Page 70 of Traitor

Katya?

She’d seemed better the last time we spoke. She and her neighbor had made amends—fuck, she’d made it sound like they were more than friends; had even gotten defensive when I told her to be careful.

Then, he’d called me up out of the blue a few days ago, wanting to help in her case.Had the timing been more than mere coincidence?

Comedian held up his phone and my face went numb. This wasn’t just a few secrets; whatTMZhad was a goddamn exposé.

And perhaps the most disturbing claim Katya has made is that Landon Scott has been dead the entire time. Police have spent countless hours searching for her kidnapper. According to Detective Shane Strohn with the Arapahoe County SD, “We’ve reached out to the Lubbock Police Department and informed them that the search into Scott’s disappearance could possibly be a homicide investigation at this point.” Police said they’re not considering Katya a suspect at this time, but are interested in questioning her further.

If they’d reached out to the police department, I hadn’t heard a word of it.

Probably because I was suspect number one.

My word had become the official narrative of what happened the night we rescued the girls. I guess I never considered the possibility that they would question it. Working for the club had given me a god complex and I was sure as shit going to be paying for it now.

I scrolled through my contacts and angrily stabbed her name when I got to it. It rang several times before clicking over to an automated voicemail. I hung up without leaving a message before turning back to Comedian.

“What do we do?”

He let out a rough bark of laughter. “What do we do? We ain’t doing shit here, son. You are gonna get your ass up to Colorado and neutralize the goddamned threat.”

He wanted me to kill her?

The thought left me feeling ill.

Killing a club slut had been one thing; Brianne dug her grave proudly, but Katya—Katya had been abused and raped. If she’d talked to anyone, it was a therapist. God knew she’d seen her fair share of them. This was what this was—some psychologist wanted a payday and broke confidentiality.

I’d gladly fly up there and end one of their lives. Not hers though. I was no better than Landon if I hurt her. Scratch that, all I’d need was a name change and I could’ve filled in for Comedian.

“Just make it look like a suicide,” he instructed as he clapped me on the shoulder. “Glad we had this talk, Junior. You been making me real proud lately—showing initiative and taking care of club business like a man.”

I wasn’t feeling like much of a man at the moment—just a spineless drone. He hopped back onto his bike and took off down the driveway as the first rays of dawn began to lighten the sky. I sank down onto the porch swing with my head in my hands.

I had to call her first—I owed her that, at least. I’d keep calling until she answered before making any sort of decision. If she sounded unhinged, then I’d go up there and put her down.Christ—I was starting to think like him.

She didn’t answer the first five calls, but I redialed like I was trying to be the one hundredth caller on a radio show. I lost count after forty, but she still wasn’t picking up.

Maybe she’d taken care of it herself.

If Katya had fallen back into one of her spells, then it wasn’t far-fetched to believe her capable of hurting herself. I couldn’t go down that road.

I needed to get into the office—maybe I could find out a little more about her neighbor. I crept back inside and up the stairs. Lauren was in the same position I’d left her in thirty minutes ago and my heart clenched in my chest.

She was my world.

I leaned down and kissed her hair before grabbing a large duffel bag from the top shelf in my closet. I snagged my gun case and a small metal box of ammo. I’d have to declare it at the counter, but I wasn’t worried about that. As far as they knew, I was assisting with the Christine Stevens’ investigation.

I took the winding curves leading toward Cedar Ridge with the accelerator mashed down to the floorboard.

Once Katya called me back and admitted that she’d only told one person—her neighbor—I’d combed the system trying to make the connection. He had to have been the one leaving her notes, but it didn’t fit.

It was like forcing a round peg into a square hole.

They’d been seeing each other—if he was my guy, then I’d have expected him to make his move months ago.

While I’d been at the station, I’d gotten word that Sergeant Rendell wanted to see me. I knew what it was about—if Katya’s story had changed, then that meant mine had too. I promised to get with him after lunch before skipping out of the station and heading for the airport.

If I wanted to keep my promise to Lauren and everything I’d worked for, I was going to have to accept the club’s terms. I’d called Grey on the way, hoping he’d talk me out of it, but he’d quietly agreed that Katya disappearing would take the heat off of me and them.

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