I grinned and took a sip of the coffee.
“Besides, Americans like their caffeine and their cookies,” I proudly said.
“I am not American either,” he said.
“No shit.” I pulled my chair in closer to the table. “Speaking of nationality, what’s with the accent that comes and goes?”
“Ah, Russians stick out here, and I am trying to blend in some. When I speak with people, I make sure to conceal the Russian accent.”
That made sense, especially since he’d been watching Wade meet with Russians. I imagined if someone told Wade that they’d heard someone else with a Russian accent, it could lead to questions. I had just finished eating a couple of the cookies when he spoke up.
“You got the girl’s family out okay, yes?”
“Most of them,” I said.
“You said you needed a favor,” Daniel said before he bit into a cookie.
“I do.”
I pulled my cell phone out of my coat and opened up the camera roll to the picture of Jensen. I set the phone on the table and turned it to face Daniel. He sat up straighter and reached for my phone. He suddenly seemed really interested and uncomfortable at the same time.
“This boy is missing. He’s Wade Sorenson’s second oldest son.” I paused while Daniel pulled the phone closer to look at Jensen. “I’m still here because I need to find him and take him back to the States.”
After a few moments, Daniel set the phone back on the table. He nodded and rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger.
“What is the cost?” he asked, his eyebrows narrowed.
I raised an eyebrow as I glared at him.
“What’s the cost?”
“Yes.” Daniel leaned back in his chair and finished the cookie he’d been nibbling on. “How valuable is he to Mr. Alatorre? Assuming I were to find him.”
Valuable? He’s the thirteen-year-old little brother of Aria.
“Have you ever been underpaid, Daniel?”
“No. I was just simply asking if there would be additional compensation. How much is the boy worth?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure what the exact monetary figure is. But I can tell you this. That boy is worth your life. Because if I can’t find him, there’s a chance he could die. And if I find him dead—” I pointed my finger at him before saying, “Then you pay with your life.”
“Sawyer—”
“I know all about you and the pitiful life you have in that shithole of St. Petersburg. I will hunt you down and do so much damage to your body with my bare hands that you’ll beg for me to put a bullet in your head.”
Daniel looked uneasy, but he knew I wasn’t bluffing. He reached for my phone to look at the picture again. I felt like something was really off by the way he was reacting to this new task.
“Why was he not at the house with the mother and other children?” he asked.
“I don’t know exactly. He’s apparently been gone for a few days, according to the mother.”
Daniel looked up from the phone and held my gaze.
“Do you trust the mother?”
“Honestly? I don’t know. She’s brainwashed, I think. She wasn’t very eager to leave without him.”
“Or maybe she just wasn’t eager to leave period.”
