Page 160 of Carrick
“I’m asking you to listen. There is someone here who wants to talk to you.”
I walked back over and set the phone down on the table in front of Quinn. My heart was pounding with stress and anticipation.
“O—okay? I, uh… I’ll listen. We just need to be quick. I don’t have much time.”
“I understand, Ray. Here is the person I want you to talk to.” I nodded to Quinn, who cleared his throat before speaking.
“Rayden Barrett. Hello. This is Quinn Mercado, detective with the Kansas City Police Department. I have been monitoring your situation as closely as possible, and I’m also the one responsible for getting Bellamy into protective custody after the Dom Krovi threatened her.”
The line was quiet for a moment.
“Thank you for keeping Bells safe.”
“Of course, sir. That’s my job.” Quinn glanced at Nikolai with a look of cautious hope, and threw him a tentative thumbs up. So far, so good.
“So… what do you want, Officer Mercado?” I could hear the edge in Rayden’s voice, the mistrust and confusion. He had no idea who he could trust, that much I could tell.
“Well, Rayden, we find ourselves in a unique position. I’ve been investigating Borovsky and the Dom Krovi for years, and we’ve never been able to get a mole planted anywhere in their organization. But now, it seems like we have an opportunity to gather valuable intel from someone with a vested interest in both staying alive and keeping their loved one safe.”
“You want me to be a snitch.” Rayden’s voice was harsh, guarded. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
“I’m asking you to help us take Borovsky and the entire organization down. That is the only way to make sure Bellamy stays safe. As long as you owe the Dom Krovi—and let’s face it, they’re never going to let you pay it back—Bellamy is in danger. You know this. You can’t save her by doing what you’re doing. You can’t save her by running. But if we can blow the whole thing up from the inside? That would mean safety for you and for her.”
The line was silent for a long time. Long enough, I worried that he’d just dropped the phone and left. But finally, he replied. “What do I need to do?”
Those six words detonated silently in the room, like a video of an explosion with the sound turned off. Jax pumped one fist by his side, smiling wide. Sully shot both fists straight up into the air as he stood and spun around in victory. Even Deacon, ever reserved, cracked a small smile. Nikolai just closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a breath he’d been holding.
Quinn held his hands up warningly to everyone and replied. “Nothing, at the moment. Keep this phone in a safe place, andkeep it turned off. Switch it on every evening at eleven pm, for ten minutes. If you don’t hear from me, send a text to this number letting us know you are safe, and turn it back off. If you learn anything of importance, anything that could tip us off to big events or dangerous situations, keep note of them, and let us know when we contact you.”
“I can try. I may not always be able to get to a safe place to check. We do a lot of work in the evenings, as you might guess.” His voice sounded stronger now, like just having a plan was giving him renewed purpose and hope.
“I understand. If we don’t hear from you for more than two nights in a row, we will assume you’ve been compromised and take further action. Hopefully, that won’t be necessary. Other than that, just stay safe, keep your head down, and don’t do anything to arouse suspicion.”
“Okay. I’ve gotta go now, or Sergei will get suspicious. I’m supposedly taking a shit.”
We all chuckled softly at that. I took the phone back for a moment.
“Please, stay safe, Ray. We’ll find a way out of this, I promise. I love you.”
“I love you too, sis. I’m… I’m sorry. For everything.”
“I know.”
And with that, the line disconnected.
No one spoke.
I just stood there for a moment, the phone still pressed to my palm like it might burn through my skin. My fingers ached from how tightly I’d gripped it. My jaw, too—locked through the whole thing, holding back everything that wanted to pour out. Relief. Rage. Grief. He was alive. He’d agreed. But the cost… God, I could feel it.
My brother was going to become a traitor in a world where traitors didn’t get second chances. He was choosing to stand onthe edge of something sharp and impossible—for me. Because I asked him to. I didn’t know if that made me brave or cruel.
Slowly, I looked around. The room hadn’t moved. Everyone still stood in the exact same position they had before the call. Quinn at the head of the table, fingers steepled beneath his chin. Niko in the doorway. Sully, seated once more, elbows on his knees, earlier excitement swallowed up by concern. Deacon near the window. Maddy, frozen just behind Carrick’s shoulder.
Jax, of course, was already analyzing something on his tablet, the glow reflecting in his glasses. Probably pulling up everything he could on Rayden’s new position. His new risk.
Carrick’s eyes were on me. Always on me.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
