Page 70 of Sinner's Sacrifice
“Fine,” the first officer said. “I’ll need your information. You can come in to give your statements tomorrow.” He looked at the two of them with a slight frown, but didn’t say anything else.
They gave their contact info to the officers, both of whom gave them side-long looks when the address was a hotel.
Yvgeny looked at Mason, who was standing behind the cordoned off area. He walked toward him. “Car?”
“This way, sir.” Mason led the way down the street about half a block to a black Cadillac.
“This is one of our cars?” Yvgeny asked.
“Yes, sir. Magnus and I switched vehicles so Baz and Magnus could take Sam’s friend in a yellow cab.”
“Is Baz okay?” Yvgeny asked, in a low tone as he settled in the back seat with Sam. He still held her in his arms, and when she wiggled to get free, he tightened his hold.
“It’s okay, Mr. Eccentric,” she said. “I can’t wear a seatbelt if I’m on your lap.”
He finally let her go, allowing her to strap-in, but took her hand as soon as it was free.
She held on with a grip tight enough to ease the ball of anger inside him, distracted him so he could sit still and not hunt the bastard down who’d hurt her.
“Baz is fine. He dragged out several people before the firefighters could stop him,” Mason said in a casual tone. “He’s pissed though. The explosion that caused the fire was the new yellow cab you gave him to drive.”
A cold frost settled over Yvgeny’s body. “Someone blew up one of my cab company’s cars?” He considered everything that had happened since. “It was parked in front of the building and blew up. Then when Sam went out the back door, because the front was no longer viable, she was grabbed by men in a fake ambulance.”
Mason nodded. “She was targeted, sir.”
“Why?” Sam asked. She met Yvgeny’s gaze. “Is it because someone thinks I’m your girlfriend? They want some kind of ransom?”
“The man in the back of the armored truck,” Yvgeny said, trying to keep his voice tentative. Calm. “Did he say anything to you? Ask you any questions?”
“What?” Sam asked, her gaze unfocused.
“The man in the truck...did he say anything to you?”
She sucked in a breath and tried to yank her hand out of his.
“Look at me,” he whispered. “Look at me, Samantha.”
At her name, she stopped trying to get away and made eye contact with him.
“I will never hurt you. I swear it.” He lifted her hand up so he could press a chaste kiss to her knuckles. “See only me.”
She stared at him, then grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his head down until his forehead rested against hers, then whispered, “He said, If you do what you’re told, you’ll be treated well enough. If you fight, they will fuck you up in more ways than you can imagine.”
Son of a bitch. Yvgeny’s breathing sped up.
Son of a fucking bitch. That stupid fucking doctor.
“Mason,” Yvgeny croaked out. “Be alert. The guy who attacked Sam knows our family business, and I don’t think he’s here alone.”
“Sir?” Mason asked, with at least twenty questions crammed into that one word.
“I need to call Baz. Nika may be in danger, too.”
“Family business?” Sam asked. “What did he mean?”
“You’re in danger.” Yvgeny swallowed hard. “From another family like ours.”
“You mean, like some kind of mob takeover?”