As he bared his heart, I felt mine soften. I could agree with what he was saying. Moving closer, I placed my hand on his leg. Seeing him so vulnerable made my insides tingly and warm.
Kolya placed his hand on mine, squeezing tenderly. Maybe I was judging him too quickly. He has this macho front he puts up. But inside, inside, he seemed soft and kind. Picking his hand up with both of mine, I spoke softly. “Thank you for talking to me. For trusting me and telling me the truth.”
Leaning his head towards me, he lowered it onto my shoulder. Lying mine against his, I heard him whispering. “Thank you.”
The pain was still present in his voice. I couldn’t imagine how he was feeling or what he was going through. But I knew my heart was aching for him. I was glad to discover he had asensitive, good side. I felt a deeper connection to him, having heard more about his life.
We sat for hours. Eventually, I felt his head getting heavier. Shifting slowly, I lowered him to the couch. He was asleep. I didn’t want to wake him up. After covering him with the blanket from the back, I headed to bed.
Chapter 19 - Kolya
The sound of knocking on the door pulled my attention from the email before me. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed the uniforms before even seeing their faces. I sat back in my chair as I gestured for them to enter. As they approached my desk, I let out a sharp exhale. This was another mess coming to upset me.
“Good morning, Mr. Aslanov. I’m Agent James,” The first man in the dark grey suit announced. Turning to look at the man next to him, he continued. “This is Agent Brian.” The two men looked at me as they flashed their badges.
“We’re from the Department of Justice,” Brian, his partner, added. “Do you have a few moments for us? Our boss, Mr. Martin Knowles, has sent us here.”
I nodded in agreement, gesturing at the two seats before my desk. “Of course, Agents. What can I do for you today?” I asked. Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms over my chest. I watched them intently as they moved and sat down.
First, it was a ton of lawsuits. Now the DOJ? I wondered what Melody was trying to achieve. She was either very brave or foolish. The men in uniform stayed outside my office in the hallway. There were four of them.
“Is Mikhel in today? We need to see him regarding a case we are working on,” Brian explained, shifting in his chair.
Rubbing my chin, I stared at the two men. “May I ask what this is about?” I said after a brief pause.
“Well, there’s this arson case…” Before Agent James could continue, I interrupted.
Instantly, I knew this was a setup. “Arson, really, you suspect him of arson?” My tone was harsh and dry like the desert mid-afternoon. Mikhel, arson, never.
Agent Brian cleared his throat before speaking again. “Yes, Mr. Aslanov. We have an eyewitness placing him at the scene minutes before the fire started. Our eyewitness also claims that Mikhel was heard arguing with the shop owner the day before.”
“No, that can’t be right!” I spat at them, shaking my head. Lowering my gaze, I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. I don’t trust the government in general. Plenty of people are on my payroll, some with other Bratva. I know they’re corrupt. Mikhel setting a fire, that is impossible. I would have known if he had. It was ludicrous.
“Well,” Agent James stated. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “We have him on the security footage entering the building.” He sat forward in his chair, trying to intimidate me.
In that moment, I knew this was a setup. There was no doubt in my mind. He was being framed. I just couldn’t figure out why or by whom. “Who’s the witness?” I asked, glancing from one to the other.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. They exchanged a nod, and then finally James spoke. “Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to disclose that. We cannot discuss an ongoing investigation.” He ran his hand through his greasy-looking hair before continuing. “We came here hoping you’d understand and cooperate. You can give him to us, and he can go willingly. Or we can take him forcefully. We do have a warrant.”
Agent Brian rose speedily, pulling a folded paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. He placed it on my desk and slid it across towards me. Using my letter opener, I flipped the paperopen. I wasn’t going to touch it and leave fingerprints for them to use against me.
Scanning the document, I noticed it looked like a legitimate warrant. It had the court’s name, address, and other details. It stated that it was for the use of taking in Mikhel on charges of arson.
A complaint was lodged against him for property damage by setting fire to a building. It also stated that he had done so with the intent of causing not only damage to the property, but also to harm the occupants.
After an investigation, it was found that traces of an accelerant were used to start the fire. Mikhel was seen on nearby security footage entering the building minutes before the fire started.
The estimated damage was in the range of two and a half million. The maximum penalty it carried was fifteen years imprisonment. There was an official stamp on it with today’s date. I tried to think who was working at the courts today. But I couldn’t think of any names. I wanted to confirm the authenticity.
I scanned the document a couple of times. I knew Mikhel was innocent. Yet, there was nothing I could do if the warrant was, in fact, real. Trying to think if there was a judge I could call and pay off, I heard my office door slamming open. Glancing up, I saw Sophia storming in.
“Honey,” she breathed out as she came to stand beside me. “As your lawyer, you know I’m supposed to be here when dealing with the authorities.” Her tone was sweet, but I could hear the sarcasm and venom drip from it.
Before I could respond, she snatched the warrant up. I wondered if she could get Mikhel out of this. Looking at her, Ihoped she would. After staring at the sheet of paper, she lowered it. Looking at the two agents, she spoke quickly and harshly. “Badges, please, gentleman.”
She held the warrant in one hand as she extended her other to them. Agents James and Brian pulled out their badges and held them up. “I want to see them!” she huffed, her tone now like ice. The two men handed them over without hesitation.
This side of her was new to me. It was attractive. I found my mind trying to wander off to other places. Shaking my head, I dismissed the thought. I had to focus. Sophia narrowed her eyes as she studied one and then the other before handing them back.
