Page 51 of Absolute Valor

Getting her to toss out anything Portia had filled her head with wouldn’t be easy, but if I can wait days in the scorching desert heat for one man to make a move, I can do anything.

“Hey, Dylan, I’m going to head out for a little while.” I walked around the corner, pocketing my phone and keys.

Dylan is sitting at Audrey’s desk, the phone once again against his ear, his face is pensive as his hand is raised high in the air asking me to stop. Priscilla is wearing a worried look on her face, her eyes fixed on Dylan. “Hey, thanks for calling me. I’ll let everyone know.”

I can feel it in my gut, something bad has happened. Please, God, don’t let anything have happened to my Audrey or Grace. I pray internally. Dylan looks through the window over Audrey’s desk. Not much is out there, but she loves to have the natural light over her desk instead of a lamp.

“Dylan?” Momma coaches.

He turns to look at her, a worn and tired look on his face. “Sorry, just a lot to absorb.” Removing his boots from the desk, turning so his entire body is facing the two of us. “That was Preston,” he stops, and I’m confused as the only Preston I know works for Daddy and is up north in law school. “He’s been doing some interning with the Feds as part of one of his classes. Yesterday, he was called into the office to see how the transfer of prisoner from state to federal custody is done.” Dylan shakes his head, the areas between his brows pinched into a deep wrinkle.

“Long story short, this morning while the paperwork was being signed and the prisoner was being placed in shackles for transport, a fight broke out in the processing room between two rival gang members. Before the situation could be contained, one of the inmates, Boris Agron, smashed into the federal prisoner, trapping her against a metal bar that bolted the holding seat to the floor. She, Virginia Greyson, was strangled to death.”

Austin, who had been quiet since telling me about Audrey, turned back to the computer, his fingers flying across the keys. “Agron, Agron, Agron.” He chants as if trying to trigger a memory. “Mother—” He stops short, looking briefly at momma, who is shaking her head as she crosses her arms. “Boris Agron, a known member of the Kumarin crime family.” Spinning around in his chair, he points his index finger in Dylan’s direction. “You were on to something when you assumed Virginia was selling stolen credit cards to the Mafia. Andrey Kumarin, the eldest son, and next in line to lead the family, was recently spotted at a hockey game in Detroit. While it isn’t illegal to watch the sport, certain Federal officials were questioning his presence here in the states. If I had to guess, he and Virginia were working together, he assumed she would tell his family business to save her own ass, so he had his cronies shut her mouth…permanently.”

Dylan and I stare at one another, silently agreeing this had to be handled immediately. Audrey needed to know she doesn’t have to worry about Ginny getting out of jail and coming after her, or testify against her in court. For Audrey, this nightmare is over. As for the Russian dude, that would be a story for another time, something we wouldn’t bring up around the ladies.

Walking to where momma is seated, I kissed her gently on the side of her head. “I’ll see you at rehearsal dinner, I love you.” I assured her. I needed to get to Audrey, straighten out this mess and give her a sense of relief.

“Dylan, I will tell Audrey and see you later at your party.” He nodded, and then opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but changed his mind and waves me off.

“Chase,” Priscilla calls in her gentle tone. “When words fail us, music steps in to tell the story without confusion.”

“I don’t recall granddaddy ever sayin’ that one.”

“He didn’t, but I’m cut from the same cloth, just as you and your brothers are. Go find your words and bring her back.”

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