Page 38 of Signed, SEALed, Delivered

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Zach

My nine thirty was late, which was pissing me the fuck off as I had squeezed him into my schedule. At this point, he would be lucky if I didn’t toss him out on his ass. When Kennedy came in earlier this morning, I thought for a second I would get a few minutes alone to satisfy some fantasies I had involving her and my chair. She doused any thoughts of us getting naked by telling me about Ethan.

From the first mention of his name, I’ve had an ear to the ground where he is concerned. She doesn’t know I have cleaned up several crushed flowers outside of the shop out back. I have Ethan on surveillance, pacing back and forth mumbling before tossing the flowers to the ground. There is no point in calling the cops, pacing and throwing flowers isn’t a crime.

I kick my feet up on the edge of the counter and cross at my ankles as the shop phone rings. Reaching over to grab the handset, I take just a moment to think this had better not be my nine thirty.

“Second Skin?”

“Viper?”

“Hey, Diesel.” Some habits die-hard as the name gets my attention quicker than the one my parents put on my birth certificate.

“I tried your cell, but it went to voicemail.” Checking my pockets, but coming up empty. I remember getting Jason’s text as I made coffee, but I must have left it on the counter.

“It’s cool, must be important if you’ve gone to the trouble of tracking me down.”

“Well, I think it is. You recall the files we found with your information on them?”How could I forget? It gave me the bright smile and soft skin of the girl driving me crazy at the moment.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, the bitch who orchestrated it, got herself in deep with a man not to be messed with.”

“Who?”

“Andrey Korin, a Russian mobster.”

“Can’t say as I’ve ever heard of him.” Scanning my memory, I came up empty, which bothered me for some reason. “But you did say Russian, so not much has surfaced in the last few years.”

“You would know him as Drew Korin, he took over after his father was killed in an accident. Rumors flew around somehow Aarash was involved.”

Like a snap of my finger, the name finally registered. “Wait, wasn’t this the family whose mother and daughter died in a car crash?”

“One in the same. Victor Utkin was driving, killed the wife and daughter of Korin, and the wife and daughter of his right hand man, Petrov.”

“Any mumbling in the trenches?”

“Not really.”

“What do you mean, not really? It’s either yes or no.” Diesel knew the first thing I would want to know is if there was anyone bragging about pulling some shit.

“Wow, if I didn't know better, I’d say a pretty hand has you by the short hairs.”

There was no point in denying it, given the uncertainty of this Ethan fuck; I may need some recon done. “She is gorgeous, and I plan to keep her away from the prying eyes of Aarash.”

“Wait, what?”

“Right after you called me about the file you found, I got a letter from a girl here in Atlanta. She had been scammed by this Virginia, posing as this douche bag with a name similar to mine. We traded emails back and forth, and now she owns my fucking ass. She’s cooperating with the feds on this case, just waiting for word on a court date.”

“Which brings me to the reason for my call.” I sit up in my chair, placing my feet on the floor, as if what he is about to share would need me to be more alert.

“There isn't going to be any trial.”

“What the fuck?”

“Calm down, Viper. It isn't what you think, no loopholes were involved.” Diesel knew my hatred for fast talking lawyers, and slick politicians. I’ve stared down the barrel of too many guns where the man on the other side laughed as those loopholes set him free.

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