Page 41 of Unbridled Fire
Maxim retrieved the kit and tenderly cleaned my wounds. I could tell he was shaken up at the violence, but sadly, I didn’t think it was enough to turn him to my side.
A silent timer ticked in my head, and I wondered if I should just lie to Oskar to save my life. That would only buy me a small amount of time, though, if Dmitry was going to make more deposits to implicate Michael.
Lost in the clusterfuck, the wheels chugged in my brain as I tried to think of a solution.
Leo
I struggled through my meeting the next morning, my mind on Katia as I waited for it to end. As soon as it did, I hightailed it out of the office and headed to the Nassau County Medical Examiner’s office. My dad had a friend who worked there, and I hoped he’d do an off-the-books test for the delivery bag.
I arrived and showed my credentials before being buzzed into the elevator to the second floor. There, I was greeted by Dr. Marty Shoemaker.
“Well, well,” Marty said, arching a brow above his white lab coat. “You never show up here unless you need something I can’t talk to anyone else about.”
“I need you to test this,” I said, lifting the zip lock bag that held the evidence. “It’s going to be a long shot, but if it has any traceable DNA, I need it.”
Concern entered Marty’s brown eyes. “Your dad was the best cop I knew, so I’m always happy to help you, Leo.” He began walking down the hallway toward his lab, urging me to follow. “But I have one year left until retirement. This isn’t going to get me in trouble or fuck up my pension, is it?”
“I hope not,” I said as we entered the lab. “But if it does, I’ll pay for your whole goddamned pension. It’s that important.”
Marty donned a pair of gloves and took the evidence. As he examined it, his eyes lifted to me occasionally, studying me.
“I’ve never seen you this frazzled. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re the most emotionless guy I know. What’s so important about this evidence?”
“The less you know, the better. I don’t want to get you involved any more than you already are.”
“Fair enough. This is going to take me a half an hour at least. Go down to the vending machine and have a soda while I work. The silence will help me go faster.”
I nodded and stalked downstairs, my skin prickling with the knowledge that Katia was still in captivity. Fear caused my veins to turn to ice as I prayed for the thousandth time that she was safe and unharmed.
Eventually, I headed back upstairs to get the results.
Marty pressed his palms to the table and pointed to the evidence.
“I tried my best, son, but there’s nothing salvageable. I’m very sorry.”
“Shit,” I whispered, harshly rubbing my eyebrows. “I appreciate you trying.”
“The bag does have a manufacturer’s name on the bottom, but it’s a large company that supplies many restaurants.”
“I don’t know what I was hoping to find,” I said, shaking my head. “I just want to find her. Ineedto find her...”
Comprehension entered Marty’s eyes and he approached me. Gently patting my shoulder, he formed a sympathetic smile. “Then, you’ll find her son. And once she’s safe, I hope to meet her.”
My throat bobbed as I swallowed. “I hope so too. Come to the bar one weekend, okay? Dad and I miss you.”
“I will. Things have been tough since Miriam passed away.”
“I get that,” I said, squeezing his shoulder. “Text me anytime.”
Marty nodded and I patted his arm before leaving the lab. There was no need for me to hold onto the evidence, and I knew Marty would dispose of it surreptitiously.
Once back in my car, I texted Alexis and Michael to see if they had any updates. Michael informed me that Oskar was back, but he’d headed into the city early this morning. Joaquin and Enzo had lost his SUV in the busy rush hour traffic, so they were now parked in front of his apartment building, waiting for him to return.
Feeling helpless, I headed to the office to complete some reports so Daniel wouldn’t suspect anything. Once I finished, I would head out and resume the search for Katia. By God, I wouldn’t stop until I found her, no matter how long it took.
Chapter 15
Katia
