Page 36 of Silent Comrade
“Kiera?” she whispered. Those teary eyesswam on her pale face.
“She’s safe.” Barely.
His hand clenched and opened, grasping animaginary weapon. He wanted to fight the shadows coming for her. Healso wanted to hold her, to soften the blows of his words. However,she deserved to know the truth. “Lequire’s crime wasn’t only thediverting of charity funds or your brother’s death. His father, thegreat Senator Lequire, is involved. Beau Lequire helped plump uphis daddy’s campaign pocketbook even more by cultivating a closeand lucrative relationship with Russian cartels.”
“Cartels? Russians? Undercover missions? Forreal, this truly is like every Netflix series rolled into one. It’sgot to be a joke.” Still, she glanced around and bit her lowerlip.
Red shook his head. “All true. Lequireimports bad drugs. One in particular, Krokodil, is instantlyaddictive. Great for creating return customers. If that drug getslegs in this country, Lequire will ruin millions of lives, in thename of power and profit.”
Britt paused. “I’m guessing if word of allthe veteran-robbing and Russian drug-dealing came out, that wouldbe terrible for Senator Lequire’s political career, since hisplatform is tied to Fallen Comrades.” Britt rubbed herforearms.
“Exactly. Also, his committee work in theSenate depends on his military connections.” He pressed a palm intothe couch cushion. For now, the sound registered as a sour,disappointed creak of old springs. “Public knowledge of his son’sties with Bratva would undermine his reelection bid.”
“Bratva?”
“Russian mob.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, rubbingher temples. Her lime-green nails were chipped and torn. Then shetook a breath and pinned him with a clear, direct gaze that heldhim in place more surely than handcuffs or prison bars. This smallwoman had total control over a highly trained Morpheus Squad teammember and she didn’t even know it.
“Explain exactly how all of this involvesme. And you. Those men?”
Skirting around the deepest secret Red had,he gave her the only information he could. “After Lequire blew up ahouse to kill Mateo, he tried to reach Kiera.”
A gasp. “Is she okay?”
He turned sideways, bent a knee on thecushion, faced her squarely, and took her hand. He stroked the backof her delicate wrist with his thumb. The fine bones and smoothnessof her skin beneath his callused finger reinforced why he was here.“Yes, she’s safe now.”
“But?”
“No buts.” A couple of glaring omissions,but the full story wasn’t Red’s to tell. Couldn’t tell it withoutrisking his teammates’ freedom and very existence. “Kiera is aliability not only for Lequire’s business empire, and for hisstrong desire not to go to prison. But also his father’s entirepolitical career is at stake. In short, Beau Lequire and hisSenator daddy desperately need Kiera’s silence and will do anythingto get it.”
“Crap.”
He pressed a finger to her radial pulse. Tooquick. Her shoulders heaved rapidly, pink jumper fabric moving upand down. “Britt. Lequire won’t find Kiera. She’s hidden in asecure location. But he can try to get to her in other ways.”
“Through her family.”
“Exactly.”
Her brows shot up. “Reagan? Dad?”
“They have people like me looking afterthem.” There was suspicious activity involving Reagan in the SmokyMountains, but Red didn’t want to add more worry.
“One of your … people … is with each ofthem?”
Sitting up straighter, he projectedconfidence. “Yes.”
She tugged her hand away and rubbed thebruises on her neck. “Are they doing a better protection job thanyou are?”
Slumping against the back of the couch withan exhalation of air, he muttered, “Ouch. You’re blunt.”
A shrug.
He rubbed his jaw, like doing so would brushoff the irritation.
“So, you’re here right now because Kierais”—she waved her hand in theair—“somewhere else and safe. Lequirestill wants her. So the bad guys are coming for me. Because if theyhave me, then maybe they’ll get her.”
“That’s right.” So many missing details.Later. He’d add them when he could.
