Chapter Ten

Helena

F RIDAY AFTERNOON, I sat down opposite my subject and placed my digital recorder on the desk in between us and pushed the record button.

“This is Fire Marshal, Lieutenant Helena Bridges, investigating case number 00527894. Also present in this interview is Lieutenant Joshua Fields. The subject is Katya Lebedev, and this interview is being conducted at the Fire Marshal’s office, interview room one. The subject has been read her rights and has signed the knowing and intelligent waiver, stating as such. She has also declined the presence of counsel, although she was informed of her right to do so.”

I then folded my hands and focused on Katya. She was petite, shy, and looked terrified.

“Thank you for meeting with us today, Miss Lebedev. I know this is your day off, and we appreciate your time, as do your employers. I’m sure you’re aware of the fire that took place a few weeks ago at one of their jobsites. Yes?”

Katya nodded nervously.

“I’m sorry, but I need you to answer audibly for the recording.”

“Yes, I’m aware of the fire,” she replied softly in a strong Russian accent.

“Good. As I mentioned on our phone call earlier, we’re interviewing all employees of Wallace Brother’s Construction, in hopes of finding information about the person or persons responsible for the fire. I understand you’ve been in their employment for a little over three years, both as a custodian for their offices, and also as a housekeeper for several of the Wallace residents, is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“And how would you describe your business and personal relationship with the Wallace Brothers?”

“They have been very good to me. Always. Very fair and kind.”

“I understand you have a brother, Benicio, who lives full-time in a medical facility, is that right?”

Katya nodded. “Benny was in a car accident. A drunk driver hit him. His brain was damaged from the crash, and I can’t take care of him and work, so he lives at Stonebrook, and I work to support us both.”

“That must be very difficult for you.”

She nodded again but said nothing.

“It also sounds expensive,” I added.

Katya’s eyes darted to the floor as she continued nodding.

“I’m gonna have to ask you to answer audibly for me, okay?” I reminded her.

“Yes, Stonebrook is very expensive, but I work hard, and we manage.”

“I looked into it, Katya. Benny’s care at Stonebrook costs one-hundred sixty-five thousand dollars a year. And you only make eighty-five thousand working for the Wallace Brothers. A nice paycheck, but not enough to pay the rent for both you and Benny.”

“I have family in Russia who help us out as well.”

I shook my head. “That’s what you told the Wallaces as well, but that’s not true is it?”

Katya began to fidget in her seat.

“The only living relative of yours we could find back in Russia is your eighty-two-year-old uncle Vladimir, who lives in the back room of a bicycle shop in Myshkin and survives by doing odd jobs. So, I highly doubt, old uncle Vlad is making up the difference.”

“You sure you don’t want to have an attorney present?” Lieutenant Fields asked.

Katya shook her head. “No.”

“How are you paying for Benny’s treatments?”

Katya burst into tears but didn’t answer my question.

I pressed on, “We know Peregrine Industries has been depositing large sums of money into your account for the past sixteen months. And we know Peregrine is a shell company for someone in Russia.”

Katya slid her hands toward me, forming a prayer motion. “Please, they’ll kill Benny if I say anything to you.”

“No, Katya. I won’t let that happen. The police can protect Benny, but I need you to be completely honest with me. Do you understand?”

“I only wanted to help my brother,” Katya cried.

“You still can, Katya. If you tell me everything you know, we can get Benny the help and protection he needs. I promise you.”

“They promised no one would get hurt and that insurance would pay for the damaged properties. I didn’t want to help them, but I’m the only person Benny has, and I have to take care of him.”

“Who are they and how do you know them?”

“I don’t. They found me. I’d already been working for the Wallaces when Benny had his accident. He’d just been released from the hospital when Z first called me.”

“Z?”

“Zivon Petrakov,” she replied.

“Jesus Christ,” Lieutenant Fields hissed, and for good reason.

Zivon Petrakov was the eldest son of Chechen crime boss Ilya Petrakov. The head of one of Russia’s largest crime families, and the man responsible for the ‘Victory Day Massacre’ of 2009. On that horrible day, nineteen members of the Novikov family, men, women, and children, were slaughtered in their beds. Killed by Ilya Petrakov’s men after Sasha Novikov, an honorable and upstanding man, refused to pay protection tax to him. After that day, no one refused Ilya Petrakov anything. Now it appears his eldest son, Zivon, was following in his footsteps.

“What exactly did Z ask you to do?” I asked.

“Just little things at first, like making copies of their cell phone bills, or stealing little things for him. Stuff that seemed harmless, really.”

“Things like Cullen Wallace’s expired driver’s license?”

“Yes,” she replied. The shame of what she’d done was evident in her voice.

“What else?” I asked.

“I gave him the company credit card number and security passcode.”

“That explains how the Chlorine Trifluoride was purchased,” I said.

“I didn’t start the fire,” Katya said.

“But that was you driving the Wallace Brothers Construction van near the scene of the fire, wasn’t it?”

“I took the spare keys from Cade’s desk and drove around the neighborhood just like Z told me.”

“Why the hell would the Petrakov family of Russia want Wallace properties torched?” Fields asked.

“More importantly, why would they want to frame the Wallaces for the job?” I asked.

“He didn’t tell me,” Katya said. “He just gave me money to do it. I helped you, now you have to help my brother. You promised.”

“I will help you and your brother, just like I promised, but I’m going to need a lot more help from you before that happens. First of all, does Z or anyone else know that you’re here today?”

“No. I came here straight from home, and I didn’t talk to anyone.”

“Good. I want you to keep it that way. If Z calls again, I want you to write down everything he says, and then I want you to call me right away, okay?”

Katya nodded.

“Good. I want you to act like nothing’s wrong. Don’t say anything about the Fire Marshal’s office, this conversation or anything. Got that?”

“Got it,” she said, wiping the tears from her face.

“Good girl,” I replied.

When I called Katya in for her interview today I thought I’d be a stone’s throw away from solving this case and moving on. Little did I know the truth was buried under six feet of Russian winter snow.

* * *

Cullen

I was at my desk, modifying a floor plan for a client when my phone buzzed. ‘SCORPION CALLING’ popped up on the screen, so I answered it immediately. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“You good?”

She sighed. “I met with Katya today.”

“Uh-oh,” I breathed out. “Can you share?”

“She did it. Not the arson part, but the setting you up part.”

“Jesus,” I hissed.

“It’s all on record, witnessed, and we’ve turned it over to Vancouver PD and the DA. You’re cleared. But you’re going to need to find out what motives Russian mobsters would have to burn down your buildings.”

I palmed an eye socket. “I’ve already got Hatch on that.”

“Good.”

“Jesus, this is bad if you’re okay with me getting my brother’s club involved.”

“I think you need the backup, Cullen. This is outside of my expertise,” she admitted.

“Okay, baby, well at least it’s finished, and you and I can go public now.”

“Um…”

I groaned. “What?”

“We should still give it a little time for the dust to settle.”

“You’re still comin’ over tomorrow, right?”

“Definitely.”

“Good.” I relaxed and forced a smile. “You gonna stay?”

“Can we play it by ear?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, I have to go.”

“Hey,” I called.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for working so hard to find the truth,” I said. “You’re a fuckin’ rock star.”

“Of course. Always.”

“Talk to you tonight.”

“Okay. Bye.”

We rang off just as Cade walked into the office. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey. Lieutenant Bridges just called.”

“And?” he asked, hanging up his coat.

“We’re clear. Katya confessed.”

“Jesus,” he hissed just as Cameron walked in.

“What’s going on?”

“Have a seat,” I said. “I’ll fill you both in.”

Cameron grabbed a cup of coffee, and then I walked them through what Helena had told me.

“Great, so it’s over?” he asked, rising to his feet to refill his cup.

“Looks that way,” I said.

“Does that mean you can fuck the hot fire lieutenant now?”

“I swear to Christ, brother,” I warned, standing.

“Take it down a notch,” Cade snapped. “Both of you. Jesus, Cam, why you gotta poke the bear?”

“Because I can.” He grinned, lifting his cup to his lips, but before he could take a sip, I shoved the bottom of it and coffee spilled down his chin, neck, and shirt. “Goddammit!” he growled.

“Let that be a lesson,” I retorted, and sat back down.

“Go clean up,” Cade ordered. “We have a shit ton to do, including getting these homes rebuilt.”

“Now that we’ve been cleared, I can get the insurance claim in,” I said.

The rest of the day passed without incident, and I headed home, tired but with a huge weight off my shoulders.

* * *

Helena

Saturday afternoon, I pulled up to Cullen’s home, and made my way to his front door, but it was opened before I could ring the bell. “Well, hi there.”

He grinned, pulling me in for a kiss. “Hey, beautiful.”

“How did the rest of your day go yesterday?” I asked as he helped me with my jacket.

“Good, baby. Yours?”

“Good. I’m about to close my other case, so as long as nothing else comes in over the next few days, I can take some time to breathe.” I turned and slid my arms up his chest.

“Has your uncle backed off?”

“He’s being positively delightful.”

Cullen frowned. “Should that worry me?”

“Not yet.” I slid my fingers through his hair at the back of his neck. “Am I cooking now?”

“You can .”

I raised an eyebrow. “Or?”

“Or we can do something else. Something way more fun.”

“Like?” I pressed.

“Something naked,” he asked hopefully.

“Oh, yeah,” I breathed out, and he laughed.

He kissed me again, then lifted me and threw me over his shoulder. I let out a squeal as he carried me down the hall to his bedroom. He set me gently on my feet and I watched in awe as Cullen removed his shirt, exposing his well-defined chest born out of hard work. Wide shoulders, bulging biceps, and defined abs nicely on show due to next to no hair across his chest. I could barely catch my breath.

“Cullen,” I rasped.

“Your turn,” he ordered, and I stripped as quickly as I could.

Within seconds, he was on me.

He slid one arm around my waist and set me on his mattress. Yes. God, yes. I lifted myself up on both elbows and watched him at the foot of the bed as he took a few deep breaths. Then he smiled slowly before bending and removing the rest of his clothes.

“Oh, god, Cullen,” I whimpered. Naked and in all his glory, I was sure I’d come on the spot. Jesus, his cock was like something out of a romance novel. It was perfect. He was also huge.

Before I could mention the beauty of him, he was between my knees and pulling my legs apart. I let out a quiet squeak as he went in, one knee to the bed, his mouth between my thighs and I could no longer think.

I fisted my hands in the comforter and my head fell back as I spread my legs wider, giving him more access.

“Yes, baby,” I panted, sliding one hand into his hair, and weaving my fingers into the thickness. I pushed him into me.

He sucked, licked, bit, and blew until I could no longer hold back an orgasm, crying out his name, then I lost his mouth but only long enough for him to grab a condom out of his jeans’ pocket.

I licked my lips as he rolled the condom halfway on and I started to lose my breath again.

“Please don’t take all day,” I begged.

Cullen chuckled as he knelt between my legs again but instead of getting his cock, he slid two fingers over my clit before driving them inside.

“Oh, god,” I breathed out as I fell onto my back, lifting my knees, and then the head of his cock was at my entrance.

“Are you ready, baby?” he asked as he continued to stretch me with his fingers.

“God, yes. Hurry, Cullen.”

He slid in and I took him halfway, then he thrust, hard and deep and I nearly came undone. I grabbed onto his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his waist. “More, baby.”

He gave me more, opening me, filling me, slowing down to rock against me, which worked my clit and drove me to distraction. Absolute, delicious agony.

“Harder, Cullen.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

I focused on him and saw the dark hunger in his eyes. “You won’t. I trust you.”

He rocked again, still entirely too gently.

“Cullen,” I growled, digging my heels into his ass. “This is not the time to be my dandelion.”

“I. Don’t. Want. To. Hurt. You,” he bit out.

“You won’t!” I snapped.

“Baby—”

I grabbed his face and hissed, “Cullen! I swear to god, if you don’t shove your dick so hard into my vagina, I’m going to lose my mind.”

He dropped to his elbow, and with a powerful thrust, filled me. Finally.

With a cry, I arched up into him, holding on tight as he buried himself deep.

“Jesus,” he groaned as he drove into me.

He moved faster and faster, harder and harder as I grabbed his biceps and held on for dear life. I dug my heels in deeper as he thrust in but when his thumb pressed against my clit I was gone.

I kissed his shoulder, muffling my scream as he slid his arm under me and held it around my waist to keep me still as he continued to thrust inside of me, fucking me harder still.

I didn’t know it could get any better, but it did.

His head whipped back, a grunt seemingly coming from his chest as his hips ground deep, and then he came. I felt his dick pulse inside of me, stretching me again, and he rolled us to our sides, relieving me of his weight.

He stroked my cheek. “Did I hurt you?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“Next time, we’ll go slower.”

“I’ll take it however you give it to me,” I said.

“You sure?”

“Did it sound like I wasn’t enjoying it?” I challenged.

He smiled. “Point taken.”

I chuckled. “Literally.”

“I’m going to get rid of the condom,” he said, sliding gently out of me.

I stretched like a well-fed cat, then rolled over so I could watch Cullen walk back to me… just as his doorbell pealed.

“Who the fuck is that?” he bit out, snagging his phone off the nightstand and glancing at the screen. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my sister.”

I jumped up. “Oh my god!”

“And Hatch.”

I knifed off the bed. “Shit!”

“I’ll get rid of them,” he promised, dragging on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. “Stay here.” He kissed me gently and left the room.