Page 140 of Ford

“I thought the Bryant League was out of the picture,” RJ said. She’d investigated the two men whom Tate and Knox had suspected of blowing up the San Antonio arena a couple months ago and determined their ties with the Bryant League were loose, at best.

“Who knows. All we know is that somebody tried to blow up the conservative VP and presidential candidates a couple weeks ago.” Tate nodded toward Ford and Scarlett. “They were there. They helped stop them.”

RJ didn’t know this story. “When?”

“While you were AWOL and chasing international assassins, Tate was leaping from a tall building to save his girlfriend,” Ford said.

RJ stared at her brother. “What?”

“Because of the tip you called in to Ford about the suspected bomber changing his name, we were able to track him down and stop him. The man said something strange, however, before he took a header off a building—something about VP candidate Reba Jackson being in league with Russia.”

“Whenwas this?” RJ asked.

“Two weeks ago.”

“Right about the time that the general was attacked.” She ran her finger around the rim of her glass. “You don’t suppose he knew anything about that?”

Tate lifted a shoulder. “I did find out how the Bratva found me in Vegas—someone on Jackson’s campaign—her assistant—alerted them.”

“The Bratva?” Ford said. He looked at Scarlett and back to Tate. “We ran into them in Moscow. They tried to kidnap Scarlett.”

“And York threw one of the gang members off the train after they attacked us,” RJ said. “We thought maybe the assassin was in league with them.”

“Who did Coco think was behind the assassination attempt?” Ham asked, leaning forward.

“A guy named Gustov. He and York have a past.”

“Damien Gustov?” Ham asked.

RJ frowned, nodded. “Do you know him?”

“When I was in Chechnya, there was a rumor about this guy—blond guy from the Urals who came down to train with the CRI, a Chechen rebel group. They say he trained the guys who attacked the school in Beslan.”

Scarlett turned to look at RJ as she asked, “Blond guy. Pocked face. Clubbed ears?”

Everyone went quiet.

RJ nodded, adding. “He had an accent, even in his Russian.”

“Why would Gustov be working with the Bratva?”

“And we’re back to weapons,” Tate said. “The Bratva’s main money stream is arms, with trafficking a close second. They kill Stanislov, get Petrov into power, start another cold war…money, honey.” Tate shook his head. “I can’t believe I was involved with them.”

“Different life. Different you,” RJ said. “Desperation makes us do reckless things.”

He offered her a wry smile.

Even Ford nodded.

But her gaze landed on Wyatt, whose mouth had tightened. “She’s in trouble. I know it—”

She—oh, Coco.

“She’s with York,” RJ said. “He’s capable of taking care of her—”

“She wasshot!” His voice reverberated into the air.

No one spoke.