Page 55 of How Much For a Life of Lies?

“What?” Pretty fuck boy? That was a new one? Yuri rolled his eyes then turned sharply and strode toward the ’korsky. Something about Yuri didn’t sit right. He’d confronted Kozlov and survived, and our intel revealed that people who defied Kozlov usually disappeared.

“Wait a fucking minute,” I snapped, as I followed him like some kind of lapdog. “Hold. Up!” I grabbed at his arm, and all that tension in him spun at me and he had me pushed against a tree in an instant. “What the fuck was that?”

He released me. “Family,” he said and then carried on to the ’korsky, his strides long. I caught up to him and this time, when I gripped him, he stopped dead.

“Your family?”

Yuri sneered.

Welp. Interesting turn of events. Potential rebellious family member, Kozlov the murdering oligarch, and millions of dollars in drugs. How much did Yuri know about the drugs and the mines, and exactly how deep was he embroiled? We could take out Kozlov with extreme prejudice and still have an inside source to pump for information. I added Yuri to my list and knew that Zach would cream himself over this new development.

I just had to make it back to him to tell him.

Oh, and to have that damn talk.

TWENTY-TWO

Zach

“Play it again,” Luca demanded, hunched in front of the laptop.

“What do you see?” The camera was behind the mayor, and all I could see was his stiff shoulders—a mayor on the edge—and Indigo opposite, laying a warning on him about his town. That was bad enough, but Luca had a sixth sense for what people really meant, and he was narrow-eyed and focused.

As the surveillance footage from their meeting played out on the screen, I analyzed each moment of the tense exchange between Indigo and the mayor. Their voices echoed through the room, filling the space with a combination of her threats and his apologies.

Indigo leaned forward, her gaze piercing as she fixed the mayor with an inscrutable stare. “You understand the stakes here, Mayor,” she murmured, her tone deceptively calm. “Your town is a valuable asset for our network and is rewarded as such, but we need your cooperation to ensure that things run smoothly. What happened with the sheriff getting involved in our business needs to be dealt with.”

“He was merely dealing with a bar fight.”

“Asking questions of my men,” Indigo corrected.

Mayor Thomas shifted in his seat, the lines of worry etched deep into his brow. “He knows what he did. He won’t do it again.”

“You’re right. He won’t.”

“Wait, you don’t have to hurt him.”

“Sometimes it’s the only way,” Indigo offered and sat back in her chair. She was flanked by two guards who were taking their role of intimidation seriously: looming over her like a brick wall, both armed to the hilt.

“Sheriff Allinson is a family man. He didn’t realize the bar fight was with one of your men.”

“So, the sheriff doesn’t know what’s happening in his own town?” She sounded as if she was having a gentle chat about the weather.

“Of course he does, but after you dumped a man dead in the road, the town is restless, and the sheriff was concerned that?—”

“I’m not interested in excuses.”

“I’ve done everything you’ve asked,” the mayor replied, his voice tinged with a note of desperation. “But I can’t keep covering for you if things go south or if you hurt more people. My constituents are scared, and I can’t afford to lose their trust.”

Indigo’s lips curved into a predatory smile. “I’m well aware of the pressure you’re under, Mayor,” she said, her voice dripping with menace. “But, as long as you keep your sheriff under control and continue to play ball, your town will remain under our protection.”

The mayor’s shoulders slumped, his resolve crumbling under the weight of Indigo’s threats. “I’ll do what I can to keep things under control,” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “But you must understand, I can’t keep this up forever. Eventually, people will ask questions, and I won’t be able to cover for you anymore.”

Indigo’s expression hardened, her features carved from stone as she leaned back in her chair. “I suggest you make it work, Mayor,” she snapped, her patience clearly wearing thin. “Because if you can’t keep your sheriff or the rest of your shithole town in line, we’ll find someone who can.”

The mayor tensed again. “I’ll do my best,” he muttered, his voice tinged with resignation. “But you have to promise me, none of your guys start fights in our bars. I can’t handle any more curveballs.”

“Actions speak louder than words,” Indigo snarled. “If you fail to control your town, I’m here to tell you there will be consequences.”

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