“I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t important,” she said.
I said nothing and let her continue.
“You helped me out of a bad situation once,” she reminded me.
Thoughts of that time fluttered to the forefront of my mind.I’d all but forgotten that she’d had a violent, unpredictable husband who I’d alleviated her of.
“I remember,” I said.
Her lips pressed together briefly.
“You got me out,” she continued.“Set me up here.Gave me a chance to build something that has given me my life back.My freedom.”
Her gaze met mine again.
“You once saved my life,” she said, and it sounded a lot like gratitude.“And now, I think it’s time I return the favor.”
“So,” I said, “tell me why I’m here.”
She straightened slightly, pushing off the door.
“I had a client come in a few days ago,” she continued, moving further into the room.“Brought a girl with him.Young.Too young.”Her expression hardened slightly.“Wanted her ‘fixed up.’”
My jaw tightened.
“Pushy son of a bitch insisted on getting treatments too.Waxing.Nails.The works.”
I didn’t say anything.But something in my chest shifted.
“And while I was working on him,” she said, “he just… kept talking.”
“About?”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Atlas Cavalho.”
My attention locked in fully.
“He had a problem with him,” she continued.“Something about routes and access.Business opportunities that weren’t being… entertained.”
That tracked.Atlas wasn’t in the habit of letting just anyone into his orbit.It didn’t matter how much money was on the table.
“I wasn’t paying much attention,” she added, her voice lowering slightly, “until your name came up.”
I stilled.
“What did he say?”
Her lips thinned.
“He called you a traitor.A Russian traitor,” she clarified.“Literally babbled every curse under the sun.”
I let that sit.
“My understanding - and that is very limited, mind you - is that he’d been trying to get Cavalho to let him move product through one of his routes,” she explained.“Cavalho has refused him.Every single time.”
As he would.
