Marty was on her feet now, too, her eyes gleaming. “But we don’t just need to catch this McDaniels. We need to catch Andre, and the root of this mess, which is Stas. Don’t they always say to cut the head off the dragon if you want to end its reign of terror? But how are we going to catch Stas when he sends his goons to do his dirty work? Isn’t that what mob guys do? You know, like Pacino in the Godfather. Sort of untouchable, always giving orders, sending horse heads as threats, but never getting his hands dirty? We need to get to him somehow. Find out where he hangs out, who he socializes with, where he socializes. Anybody know any good Russian hangouts in Jersey?”
Teddy jumped up from the couch, panic fueling her need to move. “Here’s something else to think about, too. If Andre is a bear, is Stas one, too? What about the rest of his goons? Are they all bears? Is the whole Russian contingency here in the tri-state bears? This could be much bigger than what we’re capable of handling.”
Wanda’s lips thinned. “If it’s any consolation, we’ve handled what some might consider worse. Maniacal genies, rogue military, vengeful demons. We’ve even been to Hell.”
Wanda didn’t appear concerned at all. Not even a little. They were sitting around, discussing this as though they were planning a murder-mystery party. These men killed without compunction, without remorse. They were diabolical killers.
But you’ve dealt with killers before, Teddy. You’re a bounty hunter, remember?
Yeah. She was a bounty hunter. One who’d taken a real hit last year and was just now getting back on her feet.
Panic set in further. How would they ever catch a man who was capable of murder? If he was smart enough not to have been caught so far, surely he was smart enough to evade a bunch of amateurs like them.
Her phone began to chime from the pocket of her jacket, the Pointer Sisters’ “We Are Family” playing a happy tune on the burner cell she always kept with her for situations just like this.
Her brothers. Probably demanding she come home—which she wasn’t going to do no matter what they said. She was in this for the long haul, whether she came out of it dead or alive.
“If you’re calling to demand I come home, forget it,” she hissed into the phone. “I told you I was staying the course, and that’s what I’m doing. No discussion. I’m a grown woman—”
“Save the I’m-an-adult speech for later, Teds, and listen carefully to me,” Vadim interrupted. “We did some poking around, talked to a couple of guys who’ve helped us in the past.”
Likely ex-cons. They had a cache of them they used from time to time as resources for all sorts of information. “And?”
“He’s a cop, Teddy. Arty McDaniels is actually Carmine Ragusi. A Jersey cop with the Cherry Hill Police Department.”
Chapter 10
Her heart took a nosedive to her toes as she gripped the edge of the mantle to steady her wobbling knees. “So a cop wants to get rid of Cormac? This matches up with what Cormac’s sister told the people I’m with. She tried going to the police, but the day she was due to go in and talk to some detective, Toni saw him with this guy Stas.”
“Speaking of Stas Vasilyev, he’s some piece of shit. Has people paid off all over the tri-state. Moles everywhere. Bobby Mason gave us the story on this fuck. He’s no joke, Teddy. This is no joke. He’s a cold-blooded, no-remorse killer. Bobby says he whacked some guy just for sitting in his seat at some bar in Brooklyn. Didn’t even blink an eye.”
“Do you know if he’s a shifter?”
“Why would you ask that?”
She explained how Cormac had been turned by Andre, to the sound of Vadim hissing in her ear.
“Look, we’re coming to get you, Teds. This is big. I mean huge. Stas is a monster who won’t think twice about killing you and he has the manpower to cover it up. The hell I’m going to let this Carmine or Stas or anyone else take one more shot at you.”
The worry in Vadim’s voice worried her. “Listen, I know your instinct is to protect me, but don’t you think they’ll send someone back to Colorado just as easily as they’ll send someone here if they want me dead badly enough? They do know where I live. I’m not safe anywhere, Vadim.”
The very words left her feeling exposed and more vulnerable than she liked admitting. There really was nowhere to hide if she hoped to avoid living the way Cormac had for three years.
“But you’re safer with us. As soon as this storm clears, we’re on the next flight out whether you like it or not. Do not leave that house, Teddy. Stay put. If you insist on being a part of this, then you’ll just have to do it with the two of us in the mix. Now give me the address and don’t give me any shit.”
Closing her eyes, fighting off panic, she gave Vadim the address, almost relieved her brothers were coming to help. They were smart and resourceful, and they’d know how to help figure this out.
She’d worry about telling them the life mate thing later. Not that her life mate wanted much to do with her at this point anyway.
Clicking her phone off, she realized everyone was watching her and waiting.