Page 79 of Brooklyn Bratva

His chin rose as he looked me over, and I had to admire how ballsy he was. I frowned.

“Katja? She works with Becca.” And at Tatiana’s.

“Yeah. Yeah I guess she does.”

I wasn’t in the mood for this. He needed to get to the point. All I wanted to do was drive across the state and get Becca back. There was no reason for Katja to be sending me messages through Jerome.

I folded one arm across my chest. “Why are you here?”

Jerome shifted, scratching at the back of his neck. “…Your name’s Kovalenko, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, well. Then the Russian guy’s you.” Jerome nodded, eyeing the gun. “Hey, man. Can you point that somewhere else? I’m trying to help you out here.”

I didn’t lower the gun. With a slow exhale, I repeated my question. “Let’s try again. Why are you here?”

Jerome swallowed. “Right. The gun stays. Okay, no big deal. I’m just being a decent guy here, that’s all.”

“Get to the point. You’re blocking my doorway.”

“You know a little old lady? Mrs. Kovalenko.”

I bristled at the mention of Mama. What did he have to do with her? Why would Katja know her at all. “What about her?”

“They took her to this place. Katja told me to come find you before they do something to her.”

“Who took her? What place? You’re going to have to give me more than that. What is this? You don’t even know what you’re telling me.”

“I don’t know. You’re asking me for names now? I told you, man, I don’t know names. It’s the guy who pays me for the phones. He’s got her, and Katja thinks he’s gonna do something bad, because she doesn’t wanna play ball anymore, and I don’t know man. They all started talking Ukranian.”

“Ruslan.” I growled, feeling the rage coursing through my body. I’d let him go, shown mercy. He was foolish enough to make me regret it. “I told you to keep clear of him.”

“Look, I’m trying. He a nasty fuck. I dunno what he’s planning, but Katja was real scared he was gonna do something, otherwise she never would have sent me. I swear. She’s the only reason I’m here.”

I frowned at him, trying to assess whether he was telling the truth. If there was an angle, I couldn’t see it. The kid couldn’t lie for shit. Couldn’t even remember not to give me his girlfriend’s name. I hadn’t thought Jerome was her type, but maybe she was done with men like Ruslan and Grigori’s other boys tossing her around between them.

Maybe I was too trusting because he wasn’t one of the Ukranians. I was already on high alert at the thought of something happening to Mama.

All I wanted was to go and get Becca, and sort everything out with her dad. The last thing I needed today was more trouble. But it had found me.

“Listen to me, Jerome, if you’re bullshitting me, I will find out. And me and my Russian friends will turn you into a grease smudge on the sidewalk. You understand me?”

His skinny arms shot up high in a surrender gesture. “Man, if I could tell you any more, I would. I swear it. All I wanna do is make enough money so me and Katja can get out. That’s the only reason I’m messed with them.”

Against my better judgement I felt myself soften towards the kid. He wasn’t like Ruslan. I could see that.

“Okay Jerome. Today’s your lucky day. You’re my wingman.”

“Oh no. I dunno about that. Like I said, I’m out on bail.”

“Relax,” I told him as I reached for my badge. I clipped it onto my belt and pulled on the shoulder holster for my Glock. “How else am I going to find this place without you, huh? You’re doing a public service. I’ll make sure it’s all taken into account. I’m a cop, remember.”

—

I walked us across the road to the precinct, keeping Jerome close. As desperate as he was to slink back into the woodwork, I couldn’t let him. Until I had Mama back, he was the only link to the information I needed.

I thought he might do something stupid, like try to make a run for it when I stopped to sign out a patrol car, but one glare from me stopped his twitching.

Any other day, I’d have taken my car, but Ruslan had gone after my mother and he’d lied to me. He was set on making this public. So I was going to give him that slow death I’d promised, but the priority was finding Mama. Everything else could wait.

CHAPTER 39

Becca

Off the phone with Katja, I stormed downstairs with the bag I hadn’t even unpacked slung over my shoulder and I grabbed my jacket off the bannister.

Going through to the kitchen, I opened the fridge, planning to grab something quick that I could eat on the move. The vodka the night before hadn’t done me any favors. Along with the short night and all the worry, I felt like a train wreck.

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