Fatally Yours

Chapter 24

•INDIANA•

Lee told me to take a few days off until Dominik finally cools down. Then, they could call me back in if they needed me for something. I didn't argue or say anything because I knew everyone else was also on edge after what happened that night, and they didn't want to intervene, fearing it might anger Dominik further.

So, I decided to relax at home while waiting for their call. In the meantime, I started doing some research on my own. I had pinned some pictures and red strings across the whiteboard where I'd been keeping notes.

All the information I'd gathered on the Valahia Syndicate was on the whiteboard, and this is where I'd been spending my free time—writing important side notes about the inner members and making connections with people they do business with so that I wouldn't forget who's acquainted with whom.

I finished my notes and turned the whiteboard to face the other, empty side, hiding the notes I'd made against the wall. My burner phone chimed with a new text message, so I quickly grabbed it off the dresser and opened the message.

The person I'd been looking forward to hearing from all day had finally texted back, and I couldn't help but smile while reading it. After putting the phone down, I started getting ready to meet them.

OoO

I ordered a gin and tonic and waited by the bar for my drink and my visitor to arrive. The latter ended up arriving first, after three minutes of waiting for my drink to be prepared.

He quietly slipped onto the stool beside me, leaving one empty seat between us to make us appear like complete strangers having a drink at the bar. The bartender handed me my drink and then turned to him.

"Whiskey. Neat," my uncle ordered smoothly, and I couldn't help but smirk.

I knew he'd go for whiskey; it was what he always ordered at the bar.

"How have you been?" he asked without making direct eye contact, just looking straight ahead, as was I before I responded.

"Good. You?"

"Alive and kicking." I chuckled and placed my drink down.

"How are things at the station?" I asked.

He received his drink from the bartender before answering.

"Busy, as usual. Officer Jones sends her regards." His words warmed my heart.

I missed Mel. I'd have to arrange a secret meeting with her also, but with how things have been lately, it won't be anytime soon, or I'll be putting both of us at risk.

"I've got intel for you," he continued.

"Oh, do tell," I replied before sipping my drink.

"There will be a private auction on the 25th hosted by one of the wealthiest families from Europe. My C.I. has confirmed they'll be auctioning a necklace that went missing from a museum in Paris. It's worth 10 million dollars. The necklace disappeared over a decade ago and has passed from family to family, sold in private auctions all over."

He briefly paused as the bartender walked by, taking a quick sip of his drink before continuing.

"Authorities haven't managed to track which family currently possesses the necklace until now. My source inside sent over proof."

He casually took out a brown envelope and slid it across the bar toward me, not looking anywhere else but straight ahead. I did the same, placing my hand over the envelope and pulling it in front of me.

"Inside, you'll find pictures of the necklace, so you must memorize its appearance. Your next task will be to attend that auction with the Valahia Syndicate and make sure they purchase the necklace. This way, the stolen jewel will be with them, and we'll finally have leverage."

He turned his head to the side for the first time, and I mirrored him, meeting his gaze.

"They've been quiet for too long, and I'm afraid they're planning something bigger. If you can get them to buy the necklace, it will give us grounds to open an investigation. It's not enough to take them down, but it's a start to keep them in check if they're really up to something."

I clutched the envelope tighter, staring at the glass counter. His words made me wonder if the rumors about the Valahia Syndicate planning something big were true.

I've been with them for a few weeks now, and so far, everything has been running smoothly. If they were planning something big, I would know, right? Still, I should be cautious.

The bar faced the entrance directly, and when the door chime announced a new arrival, the sight of the person who walked in made my heart drop. I quickly turned on my stool to face the other way before Lee could catch a glimpse of my face.

Shit, what is he doing here?

The bar was far from town, pretty low-key, and not nearly posh enough for Lee to waste his time here. That's why I chose this place to meet my uncle—because I thought the chances of running into a member of the Valahia Syndicate were slim to none.

Or had I spoken too soon?

"Lee is here," I whispered to my uncle, who downed his drink in one go and slipped off his stool.

"I'll distract him. You slip out the back."

I quickly followed his instructions. Just before disappearing around the corner, I paused to see what my uncle was doing. I hid my smile when I saw him swaying on his feet, pretending to be drunk, then collapsing into Lee's arms and mumbling nonsense that would probably make Lee think he was just some drunk fool.

But I was glad I'd managed to meet him today and get this intel. Now it was time to make my next move.

I slipped out the back door and jogged down the dark, empty alleyway. My car was parked across the street, so I needed to get there quickly and drive home. But as I exited the alley and turned the corner, I collided with something solid and stumbled back in surprise.

I looked up and froze in shock as a pair of familiar mismatched green eyes stared back at me, mirroring my expression for a solid minute before his eyes narrowed.

"Well, fancy seeing you here."