He nodded. “Or to wherever the boyfriend goes for his fix up there.”
I nodded, scratching my chin. “I’ve already got our guys tracking down the boyfriend’s dealer. I think there’s something going on here that Harner doesn’t want us to know about, and we need to find out what it is.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t make sense to get us involved if Harner doesn’t really want the truth to come out, because we will find it,” Blake said, scowling. “Maybe our information is faulty. Maybe she didn’t go up to Rochester.”
“Didn’t make it up there, you mean?” Drake questioned.
Blake nodded. “You never know. Her boyfriend could have been using the place for himself, and she never made it up there.”
“True, but they found female clothing.”
“Well, that shoots that theory out of the water.” Blake shrugged.
“But why wouldn’t Harner tell us all the facts? That should be one of the first places he’d want us to canvass. He’s either got to be hiding something or he’s setting us up somehow.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Drake scratched his chin. “Has anyone had contact with the boyfriend?”
“Not yet. We haven’t been able to track him down. He went blank on all of his social media right before her disappearance. Our guys are still trying to find him.”
“So, technically, they could have both gone off the deep end again.”
“Absolutely possible,” I agreed. “But something seems to be telling Harner that’s not the case this time, and he’s obviously not shared that detail with us either.”
“Have you asked Harner about the apartment in Rochester?” Drake asked.
I shook my head. “Not yet. I wanted our guys to check out as much as possible before Harner has a chance to clean it up. I also thought we could talk to one of our guys on the force. See what they’ve heard.”
“Makes sense.” Drake nodded and kicked out his feet. “We don’t need to be wasting our resources on this if Harner’s just trying to cover his own ass.”
“Exactly.”
A little squeal emerged from down the hall, and all of our eyes turned to my little niece who was crawling our way. Mia, Drake’s wife, was right behind her as she made her way into the study.
My chest unexpectedly tightened when I saw how quickly Drake left everything and went to his daughter. I’d always thought I’d be the first one of us to have kids. After all, I was the first one married.
But I was also the first one divorced.
I shoved the thoughts aside and made my way over to my niece, scooping her from my brother’s arms to a fit of giggles from her little lungs.
“Mama V wanted me to tell you dinner is served,” Mia informed us with a twinkle in her eye.
I couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for Drake than Mia. She was an artist who had no trouble putting Drake in his place. I think my mom saw a lot of herself in Mia, which was why they instantly bonded. Mia’s dark hair was in a short, flippy cut, and it really suited her not-always-grounded personality.
“Better not keep the lady of the house waiting,” Devin muttered under his breath.
I smacked his shoulder and squeezed it. “You gave Mom a time limit, didn’t you? Had her send in reinforcements that crawled and cooed so you could eat earlier?” I chuckled.
“I can’t help it. I’m starving, and at least I managed to crack a smile from you. Our niece is already earning her keep.” He winked at Mia and she chuckled.
“I second that. I say we eat first and discuss Harner later. Something tells me it’s going to be a long one,” Blake added.
There was no doubt about it. I was a lucky man. No matter what happened between all of us in my family, we were always there for one another. I knew they had my back, and I’d always have theirs.
When Blake decided to pursue a professional soccer career instead of coming into the fold of the Wolf Brothers, we didn’t argue with his decision. We let him follow his dreams. It may sound like an obvious thing to do, but it wasn’t. Not in our world.
When a person was born into a family like ours, certain things were always expected. There was never a question of what we wanted to do when we grew up. We knew we would take over the family businesses, so when Blake became a professional athlete, it was a definite turn for our family.
But he couldn’t stay away forever.
It felt good to have my family all here. I knew my mom felt the same way.
Devin’s fiancée, Avery, was carrying a dish into the dining room while Ava, Blake’s fiancée, was grabbing a couple of glasses from the kitchen cabinets.
“You managed to talk him into coming to dinner at a decent time?” Ava laughed, turning to kiss both of my cheeks. “You need to start learning to relax a little.”
“Is that your professional opinion, Dr. Dalton?” I teased.
“Actually, it is.” She flashed a devilish grin and followed Mia into the dining room.
My mind flashed to Elena, and I held in a sigh. My brothers were lucky men. They found women who truly got them and understood them to their very cores. I didn’t quite luck out like that.
Lust got ahead of me on my first and last marriage, which was why I needed to put my attraction for Elena on the backburner. She seemed too nice for me. Under all of her sass, I knew she was a truly kind woman, and I didn’t want to break her.
“What’s got you looking so concerned all of a sudden?” Mia asked as I somehow wandered into the dining room.
“I wouldn’t tell you in a million years,” I joked.
“Girl troubles?” Avery asked, taking a seat next to Devin.
My eyes shot to Devin’s, and I narrowed them slowly as he shrugged innocently.
“Girl troubles,” my mom repeated. “I only know of one of my sons who could be having girl troubles. I met that woman at Harner’s event, and she seems intriguing. A little nervous, but who wouldn’t be?”
She gave me a quick kiss on my cheek and took a seat at the end of the table, next to her grandbaby.
“No girl troubles. Thanks for that, Avery.” I sighed, taking a seat next to Blake.
“Anytime. It’s truly my pleasure.” She chuckled and took a sip of water.
“Someday, you and Devin are going to be needing a babysitter, and Uncle Jax won’t be answering that call,” I teased, and Avery’s laughter filled the room.
“That’s okay, dear. Granny V will always take your call. Give Jaxson as much of a hard time as you can. None of us could ever figure out how to ruffle his feathers until you girls came along.” My mom winked and I knew it was a losing battle.
“With a brother like mine, it’s nice to be able to ruffle some feathers somewhere.” Mia laughed and shook her head. “Luke is a hard nut to crack.”
Mia’s brother was a man who in most worlds would be our nemesis, but leave it to one of my brothers to fall in love with the sister of one the highest-profile leaders in private security and counter-terrorism.
“It sounds like our soulless leader is finally starting to fall for someone,” Blake said, his brows shooting up.
“Don’t you mean fearless leader?” I questioned, and he shook his head.
“No. I got it right the first time.” Blake nodded and took a bite of a candied carrot.
“I’m not that bad.” I straightened in my chair before scooping pelmeni onto my plate.
Or maybe I was.
There was nothing like the rush that comes from making things right. Knowing I was the last face many men saw before taking the light out of their eyes wasn’t something I was boastful about, but there was something gratifying knowing the evils these men had committed would no longer taint our world.
“So, do you plan on seeing Elena again?” my mom asked and let out a sigh.
“I’m not dating her.”
“Not yet.” Blake winked and I laughed.
“I don’t have time for a relationship, and I’m certainly not in the right profession to maintain a posi
tive one.” I took a bite of my food.
“Hey, now. What does that say about us?” Drake’s expression was lighthearted. He squeezed Mia.
Truthfully, my brothers didn’t have to deal with the everyday bullshit that I did. I ran Wolf Industries during the day with my brothers, and we ensured our extracurricular activities were seamless as well.
But through it all, I was the one making the final calls. They didn’t understand that kind of weight on their shoulders and I’d never wish it upon them.
“I guess what I’m saying is that I’m not cut out for relationships.” I smiled, and my mom rolled her eyes. “You’re going to have to count on these three for your grandchildren.”
“We’ll see about that.” My mom’s smile turned to a wicked grin.
My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it out of my pocket to see two different texts come over at the same time.
Elena Egorov is snooping around one of our warehouses. The one in Lawrence. She’s been back twice this evening. The first time, she was alone. This time, she has another female with her.
My pulse climbed at an unexpected rate. I slid the text away and looked at the next one from our men up in Rochester.
Went back to the apartment. Boyfriend is as dead as a doornail. Junkie with a needle still sticking out of his arm back at the apartment. No sign of girl.
Chapter Nine
Elena
“This is a really bad idea,” my sister hissed under her breath.
An icy breeze swept up from the water as we stood in front of an old brick warehouse. Chain-link fencing circled the building, but a portion had been cut through, which was how we snuck in.
Ignoring her statement, I motioned for her to come with me.
My eyes followed the cracks in the cement as we walked slowly beside the building.
“The warehouse is empty,” I told my sister.
“I’d imagine.” She took a couple of quick steps to stay at my side.
Some of the building’s windows had been broken out, but the thick, rusty metal doors remained locked. Before convincing my sister to come out with me, I’d been here once already today and tried all the doors and peered through the grimy windows to see nothing but empty shelves, tipped over boxes, and broken tables. I couldn’t see every part of the building, so I hoped there was something I’d be able to find inside that would give me answers as to why my cousin had been here. I highly doubted he was delivering flowers to a place like this.
Her eyes caught mine and a shiver ran between us as we continued walking toward the water.
“What do you think Joey was even doing here?” My sister asked the question that had been bothering me from the moment I’d first arrived.
When reading the police reports and the witness descriptions of the scene, it didn’t really come across how isolated this place was. People didn’t just happen to mosey over here after grabbing an ice cream on the boardwalk.
A person had to drive here, have a reason to be here, and still, I wasn’t sure that would put the pieces of the puzzle together. There was no good reason to be here unless there was business being conducted.
“Do you think the building was like this when Joey was here?” she asked as I slowed my steps. “Or do you think it was in use, at least?”
“From the reports, it was an active warehouse, but they didn’t list the use.”
“So maybe after his death—”
“Murder,” I corrected, and she nodded.
“Maybe after that, they stopped using the place. Shut it down.”
“Could be.” I nodded as a shiver quivered through my bones.
It felt like we were being watched.
I drew a breath and kept walking until we got to the place where Joey was gunned down.
“This is it.” I pointed at the area of gravel where the concrete stopped and a weedy gravel mess remained.
“This is what?”
“Where he was killed by a Volkov.” I cleared my throat. “Jaxson Volkov.”
My sister’s eyes widened.
“He was facing that way.” I motioned toward the water. “He didn’t have a clue what was about to happen to him.”
She nodded quietly, and her eyes glistened with tears. “He’s not coming back. Nothing you do is going to bring him back.”
“I know.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked at the ground where my cousin took his last breath. “It’s been years and nothing has been done. He’s just another forgotten victim.”
“We’ll never forget him.”
I brought my gaze to my sister. “I can’t let his murder go unknown while a murderer walks around freely and is treated like a hero. Joey deserves for his story to be told.”
My pulse pounded as I walked over to where Joey had been gunned down. Just being here made fire run through my veins as images of the Joey I knew and loved flashed through my mind.
He always came to my rescue growing up and stuck up for me more than my own sister. A smile touched my lips at the memory.
“Joey had two pistols on him, one at his waist and the other in a holster at his ankle. They were both registered in his name, but he didn’t have the proper carry permit.”
“You never told me that before.” My sister took a couple of steps toward me. “Why would he be so heavily armed?” She shook her head. “He delivered bouquets and chocolates.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.” I looked through the diamond weave of the chain-link fencing and watched the inky water move in a sweeping rhythm.
“Have you thought that maybe Joey was involved in something we didn’t know about?” she asked softly.
“Nothing warrants getting murdered.”
“I know,” my sister agreed. “But it might have put him in harm’s way, and the very same thing might put you in danger.”
“He had no arrest record, no criminal charges. Joey never even got a parking ticket.” I attempted to smile, but a scowl appeared instead.
“Doesn’t mean he didn’t do bad things.”
I swallowed a lump and cleared my throat.
That was not the Joey I knew. He was a kind soul with an even sweeter head on his shoulders. His father, our uncle, had shown him exactly what he never wanted to become. There was no way Joey would follow in his father’s footsteps. I forced my uncle out of my head and shivered at the baseless comparison.
“You’re getting yourself involved with very dangerous people.” Sadie lowered her voice and continued. “First, you’ll feed them information about somebody’s missing niece and then, you think you’ll just work your way into their family? And then what? You point your finger and say I know you killed my cousin?”
A few seconds of silence passed before I responded. I knew it would be hard for my sister to understand, but I didn’t expect her to be so cynical.
“Not at all.” I hugged myself against the increasing wind. “I plan on understanding how their family works, how their businesses work, and why their connections with politicians and law enforcement run so deep and have remained undetected. I want to paint an accurate picture of the Volkovs to the public. I want to tear back the façade and show people what a real mafia family is like. They’re protected by the system because the system is indebted to them. I want to know why. If I can find that out, I bet I can figure out why they killed Joey. It all ties together.”
“You think a story is worth dying for?” My sister’s brows shot up.
“It’s not the story. It’s uncovering who these people really are. Everyone in the city thinks they’re so charitable and own these successful businesses. Most would never guess what these men are capable of... what they do in the dead of night.”
“And you think you’re the one who should risk your life to expose them? Don’t you realize how crazy that sounds?” Anger nipped at her every word.
It had been a mistake to bring her here. I guess on some crazy level, I thought bringing her would ignite the same curiosity I had burning inside.
I was wrong.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made you come.” I shook my head. “I don’t want this to come between us.” I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll never see Jaxson again and this is all one big pipe dream anyway.”
“You know that’s not going to happen.” Her eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know he’s my only shot at getting inside.”
“And you’d be willing to sleep with the devil if that’s what it takes?” she asked flatly.
My body shivered, but I wasn’t sure it was because of her question.
More my answer.
I looked around the vacant property, not seeing anyone or anything, before bringing my gaze back to hers.
“I suppose I would.” I’d really only slept with men I’d had feelings for, so I wasn’t sure how that would even work out, but I could only handle one step at a time.
“If you say you’re doing this for Joey, I can’t imagine he’d be thrilled about that.”
“It’s not just for Joey. It’s for all the other countless victims the Volkovs have been involved in destroying.” I shook my head. “If you’d seen how easily Jaxson smacked that guy’s head against the counter at the bar and beat him up without flinching—”
“Right. And doesn’t that maybe worry you about your own future? Think about Mom and Dad. Think about me. I can’t imagine losing you.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
“I’m right?” she asked, surprised, just as another tremble ran through me.
And that’s when I saw him.
Jaxson Volkov was slowly walking our way. His stride was as grand as the rest of him.
“Elena, what’s wrong?” My sister turned around to follow my gaze and nearly gasped when she saw Jaxson.
I had no idea what I was about to tell this man, but it certainly wouldn’t be the truth.
“We need to get out of here,” she whispered.
“No. You need to get out of here,” I corrected. “Let me handle this.”
Noticing my hands were shaking, I slid them in the pockets of my jeans.
Jaxson: A Romantic Suspense (V Mafia Series Book 3) Page 7