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“Can you give an example?”
Trevor didn’t answer right away. Finally, he spoke in a low voice. “He knew my wife and I had visited a fertility clinic last week.”
Jared turned his head in time to see Brooke’s mouth drop open in surprise. Her sister reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I wanted to tell you, but the next step hasn’t been decided. I’m game to go ahead, but Trevor has reservations because it’s really expensive, and there are no guarantees.”
Her husband shifted uncomfortably. “I want a baby as much as you do, sweetheart, but in my line of work, I’ve seen many people who overextend themselves moneywise, then get into dire straits and lose everything. I don’t want that to happen to us, but I also hate the idea of disappointing you.”
Although the conversation had shifted away from Sidorov, Jared decided the couple needed a few moments to clear the air. He wasn’t surprised the Russian knew so much about the banker he intended to bribe. The guy was a pro and would, therefore, be familiar with every possible way to turn the screws in his victims.
Savannah untangled the bangles on her arm, then looked up at Trevor. “Is that why you’ve been so distant lately?”
He nodded. “I know once we start treatment, it’ll be nearly impossible to stop until we’re holding our own baby. I just need time to come to terms with spending all that money on something that, if unsuccessful, could break our hearts.”
“Those last few nights you worked late... I thought you were being unfaithful.”
The horrified look on his face proclaimed his innocence more eloquently than words. “No, never. I worked late those nights preparing for my meeting with Sidorov, trying to figure out what it would take to bring him on board. I had no idea at the time Sidorov was doing his own research into me. In exchange for that confidential applicant information, he offered to cover a year’s worth of clinic treatments.”
It was Savannah’s turn to be surprised. “That’s tens of thousands of dollars. He must want the information really badly.”
Apparently, Trevor hadn’t confided in his wife yet about the extent of Sidorov’s desire for that information, so Jared decided to enlighten her. “When your husband turned down his bribe, the Russian resorted to threats and pulled out a gun. Isn’t that right, Trevor?”
Savannah let out a gasp. “What’s he talking about, Trev? Tell me it’s not true.”
Trevor wrapped his arm around her as if to protect her from his next words. “I wish I could, but I can’t. Sidorov put the barrel to my temple, saying he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. He gave me five days to get hold of the information, choose several of the financially weakest companies and set up meetings with the owners. At the meetings, he wants me to vouch for him as a legitimate venture capitalist.”
Brooke had been sitting quietly, but now she spoke up. “Why would he want to invest in bad companies?”
Jared voiced the theory he’d been mulling over in his mind from the moment he’d heard Sidorov wanted confidential applicant information. “Sounds like a new twist on an old business—loan-sharking. He’s counting on these owners being so desperate for cash they’ll accept it from an unknown third party based on a reputable banker’s recommendation. After a few months, they’ll be hit with expensive repayment terms they have to meet or else Sidorov’s muscle will pay them a visit. Or Sidorov might use his involvement in their companies to pressure them into laundering illegal proceeds. I’ve seen that happen, too.”
Magnified a little by his glasses, Trevor’s brown eyes revealed anguish and fear. “If I don’t do what he wants, he promised to hurt me and Savannah. He showed me a folder full of info about us—where we live, the names of our family members, friends and my coworkers, what we owe on our mortgage and credit cards. He told me if I went to the police, I’d die before I had a chance to report him.”
Savannah let out a gasp of dismay and reached for her husband’s hand. Trevor swallowed with difficulty, before continuing. “I left his place, totally freaked out, not knowing what I should do. I drove around for a while before I realized all I wanted was to go home and hug my wife. When Savannah called, I was turning onto our street, so I picked her up and we came straight here.”
“Who is this Sidorov?” Savannah demanded.
“The FBI has him tagged as one of the bosses of the Bratva—the Russian mafia,” Jared said. “Last year, he almost died during a power struggle within the organization, so he came to Langeville to recover and, supposedly, to enjoy early retirement. But based on your meeting with him, he seems to have been working at his own criminal operation.”
“I wonder if Trevor is the first banker he’s contacted,” Brooke murmured.
“Can’t the FBI arrest Sidorov?” Savannah asked. “Based on what he did to my husband?”
Jared frowned. “He released Trevor without a scratch, and he could deny he poses any threat to him. Even if a prosecutor was willing to charge him, a judge might release him on bail until the trial. If that happened, Sidorov would pose even more of a danger to Trevor and you.”
“What about witness protection?” Trevor asked.
The banker had apparently watched too much TV. “The federal government has very strict guidelines. Lots of people witness crimes, but it’s rare they receive assistance. From what you’ve said, you don’t know enough about Sidorov’s operations to qualify for the program.”
“Maybe I could learn more,” Trevor offered. “Go along with whatever he tells me to do until there’s enough evidence for him to be held without bail and convicted.”
“That would be extremely dangerous for you. And even if you were successful and approved for witness protection, it’s a life-altering change. After the trial, you and Savannah would have to relocate to another state, you could never work in banking again, and neither of you could ever have contact with your family or friends again.”
Savannah gazed at her sister with tears in her eyes. “That sounds more like punishment than assistance. What are we supposed to do?”
“I think you should go away,” Brooke said.
“Where?”
“How about Hilton Head? You’ve told me a few times your friend Amy has offered to loan you her condo there.”
“If we did that, how long would we need to remain there?” Trevor asked Jared.
“I can’t say definitively. I’ll be continuing with my investigation of Sidorov related to another matter, but it’ll take time to build a case against him. For now, be grateful you have somewhere to stay that’s off the grid.”
“What do you mean, off the grid?” Savannah asked.
“Your friend’s condo is a private residence, as opposed to a hotel that would record your ID and keep your credit-card information on file. You don’t want to leave a paper trail Sidorov could follow, if he chose to. The safest course of action would be to pay for everything with cash from this point forward.”
“Can we afford to do that?” Savannah asked Trevor. “You’ve mentioned before that, even if we sold some investments today, it would take at least a few days to raise the money.”
He gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll take a cash advance on our line of credit. As for work, I’ll tell my boss there’s been a family emergency, and I need to take two weeks off. He’s been pushing me to use up the vacation time I carried over from last year.”
“Sounds like you have a plan,” Jared said.
“Savannah, why don’t you contact Amy and make sure her offer still stands?” Brooke suggested.
“Good idea. Excuse me while I step outside to make the call.”
Savannah slid out of the booth and headed for the front of the diner. Trevor waited until his wife was out of earshot before he turned to Jared. “I didn’t want to scare my wife, but several members of my local bankers’ association have died in the past six months. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, other than feeling bad for their families, but now I can’t help wondering if they’d had any dealings with Sidorov.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“I can ask somebody at the association. All I know is they were all middle-aged and regular attendees of the meetings. Is it just a coincidence they died after Sidorov moved to Ohio? Maybe I’m being paranoid, but it would put my mind at ease if I knew their deaths weren’t suspicious.”
Jared pulled out a notebook and passed it to Trevor. “Make the call and write down their names and anything else you think is pertinent. Where they lived. What banks they worked for. I’ll try to find out what happened to them, but it might take a while.”
“Whatever you can manage is fine,” Trevor said.
Brooke exited the booth. “I’ll go check on Savannah.”
Within minutes, she was standing outside the restaurant in the bright sunshine, waiting for Savannah to finish her call. After a quick “goodbye and thank you again” exchange, her sister dropped her cell phone into her purse, her bangles jangling. “Okay, Trevor and I are all set. Amy gave me the condo’s address and the spot where she keeps her spare key. She’s happy we’re finally going to enjoy the place and wishes she could join us, but she’s too busy organizing a charity gala.”
“That’s great.” Brooke hugged her sister. “I’m glad my suggestion worked out.”
Savannah held her close for a few extra seconds. “You should come to Hilton Head with us. When Sidorov figures out Trevor and I have left town, he’s going to try to find us, probably by contacting our family and friends.”
“He won’t find out about Amy’s condo from me,” Brooke said firmly.
Savannah rolled her eyes. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about you. This guy sounds utterly ruthless. You could be in danger, too.”
Her sister had no idea Brooke had already been detained at gunpoint by Sidorov’s security guard, and she sure wasn’t going to tell her. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m not coming to Hilton Head with you. You and Trevor will finally have some time alone together. The last thing you need is me tagging along.”
“Don’t worry about that. This is hardly the way I envisioned a romantic getaway with my husband,” Savannah muttered. “On the run from a death threat.”
Brooke patted her arm sympathetically. “I know, but try to make the most of it. Remember what Mom always used to say. Make lemonade out of lemons, right?”
“I suppose so.” She frowned. “If you won’t come, then, please, don’t stay at your place. Find somewhere else for a while where you’re sure you’ll be safe.”
“I’ll think about it.” Although her sister’s suggestion held some merit, she wouldn’t feel right about couch surfing at her friends’ houses. Apart from the imposition of a last-minute houseguest, what if her presence brought danger to them? She’d never forgive herself if someone got threatened or hurt on account of her. The alternative—renting a hotel room for an undetermined length of time—wasn’t viable either. Her line of credit was already maxed out to keep her business afloat. Establishing her reputation as a PI had taken more time—and the start-up costs had been higher—than she’d expected. Even so, she didn’t regret her decision to be self-employed.
Savannah stabbed a finger in her direction, a gesture she felt entitled to as the older sister. “Ask that FBI agent for a suggestion. Or better yet, stick close to him. My impression of him is he’s smart, competent and determined. A guy with his training would be really good at fending off bad guys and protecting you. He also has seriously impressive muscles, no wedding ring and a sexy mouth.”
Savannah couldn’t know her conjecture about Nash’s skills had already been put to the test and proved true. And the rest of her description of the man was valid, too, including the comment about his sexy mouth. His occasional smiles had sent tingles up Brooke’s spine, which was crazy given the circumstances.
“He is totally male and totally hot. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed, sis.”
She was tempted to deny it, but Savannah’s expression told her that she’d be wasting her breath. What the heck. It was nice to see a twinkle in her sister’s eye. For a brief moment, she’d forgotten about the threat from Sidorov, and Brooke wasn’t going to spoil her fun. “Yeah, Savannah, I noticed. He is totally male and totally hot.”
The sound of a throat being cleared made her jump. Oh crap. Jared Nash was standing a few feet away, having exited the diner without her noticing. What exactly had he heard?
Apparently, enough to be entertained. His lips curved in a slow, knowing smile. She felt her face flush and darted a look at Savannah, who had been facing the diner and must have watched him approach. Her sister gazed back innocently. Too innocently. Savannah had set her up.
The awkward moment was broken by the arrival of Trevor. He and Savannah headed across the parking lot with Brooke and the FBI agent trailing afterward. When they reached the Lexus, the two women embraced again while the men exchanged cell-phone numbers.
“He likes you, too,” Savannah whispered to Brooke. “He was staring at you intently every time you spoke. So take the advice you gave to me and ‘make the most of it.’ Stay close to him and I mean really close. I’ll want the juicy details from you later.”
“Not going to happen.” The sex or the gossip.
“Prude,” her sister teased.
Brooke’s only reply was to say, “Call me when you’re settled at the condo.”
When Nash opened the passenger door for Savannah, she thanked him, then blurted out, “When Sidorov finds out Trevor and I are gone, he might take out his anger on our families. Trevor’s all live in England, so I’m not worried about them. But my sister’s here. Please, keep her safe.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he replied.
“Hey,” Brooke objected, blindsided by her sister’s direct plea to the agent, “I can take care of myself.”
“Against a Russian mobster?” Savannah’s head shake conveyed her disbelief as she buckled her seat beat. “That’s optimistic, even for you. I almost lost you once. I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt again.”
Her sister’s words were ones of concern, but Brooke didn’t appreciate the reminder of her mortality or the curious look Nash gave her. Trying not to show her annoyance, she said, “I promise I’ll be extra careful.” Then she closed the passenger door and turned away from her sister.
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