s face. “My Juliet...is she okay?”
Like you fucking care.
“She wouldn’t be if I hadn’t shown up when I did.”
Juliet’s father made a show of shuffling to his chair and sitting down. After drinking the remaining liquid from his glass in one gulp, he lifted his eyes to Mike’s.
“You never told me why you are really here. Why come to my home to tell me something you believe I have prior knowledge of?”
Holding the other man’s gaze, Mike had to work hard to not reach across the desk and break the son of a bitch’s neck.
“You gave me a chance, once, Alexandar. Gave Mikhail the green light to hire me when no one else would. I killed one of your men and figured I owed it to you to come here and tell you what I’d done in person.”
“I appreciate your loyalty and honesty. As much as I tried, those are two qualities Mikhail failed to possess.”
“Schreiber told Juliet you paid him to kill her. Is that true?”
Volkov blinked, the look of confusion on his face damn near convincing. “He told her that?”
“Your daughter also told me about Mikhail, Alexandar. She thinks he committed suicide to avoid being tortured to death by your men.”
“Mikhail.” The man looked away, saying his son’s name as if it were a curse word. “That boy was a fucking traitor. Soft and weak, just like his mother.”
“Did you order the hit on Juliet?”
Shaking his head Volkov looked back up at him. “You went away for a stretch, yes?”
He’s stalling.
Playing along, Mike nodded. “Did two in Federal. That’s where I met Jake.”
Before they arrived, Derek had worked up a full fake background for Jake. One that included him doing time in the same penitentiary as Jay Reynolds.
Volkov glanced at Jake and then back to Mike. “You got off lucky.”
Mike forced a laugh. “Landing my ass in prison was lucky?”
“If it kept you away from my worthless, ungrateful son, then yes. Of course, living off of luck alone isn’t enough, is it, Jay?” The other man stood and walked around the front of his desk, stopping less than a foot in front of him. “You need to be smart. And you, my friend, made a very smart move by not falling into the same trap Mikhail did.”
“Yeah?” Mike wondered what the hell the fucker was getting at. “And what trap was that?”
“I’m sure you’re aware that he turned state’s evidence against me. My own son. Then he killed himself because he was a fucking pussy. Weak in life and even weaker in death. Juliet is not weak. She remained true to her lineage. To me. Just as you did.”
Me? “I’m not sure I follow.”
“I had