“Blocked number.”
He answered on speaker.“Still poking around, eh?”Pavel said, keys clicking, smug.
“What do you want, Pavel?”Sergei asked, voice tight.
“A favor,” he said, keys rapid.“Eighteen hours and your evidence’s gone.All of it.A real shame.”
Sergei stepped close, face hard.“You’re bluffing.”
“Traitor,” Pavel sneered, cold.“Dmitri says your death will be a show for the new blood.”
Keisha’s stomach twisted—his threat real.“You can’t erase it all,” she said.“We got backups.”
“Which can also disappear,” Pavel cut in.“Drop your digging into Coastal Futures.Pretend like you don’t even know it exist.”
Pain drilling her skull, vision tilting.“Or what?”
“Tiana will pay the ultimatum price.Then you.Sergei last, so he watches.”
Sergei’s hand covered hers.
“Pavel,” he said, accent thick, “Minsk.Gregor.My sister.Remember?”
Silence.“Dead man’s threats,” Pavel replied.“Nine tomorrow.Choose wisely.”
The call ended.
“He’s tracking Tiana.We gotta warn Mateo.”
“He is already going to move her,” Sergei said, voice clipped.“Tonight.Somewhere they can’t find.”
She nodded, throat dry.“You should hide, too,” she said at the doors.“Pavel’s got you marked.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Sergei said, scanning the lot as they exited the warehouse.“I need you alive.”
His raw words struck her.Not just the case, him.They crossed to car.
“I’m driving.”
“Okay,” she said, softer.
Sergei’s eyebrows lifted, expecting a fight.Sirens wailed, close.
“Coincidence,” she said, not believing.
“Nah,” Sergei said.“Five minutes, tops.”
“For what?”
“Pavel’s crew to arrive.You ain’t driving.”
Sirens screamed, red and blue flashing.Police lights closed in, bouncing off windows like warnings.Time was up.
