Chapter 41
-Logan-
The chapel door swung shut behind me, sealing us in.
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Talon and Jake took their seats while Viktor walked a slow circle around the table, studying the walls like he was recognizing old ghosts.
I made myself sit, even though every instinct told me to stay on my feet.
Without acknowledging us, Viktor pulled a phone out of his pocket. He dialed a number and spoke in Russian.
His words were sharp and clipped. He was giving orders, not making a request. He had taught me a little Russian when I was a kid, but I didn’t understand any of it now.
The tone made my spine tingle, though.
I glanced at Talon and Jake, but they were just staring at each other. Like they were having a conversation without words.
My leg bounced under the table. I was restless, but I forced myself to stay sitting. This wasn’t my place to speak, but damn if I didn’t want to.
Viktor ended his call with a final word that sounded like a threat. He slipped the phone back in his pocket and turned to face us.
“There,” he said simply. “My people are looking into Becker. They will find what we need.”
Talon exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “Good. That’s a start.”
Viktor turned to me. “Logan. You mentioned a female officer. One who helped Hailey. She works with Becker?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Officer Andrews. She kept Hailey out of a heap of shit. She’s… different.”
His eyes
locked on mine, and I felt like he was peeling back my skin to see inside. “Good,” he said, low and measured. “She may be useful.”
My old man leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “What’s the plan, Viktor? We just wait around for your people to dig up dirt?”
Viktor’s mouth twitched. “Precisely. Patience, Talon. These things cannot be rushed.”
Jake frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Becker’s gonna see this shit coming. The longer it takes—”
“Perhaps,” Viktor cut in. “But he is arrogant. Arrogant men make mistakes.”
I shifted in my chair. My leg was still bouncing under the table. “What about Monty?”
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Chapter 41
“Maverick will be dealt with. Becker’s leverage only works if we allow it.”
Dealt with? What the fuck did that mean? Killed? Freed? Broken out?
I glanced at Talon again, but he just gave me a subtle shake of his head.
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Viktor straightened up, adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket. “For now, do nothing. Stay out of Becker’s way. Let him think he has won.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I don’t like this. I don’t do waiting.”
Viktor narrowed his eyes at me. For a second I felt like a kid being scolded. “Do not interfere, Logan. I will handle this. What you can do, though, is have Hailey reach out to the female police officer. Ask her to come here for a chat.”
I didn’t think that would get us too far. But I nodded anyway.
Viktor finally pulled out a chair and sat down. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, and his sharp eyes swept over all of us.
“There is something else,” he started. “Something I have been keeping my eye on for… a few months. A new group of Russians. They have been moving into the area quietly, setting up their own operations. Business dealings. Nothing blatant, but it’s there. And it is growing.”
I felt my muscles tense. “Bullshit. We would know about it.”
Viktor scoffed. He actually scoffed at me. “They are just over one hundred miles from here. Do you have eyes that far?”
“Absolutely,” I said, leaning in. “Which direction?”
“South. Tennessee.”
Shit. The one direction we didn’t have brothers nearby.
“They are not like us,” Viktor continued, smug. Turning back to Talon and Jake. “They are… untethered. Dangerous. I’ve been tracking their movements, their associations. They are careful, but they are ambitious… too ambitious. I was planning to bring this to the club’s attention soon. But now…”
Talon rand a hand over his face. “You think Becker could be tied to them?”
Viktor’s mouth pressed into a line. “No. This is a separate issue.”
Jake leaned back in his chair, his face grim. “So… what? We’re supposed to take on Becker and these new Russians at the same time? We’re stretched thin as it is.”
Viktor looked down at his hands. I could see the gears turning in his head. “We do not take them on. Not yet. We watch. We learn. And when the time is right, we act. But for now, we stay focused on Becker. He is the immediate threat.”
I clenched my jaw. The restlessness hit me again. “So we just sit here and wait. While they come at us from
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Chapter 41
both ends.”
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Viktor’s gaze snapped to me, cold and unyielding. “Patience, Logan. You must learn it. Have I taught you nothing? Acting impulsively will only make things worse.”
I wanted to argue. But I kept my mouth shut, biting hard on the inside of my cheek.
Jake exhaled heavy. “Alright. So we stick to the plan. No rash moves. But Viktor, if you know somethin‘ about these Russians — something we need to know you tell us. No more surprises.”
–
Viktor nodded. “You will know what you need to know, when you need to know it.”
I ground my teeth. The words were like needles under my skin. I hated this. The waiting, the uncertainty. But I knew better than to push Viktor. He wasn’t the kind of man you argued with.
I tried to change my tactic. “So, Viktor… you gonna tell us where you been? Why you disappeared without a word?”
He looked straight at me, and I watched him hesitate. Probably for the first time in my life.
“No… Not yet.”
The silence was suffocating. His eyes stayed on me like he was waiting for me to say something else. But I didn’t. I clenched my fists and kept my damn mouth shut. For now.
Talon broke the silence. “Alright, Viktor. We’ll play it your way. But if this blows up in our faces-”
“It won’t,” Viktor said, his voice low and final. “If you trust me.”
I wanted to. Hell, I *did* trust him. But the waiting? The sitting around while Becker and these new Russians were circling like vultures? It made my skin crawl.
I wasn’t built for patience. I was built for action.
Jake leaned back in his chair. “What about Hailey? Officer Andrews? What’s the angle there?”
Viktor stood, smoothing his suit and straightening his cufflinks. “Officer Andrews seems… sympathetic. She may be willing to assist us. Or, at the very least, provide information.”
I frowned, my leg bouncing under the table again. “She’s a cop, Viktor. She’s not gonna flip on Becker just ‘cause we ask nicely. She only helped Hailey ‘cause her ex was an abusive asshole.”
Viktor’s mouth twitched. Almost a smirk. “Not everything is about force, Logan. Sometimes, persuasion comes in subtler forms.”
Subtlety wasn’t exactly in my nature, either. But I nodded. If he thought Andrews could be useful, I wasn’t gonna argue. Not yet, at least.
Viktor nodded. “It was very good to see you all. I apologize for being away so long. I will be in touch with any
news.”
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Chapter 41
He turned and left the room without another word.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
