chance to question Ivan further since Faith was walking into the room.
“My dear, join us.”
Bart’s gaze stayed on her as she walked toward him cautiously, the look of a mouse approaching a cat on her face. Her long hair pulled back away from her face in a simple headband, its length still flowing down her back. She refuses any money Ivan has offered. She doesn’t dress expensively, so what’s her game? Does she dress down to gain pity?
As she crossed the room, her timidity lessened with each step. By the time she sat in the seat Ivan had indicated, her spine was steel and she pierced Bart with her glare. I am not going to be intimidated!
“I’m glad you’re here,” Ivan spoke, breaking the pointed silence. “Anton will be joining us in just a few minutes. Dmitry was sent back to the university since his presence is not needed at this time. I know Jack has given Bart information on my possible enemies; I will have Anton brief you from our family’s perspective.”
Faith’s gaze shifted between the two men in the room. “Do you still want me involved?” she asked, sure that Bart had already painted her as a fraud to Ivan.
“Of course,” Ivan said. He sat down next to her, reaching out to grasp her cold hands. “Bart and I have discussed his concerns. They are not shared by me,” he promised.
“I…I don’t know what to say—”
“Faith, I knew your grandmother, as you know. We grew up in the same neighborhood. She was beautiful…fun…and special.”
Her eyes held his as he continued to speak. “I knew her gift. I perceived it passed to you. Whatever it is…whatever you can do, I want you to do it. If it is using your psychology and knowledge of people or any insight you may have…I just need to know you will assist in bringing Erik home to me.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she blinked quickly. Glancing over at Bart, she lifted her chin, saying, “What about you? Can we work together?”
She watched as a muscle in his jaw tightened, but his words confirmed, “Yes. All that matters is finding Erik.”
Chapter 6
A s the four sat down in the study, Bart made sure to sit next to Anton and across from Faith and Ivan. He wanted immediate access to what Anton was divulging, but also to keep an eye on Faith. She looked up at him but, instead of seeing soulful eyes, all he could see was deceit, then hurt, before she glanced down at her hands, gently rubbing her fingers over her chewed thumbnail. Is she nervous? Anton’s voice brought him back to the task at hand and he admonished himself for focusing on Faith. Get in the game, man. She’s secondary to what’s in those files.
“Ivan and I have compiled as much information as we could about who we think may have a hand in this. To be honest, Ivan feels like some of this may not be necessary but, we cannot leave any stone unturned.”
Bart had spent most of his time after getting off the phone with Jack pouring over the information that Luke sent to him and was anxious to see what Anton would offer.
“We do a lot of business and have been around for a very long time,” Anton began. “There are a few newcomers who have tried to nudge their way in…or blast their way in, and we have prevailed. The money is substantial and the stakes are high. Any of these three would profit greatly by knocking Krustas down.”
Bart understood what was at stake. If the Krustas empire crashed, the chaos would resemble vultures on a carcass. And Anton was about the reveal the top three vultures.
“Miguel Escobar runs a gang that has the backing of a local gang in Richland and national backing of MS13. Drugs, whores, pussy clubs…uh, sorry,” Anton said, his eyes looking across the table at Faith.
“It’s fine,” she said, but Bart noted a blush rise from her modest neckline to the top of her forehead.
“Mostly drugs and some extortion,” Anton finished.
“What exactly would crippling Ivan do for them?” Bart asked.
“My family
“My dear, join us.”
Bart’s gaze stayed on her as she walked toward him cautiously, the look of a mouse approaching a cat on her face. Her long hair pulled back away from her face in a simple headband, its length still flowing down her back. She refuses any money Ivan has offered. She doesn’t dress expensively, so what’s her game? Does she dress down to gain pity?
As she crossed the room, her timidity lessened with each step. By the time she sat in the seat Ivan had indicated, her spine was steel and she pierced Bart with her glare. I am not going to be intimidated!
“I’m glad you’re here,” Ivan spoke, breaking the pointed silence. “Anton will be joining us in just a few minutes. Dmitry was sent back to the university since his presence is not needed at this time. I know Jack has given Bart information on my possible enemies; I will have Anton brief you from our family’s perspective.”
Faith’s gaze shifted between the two men in the room. “Do you still want me involved?” she asked, sure that Bart had already painted her as a fraud to Ivan.
“Of course,” Ivan said. He sat down next to her, reaching out to grasp her cold hands. “Bart and I have discussed his concerns. They are not shared by me,” he promised.
“I…I don’t know what to say—”
“Faith, I knew your grandmother, as you know. We grew up in the same neighborhood. She was beautiful…fun…and special.”
Her eyes held his as he continued to speak. “I knew her gift. I perceived it passed to you. Whatever it is…whatever you can do, I want you to do it. If it is using your psychology and knowledge of people or any insight you may have…I just need to know you will assist in bringing Erik home to me.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes as she blinked quickly. Glancing over at Bart, she lifted her chin, saying, “What about you? Can we work together?”
She watched as a muscle in his jaw tightened, but his words confirmed, “Yes. All that matters is finding Erik.”
Chapter 6
A s the four sat down in the study, Bart made sure to sit next to Anton and across from Faith and Ivan. He wanted immediate access to what Anton was divulging, but also to keep an eye on Faith. She looked up at him but, instead of seeing soulful eyes, all he could see was deceit, then hurt, before she glanced down at her hands, gently rubbing her fingers over her chewed thumbnail. Is she nervous? Anton’s voice brought him back to the task at hand and he admonished himself for focusing on Faith. Get in the game, man. She’s secondary to what’s in those files.
“Ivan and I have compiled as much information as we could about who we think may have a hand in this. To be honest, Ivan feels like some of this may not be necessary but, we cannot leave any stone unturned.”
Bart had spent most of his time after getting off the phone with Jack pouring over the information that Luke sent to him and was anxious to see what Anton would offer.
“We do a lot of business and have been around for a very long time,” Anton began. “There are a few newcomers who have tried to nudge their way in…or blast their way in, and we have prevailed. The money is substantial and the stakes are high. Any of these three would profit greatly by knocking Krustas down.”
Bart understood what was at stake. If the Krustas empire crashed, the chaos would resemble vultures on a carcass. And Anton was about the reveal the top three vultures.
“Miguel Escobar runs a gang that has the backing of a local gang in Richland and national backing of MS13. Drugs, whores, pussy clubs…uh, sorry,” Anton said, his eyes looking across the table at Faith.
“It’s fine,” she said, but Bart noted a blush rise from her modest neckline to the top of her forehead.
“Mostly drugs and some extortion,” Anton finished.
“What exactly would crippling Ivan do for them?” Bart asked.
“My family
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