Page 190 of Bossy Hero

Lettie sets down her bottle of water and cocks a doubting eyebrow at her father. “Well, why didn’t the chief tell you where? I thought he was done keepin’ secrets from us.”

“This isn’t the type of info Bigsby has easy access to. He does things for Lenkovlocally, not internationally. None of this has been discussed with him by the source.”

“How does he know it’s happening at all then?” Sue asks.

Alan’s eyes quickly bounce to Tomer and then back to Sue. “His daughter, Katia, is feeding him information from inside Lenkov’s compound.”

A sound emanates from Tomer that can only be described as a growl. I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume he isn’t a fan of Katia.

I trade questioning glances with Sammy. Kri must notice our confusion because she leans over and whispers. “Katia is his least favorite subject. Tomer doesn’t trust her at all. And he’s been adamant about it every step of the way. Looks like tonight’s revelations have done little to change his perception.”

My curiosity is piqued. However, I let it go for now, since I’m really only here as an eavesdropper. I’ll ask Alan for the scoop later.

Unless someone else happens to ask now, she thought hopefully.

I scan the table. No takers.

Drats.

Funny enough, Sammy isn’t barking out questions. She and Lettie are just passing the popcorn back and forth. They’re gobbling it up as fast as the others in here are wolfing down all of the information from Alan.

Leo shifts in his chair, propping his cheek on his hand. “To sum this shit up... if we can catch Lenkov trafficking all of hisproductsout of the country, it’ll be enough to take him down once and for all?”

Alan sighs heavily. “That’s the idea.”

Mia rubs small circles on her temples. “On top of that, we’ll need to figure out how to keep the chief’s long-running role in the bratva out of the bust so he doesn’t go down with the ship.”

“Patterson too,” Klein adds. “Oh, and don’t forget Katia. We need to ensure she’s protected when this shit goes down. And anyone else who Lenkov has trapped against their will.”

“Piece of cake,” Shep grumbles sarcastically. He glances at his boss and flippantly tosses, “Did we get it all? Sounds almost too easy.”

Alan grins but tries to hide it behind his hand. “We need to remember that Lenkov is a wild card. He’s as smart as he is evil, and a lot can change in the next few months. As for now, if he has any reason to suspect Katia of spying on him, the January date and location might be a decoy that he let her overhear. For all we know, his plans could change ten times over by then. And we’re not even sure exactly what he’s moving or how. There’s a lot still in play. Tonight was a huge step forward, but we’ve still got our work cut out for us.”

Sawyer places his hand on Sammy’s thigh, and she laces their fingers together. “Are we planning on staying here at Redlegfor months?” He glances at Sammy’s belly. “I mean, our twins are due before January, and we’re not even married yet. This isn’t exactly an ideal situation for us.”

“It’s okay, babe,” she comforts him.

They share a look that could melt the most frigid heart. So much compassion, love, and support in their relationship.

Gah. Now I’m getting misty-eyed.

Alan notices my reaction, his gaze warming as if sending me his affection across the room. He clears his throat and settles his eyeline on the table. “I’m gonna finish that rotation schedule. We can’t stay here all the time. We’ll go mad.”

“At least we’re safe,” Lettie offers, sprinkling some positivity on the suddenly bleak vibe.

Sweet child.

As seems to be his way, Tomer redirects them to work tasks. “Boss, knowing what we know now, where do you want our focus between now and January?”

“For starters, I need to know more about the mayor’s involvement. Keep working there. Additionally, I want you to continue digging into the list of seventy-two. Wewillbe taking it public at some point. Bigsby and Patterson confirmed those people are all repeat customers of the trafficking services.”

My gut sours. Poor Lettie.

Yet the way she’s healing is nothing short of miraculous. I’ve heard she’s had some rough times here and there, but she’s still come so far.

Klein’s voice is thick with disgust as he asks, “Even the undersheriff?”

“Yeah, man,” Alan answers despondently, his face down and posture sagging.

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