Page 98 of Eternal
Kat leans in, eyes scanning the papers with interest. “Alright, walk me through it.”
I press a finger to one of the images. Some grainy footage from a gas station security camera. “Two weeks ago, he was here. Late at night, alone. He paid in cash, bought a cheap burner phone, and left.”
I slide another paper on top of it. “Four days later, different place, same habit. Cash, alone, no security. He’s careful, but not careful enough.”
Kat tilts her head. “And the weekends?”
“That’s where it gets interesting.” I tap a third document, and it’s a transaction record. “Friday and Saturday nights, he’s always somewhere. No pattern in the location, but it’s always expensive. High-end hotels, private clubs, places with security.”
“So, he still likes luxury,” she muses.
“Yep. And he doesn’t just spend money, he spends it where people recognize him.”
Kat exhales through her nose, shaking her head. “Men and their egos.” She grins. “Present company excluded, of course.”
I roll my eyes and push the last paper forward. “This is from last weekend. He was at an exclusive lounge in Vegas. The weekend before, a yacht party hosted by some middle-tier arms dealers.”
Her fingers drum against her cup. “And this weekend?”
I hesitate.
I don’t have it yet.
“The next logical step is another place where special money parties are. Like a casino,” I say, shifting slightly. “He’s been spending time with people who still have power. He’s trying to prove he’s still worth something.”
That means gambling.”
“Bratva and Cosa Nostra casinos are out from here, the Lebanese are with the Zennites, and they’d have no business going after us,” I continued, rubbing my thumb over the journal’s cover. “That leaves…”
She exhales through her nose, already thinking. But I already know.
“The Turkish Mafia,” I say. “Big enough in the city to run these illegal games. And not reckless enough to be a disturbance to brave the Bratva.”
She whistles low. “Bold choice. I feel like you already have an idea of what he’s been into for years. You have that ‘I know’ look on your face.”
I close the journal and lean back. “If he’s playing in their house, it means two things. One, he’s either paying them for protection or trying to make himself useful to them, which also means the casino might be a hub for laundering money. Andtwo?—”
“He’s betting high.” Kat grins, setting her cup down. “And he’ll be in one place for hours.”
My lips twitch slightly. “Exactly.”
She nudges my shoulder. “You’re getting excited.”
“Dying from excitement.”
And she’s not wrong. This is the closest I’ve been in months.
By tomorrow, I’ll know exactly where to find him.
But before I can revel in that thought, Katarina’s voice cuts through it. “Too bad you’re still recovering and can’t go there alone, right?” She drags the words out, already enjoying herself.
I exhale sharply. “It’s been two weeks, and if I stay one more day, I will genuinely start sniping people from my balcony.”
She barks out a laugh. “Psycho. You need to relax. Plus, tonight is dinner with Vik. You haven’t seen him in so long, you’ll see, it’ll cheer you up. Or, at the very least, he might bully you into staying here for another week.”
I shake my head frantically. “I hate you two sometimes.”
She laughs before kissing my cheek and getting back up to make sure the food isn’t burning.
