Hard Bastard(17)

We stepped inside and I sensed Boris tighten up next to me. I didn’t recognize the cop sitting at the front desk, but I could tell that Boris did.

“Bad news,” Boris whispered. “This guy is a dick.”

I nodded as we approached him. The cop looked up and sighed. “You again,” he said to Boris.

“I’m back.” He hefted the bag up. “I brought some goodies for the boys.”

The cop scowled. He was young with a square jaw and a buzz cut. He looked like a failed Marine or like he watched too much fucking football.

“What is it?”

“You know what it is,” I said, cutting in.

He looked at me. “And who are you?”

“I’m Boris’s associate. Is your Sergeant in tonight?”

“He’s not here, we got a call.” The cop stared daggers at me. “So you think you can just walk in here and drop a bribe off, huh?”

“Pretty much,” I said.

The cop got up, clearly pissed. “That shit doesn’t fly anymore.” He had a wicked grin on his face. “We’re coming for you people. We’re coming for you hard.”

I blinked, surprised at that. I grabbed Boris by the elbow and steered him back toward the entrance. We left fast, climbing back into the car.

“What did he mean by that shit?” Boris asked. “He didn’t even ask how much we had.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” I said, and headed back toward Alex’s place. “I need a second to think.”

That wasn’t the worst case scenario, but it was pretty fucking foreboding. I didn’t know what he meant when he said they were coming for us, but I could pretty easily guess.

They were cracking down on organized crime, and the Russian mob was right in their crosshairs. The fucking bitches thought they could come hard at us, but they were fucking mistaken.

Still, I had to get this information back to Alex. We drove fast and Boris kept his damn mouth shut for once.

This could be very bad for the mob. Things weren’t good for business lately. The drug trade was down and some Mexican cartels had been moving into our turf lately, spilling over the border and slowly coming up the coast. They were tough motherfuckers, although we could take them if the cops would stay back. But with the cops in our business, things could get pretty damn messy.

I sighed, shaking my head. What a time to get involved with a girl on the other side of shit. I didn’t know exactly what Sadie did for the law, but I assumed it wasn’t great for me and my people.

That didn’t matter. This whole thing just made me realize one important and simple fact: I needed her, and I was going to take her.





Chapter 7





Sadie





I was just getting into bed when my phone rang. It was late and I was having a hard time not thinking about Gage. I had a hearing in the morning for Evgeni, and I’d already been out way too late. I knew it was a mistake to let Gage take me to a club, but I couldn’t help myself.

Just like I couldn’t help myself when I saw Gage’s name on my phone. I answered the call, frowning to myself.

“Couldn’t get enough of me?” I asked him.

He chuckled softly. “I guess not.”

“It’s pretty late, you know.”

“I know. But I have something I want you to see.”

“I was just going to bed.”

“Ten minutes. Come downstairs for ten minutes.”

“I’m not even dressed.”

“Good. Come down naked for all I care.”

I sighed. “Is this really just ten minutes?”

“Really.”

“Fine. Where are you?”

“In the parking lot of your hotel.”

“Just wait. I’ll be down soon.”

I hung up the phone and got out of bed. I knew why Gage was really calling me, and I wasn’t going to stop myself. I deserved a little excitement in my life, even if this was an awful time for it. I was going to get maybe five hours of sleep total before I had to be up and ready to go at this hearing, but it didn’t matter. The preliminary stuff was always easy. I could be unconscious for the whole thing.

I needed something. Ever since coming back to Ashertown, I’d been feeling empty. I didn’t know anyone anymore, and although I recognized everything, it all reminded me of my mother.

The clinical trial didn’t work. She had some of the best doctors working on her and giving her great care, but she didn’t last more than six months out in Seattle. It was horrible watching her waste away in a place where I didn’t know anyone or anything, and I’d never get over that. Being back in Ashertown just reminded me of her, and that was pretty difficult to handle.

Gage seemed to make those bad feelings go away. When I was with him, I didn’t worry about my job or think about my mother. I didn’t feel isolated or stressed or anything but excited when Gage was close to me. That was pretty powerful for someone who didn’t have anything else.