Page 115 of Hunt Me

No one said a single word. While only a few had ever seen me lose my temper, they knew exactly what I was capable of. I ended my silent warning by locking eyes with Vissarian who lifted his eyebrows.

Only Kazimir dared have a look of amusement on his face.

The unease in the room continued, a few of my captains shifting in their seats.

On top of there being no information on the man in question, the admittance there’d been a witness had leaked in the press. While names had yet to be mentioned, it was only a matter of time. I would have a discussion with Jack later this morning. If Bristol’s name was released, her life would be in danger.

Vissarian finally cleared his throat. “We’ll find him, Pakhan. We won’t stop until we do.” Every man in the room was waiting for my reaction.

I didn’t offer one. I was far too angry to be appeased.

“I don’t care what you are required to do. Find this man. I want him or someone who knows his identity brought to me within twelve hours. If not, there will be hell to pay.”

“We’ll find him, sir.” The voice of one captain didn’t sound convincing.

“Twelve hours. Someone knows something in this goddamn town. Use every goddamn resource. Every contact we have. Call in goddamn favors if you need to. I want him found. Dismissed.”

I was angrier than I’d been in a long time, so much so I could sense my blood pressure had increased. I immediately headed to the far window, smashing my palm against the glass. In the reflection I watched as the men filed out, not a single one of them uttering a word.

That was good because given the atrocious mood I was in, I was likely to use physical violence to get my point across.

Once they’d left, I sensed I wasn’t alone. “What is it, Vissarian?”

“A little rough on them, weren’t you?”

“Not nearly rough enough. How hard can it be to find a single man? There isn’t a hole big enough in this town or any other.”

He walked closer, flanking my side and staring at the skyline as I was. “Is it possible the information isn’t correct? I wasn’t going to suggest that in front of the others, but you have to consider the possibility.”

“That’s bullshit!” But it wasn’t. I’d already thought of the possibility more than once. In fact, I couldn’t be certain Bristol hadn’t purposely created someone to get me off her back.

“Maybe. Maybe not. Even if the picture is close, there are no distinguishing marks as you said yourself. It was dark. She was terrified. Plus, the perpetrator is wearing a hoodie.”

I closed and rubbed my eyes. “I get it. The fucking Irish are making fools of us. I’ve already had a discussion with a detective on the overdoses and I must tell you I didn’t like his insinuations.”

“They’re trying to rattle us, Mikhail, and they’re doing a damn good job. Look at the fucking news. They want us too busy chasing our tails.”

“For what reason? Why the cloak and dagger bullshit?”

“Because they want you looking the other way when they put a bullet in your head. That’s the simplest reason.”

“And the most complicated?” I threw out.

Vissarian sighed. “They want our properties, especially Ecstasy.”

“They’re not getting them.”

“I had a call from Mark Jenkins.”

I slowly lifted my head. “And?”

“And he received information that land Ecstasy sits on doesn’t belong to us.”

“What the…” Exhaling, I thought about how my father handled the property after the fire. I had no clue if they’d bought it outright or had simply taken it as their possession. Back then, knowing my father and uncle, they wouldn’t have bothered with traditional methods of handling real estate. “I’ll be damned. Let me guess. Anonymous.”

“Yes. This shit is getting messy, Mikhail. It’s also very personal. This is all about revenge. However, with you gone, they’ll feel free to put a strong arm on several other casino owners to sell at a much cheaper price while filling the streets with hard drugs. They’ll also feel free to try and take Ecstasy in a legal battle. Even if they fail, we’ll be ruined. As both our fathers taught us. Never underestimate the power of revenge. It never has an expiration date.”

I thought about what he’d said and fisted my hand, barely resisting smashing it into the glass. “Fuck this shit.”