Page 53 of Arseni

Holding up his hands, he shakes his head.“You look like shit.”

I toss the pack next to an ashtray in the center of the table.“Long day.”

Hudson checks his watch.“It’s mid-morning.”

My shoulders lift and fall.“So how the hell are you, Suds?”

His lips spread into a grin.A slow,knowinggrin that reminds me how human I am.I swear I can lie to most in the Bratva, but Hudson sees right through me, even after all this time.That’s the power of history.

“You called me out here to ask how I am?”

I stare blankly as if I’m confused.Taking another drag, smoke collecting in my lungs allows me a few moments’ hesitation.I blow it out the side of my mouth then rest the burning cigarette in a groove of the ashtray.“You told me you wanted to get a beer, remember?”

“That’s what people are supposed to say when they run into old friends.I’m a cop now, Ars… You think I didn’t run your name as soon as I had a minute to kill?”

I don’t say anything.My heel taps against the metal leg of the stool as I think through my next words.Part of me just wants to spit out my questions and get this over with.The other part knows better.Hudson can read me because he knows me at my core.I know him just the same.

He looks around as if he thinks someone is eavesdropping, but the only people in here are us, a guy drinking at the bar, and the bartender busy staring at the forecast on a mounted TV.Hudson leans toward me.“What would your bosses think if they knew you were sitting with a cop?”

They’d think I should die.No questions asked.No chance to defend myself.

It’s telling that I’m here at all.

Again, I don’t respond.He knows I’m with the Bratva, but he isn’t stupid enough to believe I’d admit it.He managed to get a 17% in Algebra, but he’s got a graduate degree in street education.

“Whatever you want, it must be important.”

“It is.”

He lifts a hand, his eyebrows raising as if to tell me to get on with it.I flatten my palms on the table while leaning toward him.

“You know the old foster mom of mine we talked about the other day ...Margot Stevens?”

He nods.

“I read in the papers this morning that they found child pornography in her house.”

Hudson’s eyes gloss over a moment before lighting up.He jabs an excited finger at me.“Holy shit, right, that was her.I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together.You know she’s on the run?”

“That’s what I read.”

Hudson looks around again.His voice is hushed when he speaks.“Between you and me… What’s in the newspapers isn’t all she’s got a warrant out for.There’s an eighteen-year-old rich kid who’s claiming they’ve been hooking up for years.His parents put out a hundred-thousand-dollar reward for anyone who has information on her whereabouts.”

I blink several times.“Who’s the kid?”

Hudson smiles.“Come on, man.You know I can’t tell you that.”

My head turns while I try to make sense of that, but I can’t.The guy stalking Margot would be my age by now.Unless she was lying.

But no, she wasn’t.No fucking way could she fake all that.

I shake my head.“Whatever information you have is bogus.Margot is innocent.Trust me, if she was a pedophile, I would know it.”

Hudson laughs.“Just because she didn’t wanna fuck you doesn’t mean she isn’t a predator, man… Although, that’s gotta sting.”He winks before taking another swig of his beer.

“I’m serious, Hudson… She’s being set up.”

He shrugs.“Okay, so?What do you care?”

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