Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
My adrenaline spikes. “Where are they?”
“Wouldn’t I like to know,” Yuri counters, tapping a pen against the desk. He sounds genuinely exasperated. “Last I heard, they were dabbling in the black market. Anyway, they’re dead to me.” His dark gaze flicks between Asher and me. “You want them, be my guest. I wash my hands of them.”
Asher narrows his eyes. “So you have no loyalty to your own sons?”
A rueful laugh escapes Yuri. “Loyalty is earned. They have done nothing but shame the family name. Always needing bailouts. I’ve grown tired of bailing them out.”
I clench my fists at my sides, resisting the urge to launch across the desk. “If they have Briar, they’ll kill her once they’re done with whatever plan they have for Chester. Especially if it goes bad.”
Yuri’s brow arches. “Hmm. Sounds like something Vlad and Dimitri would do. They lack… subtlety.”
Asher shoots me a sidelong glance, alarm mixing with anger in his eyes. “We need an address.”
Yuri leans back, expression bored. “I might have an old location they used. An abandoned property near Magnolia Ridge, on the outskirts. They were using it for storage. If they’re still following their usual patterns, maybe they’re holed up there.”
He scribbles something on a slip of paper, then slides it across the desk to me. “Take it. If they’re there, good luck. I want no part of this.”
I snatch up the paper, adrenaline surging. An address. Something tangible. Finally. “Don’t be surprised if we find proof they’re under your orders,” I warn, though some part of me believes he really has given up on them.
“If you find such proof, do let me know,” Yuri remarks, leaning forward, lips curling into a razor-sharp smile. “I’d love to break their necks myself for tarnishing my reputation further.”
I force myself to breathe, to focus. Briar could be at that location. I have to move now. “You’re not calling them, warning them we’re coming?”
Yuri’s smile grows cold. “I told you—I wash my hands of them. If you want to arrest them or kill them, do what you must. But leave me out of it.” He swats the air dismissively.
Asher and I exchange a brief look of mutual disgust. This is what we’re up against—a father who’d abandon his own sons when they become inconvenient, criminals who see people as disposable. We’ve stepped into a cesspool, and Briar’s trapped in the middle.
“Let’s go,” I say, nodding to Asher. Before we leave, I take one last glance at Yuri. “You’d better hope your sons haven’t hurt Briar.”
He snorts, returning his attention to a stack of papers on his desk. “Like I said, they’re not my problem anymore. Good night, gentlemen.”
We head back down the hallway, passing the boxing ring. The fighters have changed, but the scene remains the same: blood, cheers, and the stench of desperation. My stomach churns. In another life, maybe I’d bust this whole operation wide open. But right now, I have one goal—find Briar.
Outside, the cold air hits me like a slap, and Asher exhales a tense breath. “So, Magnolia Ridge?” he asks, tugging at the collar of his jacket.
I nod, unfolding the slip of paper Yuri gave me. The address is scrawled in a hasty script, barely legible. “It’s not much, but it’s something.”
Asher slips his hands into his pockets, scanning the dark street. “We should let Dean know.”
I’m already dialing, pressing the phone to my ear. My SUV sits at the curb, engine cooled by the night. The phone rings twice before Dean picks up. “Dean, we got an address,” I say, voice tight with urgency. “Yuri’s sons, Vlad and Dimitri, might be holding Briar and Chester near Magnolia Ridge.”
“Good work,” Dean replies. I can hear the relief in his tone. “Send the location. I’ll get a team ready. Keep eyes on the property, but don’t go in alone.”
I bristle at the reminder—my instincts scream for me to charge in there now, to save Briar this instant. But I’ve screwed up once by being reckless. This time, I’ll at least try to bring backup. “Fine,” I say, cutting the call short.
Turning to Asher, I tuck the phone away. “You up for a drive?”
He smirks, albeit grimly. “Damn right I am. Let’s find this place.”
We climb into my SUV, the address burning a hole in my pocket, the memory of Yuri’s smug grin lingering in my mind. My heart thuds with renewed determination. If Vlad and Dimitri are half as incompetent as Yuri claims, maybe I’ve got a chance to get Briar out alive. I crank the ignition, headlights piercing the darkness.
“Hang on, Briar,” I whisper under my breath, gripping the wheel until my knuckles whiten. “I’m coming.” Then I hit the gas, and Asher and I tear off into the night, bound for Magnolia Ridge and whatever hell Vlad and Dimitri Chekov have prepared there.