Sinclair was right. Like a group of sadists, the Russians swept in quietly to admire their work. While I can identify only Vlad and his father, the team of undercover agents weaving themselves into this impressive crowd have no doubt taken candid snaps and will have every last one of them identified shortly.
Even Warner is here, in his role as Jack. Just a sympathetic brother who heard what happened and wanted to lend his support to his sister, should Luke notice. He hasn’t, now too occupied with staring at his feet and taking deep breaths. Basically doing everything he can to heed my advice, because he knows I’m right.
“Luke.” That odd accent fills my ear as Aref appears behind us, dressed as sharply as always, clasping his hand. “Do not hesitate to call if you need anything at all. From either Elmira or me.” Like a black shadow, the tiny woman appears from behind him to stretch onto her tiptoes and plant a kiss on Luke’s cheek. “We’ll keep your family and Rust in our prayers,” she coos. And then obsidian eyes shift to meet mine. She closes in for a hug. “Luke will not forget all that you’ve done for him.”
I want to pin this little woman down, slap handcuffs on her, and drag her into a room where I can pull the answers out of her silver-tongued mouth.
But I smile instead. I’ll have my chance.
Wave after wave of people pass by, paying their respects to the nephew of a “kind and generous man.” Luke does well, nodding and offering tight-lipped smiles to them all. But the way he’s leaning into me and the pallor of his skin tells me he’s overwhelmed.
And finally, it happens. The tattooed knuckles of Vlad Bragin reach out. “I’m sorry that my last words with your uncle were ones of anger,” he says. Nothing about him—his stance, his expression, the way he locks eyes with Luke and holds it for five long seconds—says that he’s sorry at all.
Luke’s jaw tightens, his hand around my waist squeezes, and I’m afraid he’s going to start uttering threats and accusations. But then he simply nods.
The rest of the line passes, and I keep my vigil next to him, the stoic girlfriend, while my eyes trail Vlad weaving around the various intimate groups. The rain has stopped and people are already lowering their umbrellas, making it easier to read all the faces.
Certainly easier for the various FBI agents scrambling to salvage a case that may have been buried with the body of Rust Markov.
Or perhaps wasn’t.
Vlad passes Aref and slows, exchanging a few brief words and a handshake, before moving on. I expect him to rejoin his father and duck into his car now, but he doesn’t. He veers off slightly, stopping in front of a burly garage manager whose face is tightening with anxiety with each passing second.
Miller takes two steps away from the girl in the wheelchair to receive whatever Vlad leans in to say in his ear. It’s quick, but it’s clearly impactful, because Miller’s face pales. He nods as Vlad walks away, staring vacantly at the casket that waits to be lowered for a few long minutes before stepping back to his family.
Smiling down at them as worry and fear and guilt fills his face and his shoulders seem to sink. Smiling like a father who loves his family, who will do anything for them.
And it clicks.
A quick glance up at Luke tells me he didn’t see it, too busy trying to get through the last of the Russian mafia. A glance over at Warner tells me he did. He’s already moving away from the crowd, punching numbers into his phone.
“Rain?”
I peel my hyperalert focus away from him and give it back to Luke. “Sorry, yeah?”
“We’re going to order some dinner back at my mom’s.” He nods over to his mom and Ana, standing next to Jesse. Alex didn’t come. I wonder if it’s because she’d rather remain hidden. “Do you want to come?” His eyes beg me.
“Yeah. Of course.”
He sighs, relieved, leaning in to kiss me softly. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, for us. Honestly. I . . .” He stalls, faltering over the next word, his mouth poised to utter words that I fear will both swell and break my heart.
“Rain?” Warner interrupts the disastrous situation.
Luke looks past me, his brow furrowing.
“Not sure if you remember me. Jack, Rain’s brother.” Warner sticks his hand out. “Rain told me what happened. I’m sorry for your loss.” Eyes back on me. “And I’m sorry to do this but we’ve got to go. Dad’s surgery was this morning.” His eyebrow spikes in that knowing way.
I feel sick to my stomach. Because I know what that look means.
Sinclair’s made the call.
He thinks he’s found his break.
“Oh . . . right.” Luke gives his head a slight shake. “I’m so sorry. With everything else going on, I completely forgot. I hope everything’s okay?” Just like that, he believes me. He trusts me.
No . . . Not yet. I close my eyes as the moment I’ve been dreading is finally here. This is it for Luke and me. In a few hours, he’s going to know everything. He thought this was bad? Everything is about to get a whole lot worse.
“You’ll call me? Let me know how things are?” he asks, cupping my cheek with all the affection of a boy in love.
A lump forms in my throat. “Give us a minute, Jack?”
The hardness in Warner’s eyes fades for a fleeting second. He nods once and moves away. On his phone again. Making plans for the systematic destruction of Luke’s entire life.
This is my job . . . this is why I’m here.
And Luke does deserve this for his part in crimes that hurt others.
I wish I believed that. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel like I’ve led a young lamb into a mountain lion’s den.
I started out wanting to bury every last person who was involved with Wayne Billings’s murder in the name of a red Ford truck. I still feel that way. But at some point, I allowed myself to care.
Maybe even to fall in love.
Maybe that’s why I can’t resist this overwhelming urge to stop Sinclair from stretching Luke’s neck out on a chopping block.
“It’ll be fine. Your dad will be fine. Okay?” He wraps his arms around my body, cradling me in warmth. I absorb the last small amount of comfort I’m ever going to feel from them while I curl my arms up in between us, sliding over his chest, taking in those curves.
My fingers reach for my pendant and switch the wire off. “Luke, I need you to listen to me carefully. Everything you’ve ever told me about Rust, the car stuff, everything, stays between you and me, okay?”
A frown flickers across his forehead. “Yeah, of course.”
“No . . . no matter who asks you. You don’t know anything, got it?”
I spot Warner’s head pop up in my peripheral vision, aimed my way, a deep frown marring his face. Surveillance has let him know that the wire is off. I squeeze tight against Luke’s body and whisper, “You’ll get through this, I promise.”
“Ready to go?” Warner made quick time back.
“Yeah.” I pull away from Luke and smile. “I’ll call you later.”
I feel Luke’s eyes on us as we make our way to Warner’s undercover car.
“Surveillance lost you for a second,” Warner states, matter-of-factly.
“I guess it must have gone off when he hugged me.” I hear the bitterness in my voice, and pull out my sunglasses to cover the tears forming in my eyes.
