Page 158 of Unexpected Heroine

Fuck this.

“Let me know if you have any questions about those. I’ve got a few more stops to make tonight.”

“Oh, for shite’s sake, you two.” Sue huffs, then quirks her neck to cut a wide-eyed glare at her husband. “Talk to him already. This is dumb. Tell him what you did. I’m going inside, but I’ll be back.” Before departing, she faces me. “I have something for you, so don’t leave until I return.”

Heaving a deep sigh, I close my eyes, reopening them when I hear the crunch of Leo’s boots stepping on the seeds from the palm trees lining his driveway. He leans against the side of my car, crossing his feet at the ankles.

Guess it’s time for another chat. Excellent. I need that like I need another hole in my head.

Fuck you, Sawyer, for sending me here.

“I got a call from Mia the other night,” Leo starts, dragging out the words.

“About?”

“As I understood it, there was some concern about that douche nozzle Davidov.”

My head sags to the side, and I narrow my gaze at him. “He’s in CPD custody.”

“This was the night before the transfer happened.”

Mentally, I rewind the last few days. Ah. He must be referring to the night Mia and I discussed losing the opportunity to interrogate Davidov once Lettie gave her police statement.

I don’t speak, not wanting to lead Leo anywhere or to confess to something he doesn’t know about.

Does he plan to dress me down for going against Boss’s don’t touch decree? I wouldn’t have pegged Mia for a rat, so I doubt it. Besides, it’s unlike Leo to discipline me. He’s not my superior. Neither officially nor informally.

Sure, the guards would consider him a leader of sorts. He’s Big Al’s protege, most likely to take over when Boss retires. Writing is on the wall there. Not that you’ll find an objection from me. I certainly don’t want to run the fucking company. I’m happier in my lair, where I’m mostly left alone.

Happier being a relative term.

For a time, I knew happiness. Those days are long gone now.

He finally continues. “Well, I sent a mutual friend to pay him a visit that night since you were otherwise occupied.”

“A friend?”

A wry smile spreads, barely concealed by his beard. “Two friends, actually. Four fists. Some rope. Probably a knife. Jumper cables, maybe. Not sure what else.”

He had my attention before, but now he’s really fucking got it. “Spit it out, Lionheart,” I snap, no venom in my tone. Only a hurried curiosity.

Adjusting his body position, he faces me, slinging his big arm over the top of my vehicle and setting down the padded envelope I delivered. “Mia was concerned that we were about to lose our chance to get usable intel from him. Given the leak on the trafficking task force, neither of us wanted to let him go without seeing if he would be a bit more forthcoming than when Boss and I talked to him previously.”

“Was he?”

“Not at first, but our friends were very convincing.”

My lip quirks. “Who’d you send?”

“Jonesy and Aaron. They wanted a little face time with our Russian friend to discuss where he’d been taking innocent girls. Particularly since they’d seen the conditions first-hand.”

Despite my gut souring and bile rising in my throat, I’m perfectly stoic. “What did they find out?”

“Safe house location for three of the traffickers who were there the night of the raid. They had a hideout where they were supposed to go if shit went sideways.”

“Really?”

He nods and continues. “Plus, he told us who recruited him into the trafficking ring. What he was paid, and how. Now, you can get some digital trails on that shit.”

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