A shockwave of realization overwhelmed me. I’d hardly seen it happening, hadn’t known what it meant, had been denying it for so long—but somehow, somewhere, friendship and admiration had turned to love. I was so fucking in love with her I didn’t know where I ended and she began.
My lungs squeezed painfully and I sucked in air. I didn’t know that love could make you forget how to breathe. Sex with Laney had been on my list of priorities for a while now, right under air, above food, and equal with dancing. No, not anymore. Laney was above the need for oxygen. Moj son?ek—my sunshine.
“We’re here,” she said softly.
I hardly heard her as I leaned across, pressing my lips against hers, holding her face to mine, then kissing her like it was the first time or the last time.
“I love you,” I said, my breath whispering across her skin. “You are my sunshine, Laney Novak. I love you so much.”
She blinked, startled, and then her beautiful smile spread across her face, lighting her like the sunshine she was.
“Took you long enough,” she said. “I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you.”
I laughed in surprise, and we sat there, grinning like two love-blasted fools, until Officer Dickwad jerked the car door open.
Laney’s smile fell.
“Whatever happens, Ash, we’re in this together, right?”
She squeezed my hand again, and I nodded, my mouth dry.
Captain Hennessey was waiting, but this time he didn’t try to separate us and he didn’t comment on the way Laney clung to me. Or more truthfully, the way I clung to her like a drowning man clings to even a splinter of wood.
He led us to an interview room where Officers Petronelli and Ramos were already sitting, as well as Laney’s friend Angela, and a man in a suit that I didn’t know.
“Angie! “What’s going on?” Laney asked, leaving my side to hug her friend.
“I’m still waiting to find out,” she said frowning at me before shaking hands briefly. “But I hear congratulations are in order.”
Laney nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”
“You look happy,” Angela said reluctantly.
“I am. We are,” Laney said, reaching for my hand again.
Laney’s father shut the door, signaling that it was time to get serious, and my heartrate jacked up. I hated being in enclosed spaces—it was too much like being trapped in that car with Sergei.
Sweat broke out over my body as I tried not to lose my mind.
Laney gripped my fingers too tightly and I winced.
“Sorry,” she whispered, letting go immediately.
“Thank you for coming in, Ash,” said Laney’s dad. “We . . .”
“I’ll take it from here, Captain Hennessey,” said the suit without even looking at him.
Laney’s dad bristled. “Ash is my son-in-law,” he said, as my eyes snapped to his.
There was a pause.
“Of course,” said the stranger calmly. “I’m Special Agent John Parker with the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. My team has been investigating your friend Volkov and his connections with the Outlaws, a motorcycle gang that’s responsible for 55% of criminal activity in Nevada, and that’s just the things we know about.”
He looked directly at me.
“Thanks to your information, we were able to locate the epicenter of their prostitution and human trafficking ring.”
Laney’s dad shot an irritated look at the man. “Ash, they’ve found your friends Yveta Kuznets and Gary Benson.”
Laney’s fingers tightened around my hand again. This time I welcomed the pain.
“Are they alright?”
He grimaced. “They will be.”
I didn’t know what that meant.
“Marta? Galina?”
“We haven’t been able to trace Marta Babiak,” Parker replied for him. “A woman with her passport left the U.S. over a month ago, but after that, the trail goes cold.”
“Galina?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“We have reason to believe that Galina Bely was killed on or about December 15th.”
While I was dancing in a stupid show. Oh God.
I closed my eyes, but couldn’t stop tears burning behind my eyelids.
“Mr. Novak,” said Parker, “following leads that started with your information, we have been able to rescue 137 women and 27 men from a dozen different locations across the country. And there’ll be more.” He cleared his throat. “We have also taken 33 of the Outlaws into custody, and we’d like you to try and identify the one that you saw. Volkov has severed ties with them, and he’s lost a number of his own men in gun battles. We believe Volkov is cleaning house. He’s shutting down operations. What you did, getting away, you’ve saved lives.”
I felt Laney’s cool hands on my cheeks and realized that she was wiping away tears.
“You did good, baby,” she whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”
I shook my head. I’d done nothing except run away, saving my own skin.
“There’s one other thing,” said Parker. “We’ve found the, um, the remains of a white male, aged between 30 and 50. We think it could be Oleg Ivanowski, Sergei Boykov’s second in command. We’d like you to try and identify him.”
“What do you mean by ‘remains’, Special Agent Parker?” asked Angela. “My client is not a forensic pathologist.”