Page 29 of Unexpected Redemption

If he feels like talking, that is.

For years, Yuri has maintained that he’s no longer involved with Lenkov’s disgusting criminal activities. He claims he’s making his way as an honest strip club owner. Let’s assume that’s a real thing. We all know he plays both sides, even if he refuses to admit it. There’s no other explanation for how he always seems to know what Lenkov is up to. He’s also often aware of other illegal shit happening locally. He’s come in handy for us as an intel source on multiple occasions through the years. Let’s hope that streak continues now when we need him most.

As much as I wanted to take part in an info extraction with Yuri, I opted to stay with sugar bear at home. Our last few nights have been special. When presented with the option of pumping a former mafia shitfuck for intel or watching a movie while cuddling with Lettie, the choice was easy.

“I assume he didn’t give you Yev’s location, or else you’d have called me last night.” I hold my hand out in front of me.“Correction. Whomever your designated driver was would have called me.”

A wry smile tickles one corner of his mouth. “Jonesy went with me and not as my driver. I didn’t touch a drop of Yuri’s fucking firewater.”

Yuri likes his theatrics and fucking with Shep, so he only answers one question per shot. We play along because Yuri typically provides solid intel. We’ve taken to recording the audio because Shep can’t always remember what they discussed, thanks to the aforementioned one-shot-per-question policy.

Fucking Russians.

Reacting to this interesting development, my jaw drops, and I lean forward. “No drinking? And yet Yuri spoke to you?”

Shep’s eyes narrow with menace. Now that I look closer, they aren’t bloodshot like they’d normally be after a meeting with Yuri. “Jonesy and I didn’t really give him much choice in the matter.”

Odd.

“You interrogated him with forcein his club?”

A potpourri of condescension and amusement wafts across his desk at me. “You all right, man? Considering the last time we went into the club, we jumped his goon, beat him to a pulp, and locked him in a closet, we didn’t expect they’d let us inside.”

“Duh.” Internally, I throat punch myself for my stupidity. “How did you get him?”

“We nabbed him on his way out after closing time.”

“Did he have muscle with him? Surely, he’s replaced Yev by now.”

Not that one or even two of Yuri’s guards would be a match for Shep and Jonesy, but I’m curious.

“Jonesy knocked the new goon out while I grabbed the wrinkled, no-good cocksucker and shoved him in the SUV. Evenour dust cloud was gone by the time his guard knew what hit him.”

Shaking off the superfluous details, I redirect us to why I came into his office this morning. “All right. Talk to me. What did you learn that we can use to find Yev or stop Lenkov?”

Shep rubs his palm over his scalp punishingly, dragging it from the back of his head to the crown. “Not fucking much. More of his riddles. Then he shut down and stopped talking. It was either kill him or let him go. Didn’t feel like murder just yet. Not until we figure out whether his story is helpful.”

Frustration twists through my upper back muscles, making my shoulders tight and achy. After a deep breath, I roll my neck and snap out, “Elaborate, please. I have fifteen thousand other things to do. If he didn’t give up anything useful, I need to move on.”

“Easy, bud.” Shep waves his palms at me. “We got something. Problem is, I’m unsure what it means. He was even more theatrical this time.”

“Any day now,” I quip, only it’s not quite sarcasm. I’m losing my fucking cool.

All the orgasms in the world with my sugar bear can’t quell the rising tide of frustration. When I’m with her, nothing else matters. Beingwithouther is a different story, and the gnawing need for vengeance still eats away at my insides.

Perhaps that’s another reason I’ve opted to spend my evenings with her rather than working into the night like I once did. The escape she provides is an unmatched high.

My phone signals a text from her right as Shep starts to speak.Interesting timing. Did she know my thoughts had returned to her?

Pulling out my cell, I cut him off. “Hang on, Shep. Give me a second.”

Sugar bear:

Where are you? I need to ask you something important.

Me:

Shep’s office. Same hallway as my lair.

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