Page 89 of Mob Saint

“He got me to the ground, and I put my hands behind my head without him asking. He was shouting at me like I was fighting him, so that’s what really drew people’s attention. Once he got me on my feet, he kept shoving me until we walked past the Kutsenkos. Maks wasn’t looking at me because he was corralling his twins and Bogdan’s son with Laura and Christina, who’s seriously pregnant right now. Bogdan saw me and winked. Fucking winked. I watched him slide his phone back into his pocket before picking up his little boy and wrapping his arm around Christina.”

Pushed him toward the Kutsenkos? Is Thompson getting paid?

“Who spotted you?”

“I don’t know. I think one of their guys. When we got here, dipshit hauled me into an interview room. Before Jameson could do anything, fuck face whips out his club. I take two to the ribs before I can point to the CCTV that’s recording all of this. Jameson snatched the club from Thompson and put me in here. I don’t know what happened after that, but Jameson definitely looked terrified when I told him I was calling Cormac. I knew you were in Trenton, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You did the right thing. Did you make the recording worth it?”

There’s nothing private about a detainee with ties to a syndicate making a call to their leaders. They were definitely listening in and recording. I’ll subpoena it if I must. For now, I’ll blackmail the captain with it.

“Oh yeah. I detailed everything.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing I need to know? If I make an arse out of myself defending you, you won’t get a second chance.”

“I know, Shay. No funny business. I swear.”

I nod. “Hang on.”

I head back to the desk sergeant who has paperwork already laid out on the counter for me.

“He’s the ninth precinct’s captain’s nephew. Take it easy on him if you don’t want more attention. He thinks he’s the shit because of his connections. He hasn’t learned that no one here is going to protect him from his bad choices. Teach him whatever lesson you want, but be discreet.”

“That’s fine. How long to run the paperwork?”

“I’ll see if I can expedite it.”

“Good idea.”

I sweep my gaze over the police station, and it makes me think about what Tiera’s facing. Someone in law enforcement could be involved. They could probably get their hands on the bug Tiera’s stalker used. They’d also not worry about anyone in their department turning them over since he went after a lesser syndicate, and they all bleed blue until their family’s at stake. A cop could have an over-inflated sense of security, which would be their hubris, since no one is safe from my family once they’ve crossed us.

I’ll ask Finn to look into Mitchell’s shite, but I’m going to ask Sean to do the digging. His ability to hack exceeds anyone else I know. If anyone can go down the rabbit hole to find out who’s after Tiera, it’s him. If this isn’t a cop, then I’ll have to start from scratch. My next best guess would be a fed. If it’s someone in the private sector, they have connections.

I want to figure this shite out for Tiera’s safety’s sake, but also to discover who thinks they’re so untouchable. Who knows what else this fucker is doing that Gareth doesn’t know about? I’m certain there’s more. Is there more Gareth hasn’t told us? Most likely.

I sweep my gaze around the open office space, taking in the officers I know. The ones we pay, the ones who wished we paid, and the ones like Thompson with a superiority complex. They’re the ones who have also learned to stay out of arm’s reach. They might like to posture like they’re better than us, but they also know that landing on our radar isn’t good for their health.

A few cast glances toward me, but most have returned to work, pretending to ignore the mobster in their midst. The mobster they know has a gun and is a far better shot than any of them. They might be good on the range, but I’m better in real life. And I don’t get any pretty padding either. I have a bulletproof vest I wear on some missions, but usually, gun fights don’t come with invitations. They’re rather impromptu by nature.

I can see Mitchell from where I stand, keeping one eye on him to ensure no one gets a couple last punches in. Sam comes back with the paperwork in order, and I watch the bars slide open. Mitchell doesn’t strut, but he certainly isn’t humble. He doesn’t quite have platinum status hotel points at NYPD’s finest detention centers, but he’s creeping up there. He might get caught from time to time, but nothing sticks.

He meets Sam at one of the desks to sign his release papers. It shouldn’t take long since I worked on getting the charges dropped while I was on my way here.

“O’Rourke.”

I turn toward Ron who barely tilts his head enough for me to notice the signal. I follow him to a quieter corner that’s still visible to some but is discreet in such a crowded space. It ensures no one can claim he’s taking bribes at the station. He takes them somewhere else.

“You need to watch out for Thompson. He has aspirations of grandeur. He thinks he’s on the path to Commissioner. He’s trying to make a name for himself from the start. He doesn’t get the only name he’s going to make is one on a hit list. He’s not targeting you any more than he is the other syndicates. He thinks he’ll single-handedly clean up the city. A city that’s had organized crime since the days when it was unorganized. He needs to watch Gangs of New York and get a history lesson. It should be mandatory viewing for all douches at the academy. Like a screening process. Anyway, he’s going to keep causing trouble. I can only do so much since he’s his uncle’s favorite. Just watch out and remember he’s connected.”

“His uncle is Burke, right?”

“Yeah. The captain hasn’t filled his nephew in.”

“That he’s as dirty as they come.” Drew Burke has been taking bribes and kickbacks since before he went to the academy. His greed made him become a cop. He thought it was the easiest way to extort people without getting caught. He makes enough off his hustle to pay off or threaten away anyone who comes sniffing around to turn him in.

“Right? I’m trying with the kid, but he’s stubborn. He could be a good cop if he got off his high horse before one of you drags him off.”

“Who’s he got his eye on next?”

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