Page 69 of Beautiful Agony

Vadim's hand tightens around mine under the desk. "The bastard's been three steps ahead this whole time."

"We can't stop," Megan says, her voice trembling with emotion. "These women need someone to speak for them. To tell their stories. If we stop now, it's like saying their pain doesn't matter."

"I agree." I lean forward, wincing at the slight nausea that accompanies the movement. "But we need to change our approach. These exposés aren't having the effect we hoped for."

"What do you mean?" Megan asks.

"Think about it. The kind of people willing to buy another human being—they're not going to be moved by stories of suffering. Horror and revulsion clearly aren't what's stopping them."

Vadim's thumb traces circles on my palm under the desk. "Then we make them afraid. Start showing them what happens to the buyers when we find them. Once word gets out that purchasing gets you killed, the market dries up."

At Vadim's words about killing buyers, all I can think about is Nathan and how easily he'd hidden his true nature behind his mask.

How many meetings and client dinners had Nathan attended while plotting to sell me? The memory of finding him with Caroline feels almost quaint now compared to knowing what he'd really planned for me.

"It's not that simple," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "There are too many people enabling this. Nathan for example. He wasn't a buyer. He moved money, set up shell companies, and helped make everything look legitimate on paper." My hand tightens around Vadim's. "How many others like him are out there? Accountants, lawyers, business owners all helping to keep this running? Weneedlegitimacy in how we move against all of this."

"The police can't be trusted to investigate them." Vadim's eyes darken with understanding. "Too many of them are already on someone's payroll. I should know. I pay some of them myself."

"You're right," I reply. "But we still need law enforcement involved somehow. The public needs to see justice being served through proper channels."

"Why?" Demyon challenges. "The bratva way is cleaner. No paperwork, no trials, just—" He makes a throat-cutting gesture.

"Because then it becomes just another gang war," I explain. "The public won't care who wins or loses as long as it doesn't affect them. But if we can show this being dismantled through legitimate means..."

"Why not just use the cops already on the bratva's payroll?" Megan interrupts, that familiar spark in her eyes when she's onto something. "They could be the public face of the operation."

Demyon barks out a laugh. "The whole point of paying corrupt cops,zaychik, isknowingthat they're dishonest."

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Megan challenges, leaning forward.

"Start having them do legitimate police work." Demyon shakes loose a blond curl of hair from his brow. "And they might get ideas about finding a different patron. How do you think we got them on our payroll in the first place?"

"Maybe they just need the right motivation." Megan's eyes gleam.

"And just what do you have to offer them?"

Megan opens her mouth, and a blush creeps up her cheeks.

Demyon's grin widens.

"That's it," I whisper, drawing everyone's attention. "We don't need them to be honest. We just need them to beours."

We don't need honest cops. We need corrupt ones who are corrupted in the right direction.

"Kirsan's operations here." The words tumble out of me in a rush as the plan takes shape. "The casinos, clubs, brothels, whatever. They all need police for protection, even if it's just looking the other way, to function. So there are plenty of dirty cops on his payroll making sure everything runs smoothly."

"Of course," Vadim says. "But we already know this."

I lean forward, excited now. "Yes, but there must be honest cops too. Good ones who see what's happening but can't do anything about it because they're surrounded by corruption." My hand finds the necklace at my throat and I twist it absently. "What if we force them to reveal who they're working for?"

"And how exactly would we do that?" Demyon asks.

"The same way Kirsan keeps them in line—blackmail. But instead of using it to keep them quiet, we use it to make themtalk. Direct that information to the honest cops who actually want to make a difference."

Vadim's expression darkens. "Zvyozdochka, that's incredibly dangerous. If it backfires, we could end up with the entire police force turning against us."

"Better us than letting them continue enabling Kirsan," I argue. "At least we'd know where everyone stands."

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