Page 70 of Beautiful Agony

"And just where do you expect to find these paragons of virtue in the police force?" Demyon asks, skepticism heavy in his voice. "In my experience, a cop is either corrupt or waiting for the right price to become corrupt."

I think about Captain Rutledge's determined expression when he questioned me, how certain he'd been that there was more to Nathan's death than what appeared on the surface. But above all else, I remember him narrowing his eyes at me when I said the word bratva, and how his demeanor shifted—as if he had a personal grudge against them all.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know of one."

"Who?" Vadim asks.

"Captain Rutledge," I say.

Demyon bursts out laughing. "That self-righteous boy scout would throw us all in prison without a second thought."

"Which is why he's exactly who we need." I lean forward, feeling the excitement of a plan coming together. "He's incorruptible. A man like him probably lies awake at night thinking about all his fellow officers taking bribes from people like us."

"And that helps us how?" Demyon's skepticism is clear in his voice.

"Because he hates it." I shrug. "Every time he sees another officer look the other way, every time evidence mysteriously disappears from lockup, every time charges get dropped against someone they all know is guilty—it eats at him."

"Lacey..." Megan's voice holds a note of warning. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

I can see the concern in her eyes. She knows me well enough to recognize when I'm about to suggest something dangerous. The tension in the room ratchets up as everyone waits for my answer. I take a deep breath, gathering my courage.

"We need someone Rutledge will listen to," I say. "Someone who he already wants to investigate."

Vadim's eyes darken as he realizes what I'm suggesting. "Absolutely not. You're not going anywhere near Rutledge again."

"He already suspects I know more than I'm saying," I press, leaning forward. "If I go to him now, claiming I want to make a deal..."

"Out of the question." Vadim's voice carries that edge of command that usually brooks no argument. "You're carrying my child. I won't risk either of you."

"I'm the only one who can talk to him,” I insist. "Rutledge will at least be interested in listening." I reach for Vadim's hand. "And if I turn him onto the trail of corrupt cops, they'll panic. They'll start covering their tracks, destroying evidence..."

"Making mistakes," Vadim finishes, his expression thoughtful despite his obvious reluctance.

"Exactly. And if that all happens while you apply pressure to just a few of the ones on Kirsan's payroll..."

"The rest will start looking for new protection," Demyon interjects, nodding slowly. "Smart."

"But finding which cops are exclusively Kirsan's will be nearly impossible," Vadim argues. "Most take money from multiple sources."

A bitter smile crosses my face. "We already have someone who can help us identify them."

"Who?"

"Freddy." I squeeze Vadim's hand. "Like you said, his gambling debts are owed to Kirsan's casinos. And sooner or later, he has to pay them back. He can go to the casino and see which cops are there as well."

"That's a workable plan, but how will this help us with Los Angeles?" Vadim asks.

"Once we expose enough corrupt cops," I say, lips working as fast as my brain can think of the words. "And tie them to Kirsan's human trafficking, then Captain Rutledge can become the face of justice to dismantle the network in Seattle for good. You can supply the information from the bible we took, and then Megan can launch the biggest possible expose about theentirefashion industry that's complicit right as L.A. Fashion Week gets going. People won't be talking about the latest style anymore, but about the rot that takes place underneath. And that's when we go toL.A. to rescue as many people as we can, and take down Kirsan once and for all."

Vadim's expression shifts from concern to something else entirely as he processes my plan. His eyes gleam with a mix of pride and admiration that makes my heart skip.

"Zvyozdochka," he breathes, shaking his head slowly. "You've thought this through from every angle, haven't you?"

"I learned from the best." My lips curl into a smile. “But I have to admit, some of this comes from watching too many crime shows with Megan."

"It's incredibly risky."

"Riskier than faking a wedding to steal a bible from a cathedral in Paris?" I counter, arching an eyebrow at him.

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