Page 21 of Nikolai (Kansas City Reapers)

Finally… some kind of headway in the case. And the sooner the case was handled, the sooner Maddy would be back to her life and out of mine.

Still, it didn’t stop the images from flooding my mind of her body pressed against the wall, of the smell of her perfume as her pulse pounded beneath my lips. I had gone too far.

But I would not be making that mistake again.

A few hours later, I stood in Jax’s office, listening to Quinn explain the next steps in Maddy’s case.

“Okay, Maddy. I want you to look through these files. This one here is a folder of mug shots from people we’ve booked in the past, while this second one is a folder of other suspected criminals, taken from security cameras and such. They’re all just photos of people. Nothing graphic, I assure you. And with what you’ve remembered about that night, I’m hoping you’ll be able to find the criminal’s photo here in there. So, take your time, okay?” Quinn was in his element, more so than I had ever seen him before. Police work suited him.

As Maddy flipped through the book of photos, Quinn pointed towards the door. With a nod, I joined him.

“Do you think there’s a good chance whoever did this is actually in those files?” I asked him quietly in the hallway outsideJax’s office.

“Yes, but I’m not sure it’s going to help, honestly,” he replied with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “The information she provided leads me to believe that the man in question could be Alexei Borovsky.” He paused, as if expecting me to recognize the name. I just shrugged and shook my head, letting him continue.

“Alexei Borovsky is the owner and CEO of Borovsky Enterprises. He’s one of the richest men in Kansas City. He is also the suspected leader of the Dom Krovi, a criminal organization that has been giving KCPD no end of trouble for the last few years.”

I let out a low, incredulous whistle. “Dom Krovi, eh? The House of Blood, in Russian. This sounds like a guy you don’t want to get on the wrong side of.”

Quinn leaned against the wall, rubbing his eyes wearily. “You can say that again. His corporation has been buying up businesses and properties in the city for a few years now. At this point, he owns ten percent of the industrial sector. The problem is, nobody getsthatrichthatfast, without some majorly shady business dealings. This guy didn’t exist five years ago, as far as we can tell. He just popped up, with a seemingly endless supply of capital, and started gobbling up business. We suspect that he’s involved in a number of crimes here in the city. Bodies have been turning up with the letters DK branded on them.”

I nodded grimly. “DK. Dom Krovi. But what makes you think that he’s connected?”

“Well, because a few of the victims were business owners. And guess who acquired their businesses afterthey were killed? I’ll give you three guesses, but the first two don’t count.” Quinn replied, smiling mirthlessly.

Suddenly, it made more sense. “So, you think that he’s pressuring people into selling their businesses to his corporation, and knocking them off if they refuse to sell?”

Quinn nodded. “Something like that. It was the first thing that tipped us off that he could be connected to the gang. The problem is, this guy is one slippery motherfucker. We haven’t been able to definitively pin anything on him. It’s all circumstantial, or he’s got an alibi, or — and here’s where you come in — key witnesses wake up dead before they can testify against him. But mark my words, he’s connected to the Dom Krovi. We just can’t prove it, yet.”

I stayed quiet, letting the man think.

“Niko, I’m telling you, man. I’ve got a feeling in my bones. Something big is going on, and I can’t get a handle on it.” Frustration was evident in his voice, and I could commiserate. I knew all too well how it felt to not be able to catch the bad guy.

“I can’t pull him in unless we have solid proof. Without absolutely solid evidence, there’s no way we’ll be able to nail this fucker to the wall. And dammit, I want to get this guy behind bars. He’s scum, Niko. I’m sure of it. And if Maddy can positively ID the guy, she suddenly becomes the most valuable piece of evidence we have. That’s why we have to keep her safe.”

Immediately, thoughts of Javier Martinez rose from the locked box in my mind where I stored the brutal details of the most traumatic moments of my life. Thefeeling of losing the good fight was one many veterans knew, and not one I wanted to saddle Quinn with.

“How can I help?” I asked, knowing that was all I could do at the moment.

“Niko, this case just got much bigger. If Maddy can testify that Alexei Borovsky is actually behind all this — then we might actually get the chance to take down the entire operation. But there’s an issue.”

“The same issue that had you asking me for help in the first place?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“One and the same, my brother. I can’t trust the station. Something is going on. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something is off. He got off the hook too many times for him not to have a man on the inside. And until I know who the mole is…” he trailed off, not even needing to finish the statement. We both knew the kind of stakes he was up against.

“We’ve got your back, Quinn. I can promise you that.”

“Even if it means keeping her around longer?” He at least had the decency to look regretful. If he only knew how tough a thing it was to haveherhere. Regardless, we sacrificed for our brothers. That’s what it meant to be brothers in arms. United by duty and trauma, instead of blood.

“Don’t worry about a thing. We’ve got your back covered. Anything you need, you just call,” I reassured him sincerely.

At that moment, Jax came out of his office and walked over to us. “Maddy thinks she’s got an ID.”

We followed him back into his office, where Maddy sat, surrounded by folders. She looked up as weentered. “I… I think I found the man I saw… that night.” She said somewhat timidly. It was obvious from her demeanor that thinking back on those events was still troubling for her, not that I could blame her.

Quinn came around the table and looked down at the picture that Maddy had set directly in front of her. His eyes widened, and he looked up at me excitedly.

“It’s him, Nikolai. AlexeimotherfuckingBorovsky. Maddy, are yousurethis is the man you saw holding the gun?”

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