Page 23 of Drifter
“As we know, Papa McGrath is bad news. His investment company is legit, but his personal investments are associated with some pretty nasty people. I tracked shit back and found that at one time, McGrath overextended himself and was in dire straits. The banks wouldn’t touch him, so he looked for alternative sources to get himself out of trouble. Kivo Volovich is old Russian money, and he made most of his fortune in drug trafficking. His accomplice in rising through the ranks is McGrath,” Orion began. “McGrath threw special parties that many politicians and corporate executives would attend. Little did these men know that although they were getting free entertainment, they were also being recorded. McGrath made it possible for Kivo to blackmail very powerful men into turning a blind eye to his sex-slave trade.”
“Where does the doctor fit into this?” I asked.
“He’s just a perv with the hots for your woman. He’s in a marriage he wishes he wasn’t in, and he wants a young thing to play with. He set his sights on Sasha. But that’s just an assumption on my part,” Orion replied.
“Not exactly!” Motown didn’t bother knocking but walked in in the middle of our conversation. He looked first at Hawk, then over to me. “Sorry to interrupt, but this is going to make more sense when I tell you what I found out.”
“Go on.” That came from Hawk.
“It took me this long to find someone to talk about McGrath and the doctor.” Motown sighs, shaking his head. I looked at the doctor’s old patient lists. He had high-end patients, including McGrath. The doctor had a nurse named Robin Parker. Robin Parker is dead. The cops called it suicide. Her husband says it’s utter bullshit. Robin came home one day and told her husband she heard some disturbing shit at the office. She went on to tell her husband, Bill, that McGrath told the doctor about Kivo, the sex trafficking, and the blackmail. McGrath was looking for a way to get out of it and went to his best friend for advice. A few days later, Robin told the doctor what she had overheard and that he needed to go to the police. Not a week later, she was killed in a hit-and-run,” Motown said, his jaw clenched with frustration.
“What else?” Hawk urged.
“Robin mentioned finding a recording of that conversation in the doctor’s drawer in his office. He told her it was the evidence he needed to send to the police. I suspect that the doctor is holding that as a bargaining chip to have McGrath sway his daughter to make appearances in the hope that he has the opportunity to get Sasha alone one more time. It also explains why McGrath took the doctor’s side when he attempted to rape her the first time.”
“Simon?” I asked.
Orion interrupted. “Simon is becoming a problem for his father. He won’t allow Sasha anywhere alone, and he doesn’t do dirty deals. He runs his father’s investment company clean. He’s savvy, smart, and wants out of the family business. He loves what he does, but can’t stand the way his father runs the company. His father continues to lead him on, dangling the carrot and telling him he’ll sign the business over when the board thinks he’s ready.”
“That’s why Sasha keeps telling her brother not to ruin his career,” I muttered.
Guard said, “What do you need, brother?”
“Not sure yet,” Hawk responded.
“Say the word and we’ve got your back,” Guard answered.
“We’ll formulate a plan and let you know.”
Once we disconnected the call, Motown, Hawk, and I decided to speak with Simon first and regroup.
I pulled myself together as Hawk and I walk back to the shop, where I find Sasha watching me as I approach. I try to hide my anger and frustration.
As I get closer, Sasha assesses my mood and purses her lips. I kiss her temple and whisper, “We’ll talk once I hear your brother out.” She nods, and I help her into the back seat of the SUV, next to Etain.
Hawk thought ahead, and when we arrive at the diner in the next town over, several of our men are waiting for us. Hawk sent them to scope out the place and make sure that we don’t have any unexpected visitors.
Shooter is leaning on his motorcycle. As soon as he sees us, he nods, letting us know that all is clear. Around the side of the building, I see Decker. I search the lot, but I don’t see Simon’s car.
I step out of the car and tell the others to wait for me to come and get them. The diner is busy with the lunch crowd. I search the room and see a man in a baseball cap who looks like Simon, with his head down. I texted Simon earlier and told him to make sure he’s not being followed. I guess he took my suggestion.
“Yo.” I keep my voice low so that only Simon hears me. His head jerks up. He looks relieved to see me. “I see you took precautions.”
“I don’t mess around with Sasha’s safety,” he replies. I had a good feeling about Simon from the start, and the more I speak with him, the more I like him. But he’s right, Sasha comes first. This means that I need to trust Simon, and I’m not completely convinced yet. Whether it be my army training or just the ugly shit I’ve seen over my life, trust is not something I give freely anymore.
I pull out a chair and sit across from him. Our eyes meet, and it’s clear he knows I’m skeptical. He holds firm but doesn’t say a word.
“Your sister is in the car. But before I bring her in, I want to see how committed you are about extracting Sasha from your father, and at the same time yourself,” I tell him.
“If you’ve found a way to do that, then I’m all in,” he replies, leaning forward. “What can I do?”
“Even if it means finding a way to get me into your father’s office?”
“Hell, I’ll get you into wherever the fuck you want,” he says, throwing out his hands.
“Your father is into some pretty bad shit. I haven’t had the chance to tell Sasha yet. He’s in deep with the Russian mob, bud. And Doc knows it. Your father is sacrificing your sister for his silence.”
His eyes grow wide, his jaw clenches, and the vein in his neck pops. “What the fuck!” he hisses.
