Rex—the Prez of the Satan’s Sinners’ MC.
But that didn’t make any sense.
Unless…
“If Hawk’s Old Lady,” I stated, not wanting to name Amara, “identified them, then they die?” At his nod, I mused, “A solid decision process.”
Thanks to an unusual condition, Amara had never forgotten a face she’d seen. As a Sparrow sex slave, that meant she recognized either victims or fuckers in need of having their dicks cut off and their throats slashed.
Kuznetsov released a sharp bark of laughter. “And this, granddaughter, is why I never recruited you into the Brotherhood. It would have made my life a hell of a lot easier, I assure you, if I’d been able to have you on my team from the beginning, but how could I when your morals are beyond dubious?”
“Product of my environment, old man.”
He narrowed his eyes at my disrespectful tone, but whatever he threw at me, I’d dish back.
I wasn’t scared of him.
“If you don’t intend on utilizing our methods, then how will you do this?” Conor persisted, ignoring the mutinous glares Kuznetsov and I shared.
“Interpol.”
“Interpol?”
“You’ve heard of them, I presume?” he bit off sarcastically.
“Why them?”
“I trust the leadership.”
“Meaning they’re Brothers,” I complained.
“Not all of them, and Sparrows have systematically been weeded from their ranks.”
My mouth tightened. “What would you do?”
“Develop a special task force to deal with the Sparrows themselves. Who knows which names will crop up during this investigation? It’s not something that can be swept under the carpet, nor is it possible to murder every individual who pledged themselves to their cause.” At my sniff, he argued, “There are millions of them around the globe, Star. Their deaths, whether you like it or not, will trigger questions. And this is not 1930s Russia!”
“He’s right,” Conor muttered.
Mouth tight, I nodded. “I know he is.” That didn’t mean I had to like it.
“The body may be frail but the mind is not weak,” Kuznetsov rumbled, sinking back the final dregs in his wine glass. “This plan has been underway for a long time. Ever since you became involved with them, to be precise.
“You can judge me as you want, granddaughter, but I pushed back retirement from my position to ensure that you see justice for what happened to you.”
Discomfort tunneled its way inside me. His words would mean something if I trusted him, but how could I?
He could tell me anything and make it fit a narrative that would get me on his side.
There was one undeniable truth that he couldn’t run away from—he hadn’t come to me. I’d had to find him. The concerned ‘grandfather’ role, until he put weight behind it, was just an act.
Thus, I dismissed him and his help. “I could handle this on my own.”
“No, you couldn’t. This is power beyond anything you’ve come across. We’re not just talking about some dirty cops in the NYPD. They’ve infiltrated the most powerful offices in the US. And that’s not accounting for the European and Asian bodies—”
“If you’re so worriednow, where were you when I was being passed around as a cum dump?”
He flinched, his muscles locking up.