But it would create an entirely different set of problems. Perhaps she should drop everything—including Jax. Go back to her regular old boring life.
But could she really do that now?
What would Natasha do?
She got an immediate answer. Natasha would keep on digging. The one thing everyone had agreed on so far was that her grandmother was stubbornly persistent, and, apparently, so was she.
She'd only driven a block when her phone rang. She hoped it was Jax, but it was her sister, and she was not happy.
"Mom just called me," Darcy said. "You need to come here tonight and talk to me about all this."
"I'll talk to you, but it's late, and I don't want to drive an hour to see you."
"I don't care what you want, Maya. You're destroying our family. You need to come here and tell me exactly what you said to them."
"I can tell you on the phone."
"No. We're doing this in person."
She really didn't want to drive down to Carlsbad. She wanted to meet up with Jax. On the other hand, if she could win her sister over, maybe Darcy would help. That was probably a long shot, but she had to take it. "All right. I'll be there in an hour."
The phone immediately disconnected. She pulled over and sent Jax a text that she wouldn't be back until late, and hopefully she'd see him tomorrow. Disappointment ran through her at that thought, but perhaps it was for the best. And maybe Jax would be happy she was canceling. He'd blown hot and cold all night. He'd kissed her like he was dying for her, but before and after that he'd acted oddly, and she had enough mysteries to solve without trying to figure him out. At least not until tomorrow.
Chapter Eleven
Jax wanted to quit his bartending job. Having to play out his cover while his blackmail plan was now in motion was driving him crazy. He'd already mixed up three orders, because he couldn't focus. He was thinking about what kind of encounter would go down between David and his mother when she accused him of blackmailing Ryland with the photos Jax had planted in the car.
His thoughts were interrupted by a flurry of quiet chatter. Lifting his gaze, he saw Dustin Paul enter the room with two attractive females, who appeared to be in their twenties, while Dustin was in his late sixties. As Dustin and his ladies headed toward the private bar area, they were joined by Sylvia, Louisa, Alexander Dimitrov, and a tall gray-haired man, who Jax had seen in the library the night before. He wondered where Constantine was. He seemed to have disappeared since his conversation with Maya.
Constantine had certainly dropped a bombshell, pointing a finger at Maya's father being in Natasha's car the night she died. He wondered what Maya would do with that information. She already seemed to be in hot water with her family. Would she want to continue rocking that boat? Especially with such a damning question?
An older man slid onto the stool in front of him, and he gave him a smile. "What can I get you?"
"Do you have Zyr?" the man asked.
"Always. One of my favorite vodkas."
"I'll take a shot."
As he set the glass down, the man gave him a long, speculative stare. "You look familiar. What's your name?"
"Jax Kenin. You?"
"Daniel Bragin. I don't know where we've met, but I rarely forget a face."
He really hoped Daniel wasn't about to blow his cover. If he'd met him as an FBI agent, that could be a disaster. "Sorry, but I don't think we've met."
"Do you play chess?"
"Not in a long time. Are you in the tournament? I was working the library bar last night. Perhaps that's where you saw me."
"I wasn't here last night. It will come to me, I'm sure of it."
Jax smiled and stepped back as the bar manager, Ray Shalinski, came over. "Daniel, did you just get in?"
"Late last night," Daniel said, as the two men shook hands.
"How was your trip?" Ray asked.
"Productive. I'm supposed to meet my daughter, but I haven't seen her yet."
"Lindsay is on the roof."
"Of course. That's where the young people gather."
"Shall I let her know you're here?" Ray offered.
"Actually, I'm going into the restaurant; I'm starving."
"I'll make sure she finds you."
"Thanks."
As the two men left, Jax made a mental note to dig in on Daniel Bragin. He didn't think they'd met, but if they had, that could blow his entire operation.
The other bartender came over to him. "I'm going to take a break. You good for ten?"
"Absolutely. Before you go, do you know Daniel Bragin?
"Sure. He's a long-time member. He was one of the big five."
"Big five?"
"The five guys who started the Russia House. Constantine Dimitrov had the majority share, but he got the Russia House off the ground with the help of Daniel Bragin, Dustin Paul, Wallace Jagger, and Edward Coleman. They were the original group of investors."
"Interesting. I've met all of them except Coleman."
"He just went into the back room with Dustin."
"Oh, the tall, gray-haired man."
"Yes. Tread carefully around him. His daughter is your boss."
"Are you talking about Sylvia Graham?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes. Her maiden name was Coleman. I'll see you in a few."
Excitement ran through him at the new information he'd just gotten. He'd wondered about Sylvia's possessive manner toward the club. It made sense that she would have more of a feeling of ownership if her father was one of the original investors. He needed to find out everything he could about those five men. His team had good files going on Constantine and Wallace, but not the others. But first he had to serve drinks.
The rest of his shift was uneventful. Finally, it came to an end. Before he left, he wanted to get a better look at the storage building where David had taken Jagger's car earlier.
The employee lot was just beyond the club parking and on his way, he had to pass by the garage/utility building. He couldn't tell if there were any lights on inside the structure; the few windows were covered by thick blinds. He tried the side door again, prepared to pick the lock, but this time it opened. He slipped inside, using the flashlight on his phone to illuminate the area, which appeared to be a storage area. There were folding chairs stacked against the wall, boxes labeled decorations and shelves filled with cleaning materials. There was another open door in front of him, and beyond that he could see light. He could also hear voices.
His pulse sped up, but the voices didn't deter him from moving forward. In fact, they acted as an impetus. He'd spent way too much time mixing drinks. Now, he might finally have a chance to get some real information.
As he moved through the second door, he used the stack of boxes outside the door for cover. He could see two golf carts parked on the back wall of the garage, long tables covered with boards and tools and other building materials. He could also see a black Corvette. Eddie Bozic and David Graham were standing next to the open door on the driver's side of the car.
"You're a fool, David," Eddie said, fury in his voice. "Why would you blackmail Jagger?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," David said in surprise. "And what are you doing in here anyway? I thought we weren't supposed to be in contact with each other."
"I came to make sure you weren't leaving any other surprises in this car."
Jax took out his phone and snapped a photo of the license plate. He needed to know who owned the car.
"I have to get back to work," David said. "You want me to take the car to the lot or not?"
Bozic moved closer to David, his posture menacing. "You do not want to fuck with me, David. I don't allow side games. You do what you're told and nothing more. Or you'll end up like your friend, Yuri. Do we understand each other?"
"I didn't do anything. I don't know who told you I did, but they're setting me up," David whined.
"I don't believe you. Now, get this vehicle back to the valet lot."
&nb
sp; David opened the door and slid behind the wheel. He opened the garage door and backed out. Jax started as Bozic moved in his direction, sliding deeper into the shadows.
Bozic paused, as if he'd heard something, and then he moved through the doorway and out the side door.
Jax didn't move for another minute, but when everything was quiet, he left his hiding spot and walked into the garage. The lights had gone off inside, so he used his phone once more to illuminate the surroundings, looking for any other clues. Aside from the fact that certain vehicles were brought in here by the valet and taken out moments later, there was nothing to indicate exactly what was going on.
What was David supposed to be doing with the vehicles? Was he planting some kind of spying equipment inside? Or were the vehicles being used to smuggle information between parties, using the valet and this garage as the distribution point?
He hadn't seen Bozic carrying anything and David's hands had been empty, but it was also possible that something had been planted in the car and not retrieved. He'd really like to get into that Corvette. He also needed to know who it belonged to.
At least he'd gotten some new information tonight. He'd also been able to see his blackmail plot play out. Bozic clearly believed David was running his own play. He hadn't wanted to hear a word the kid had to say. Clearly, Sylvia had gone straight to Bozic with the blackmail scheme. Why? Why hadn't she gone to David, who had appeared to be shocked by the accusation?
He had more questions than answers, but he was one step closer to being able to turn David into his asset. Making his way to the side door, he slipped out, careful not to be seen. He wanted to get into the valet lot and into the Corvette, but the parking lot was very busy, with three valets moving cars in and out. There was no way he could get into the vehicle without anyone seeing him.
He headed into the employee lot and got into his car. He checked his phone, seeing he had a text from Maya. My dad had a hugely negative reaction to being asked about the night his mother died. My mother apparently got on the phone to my sister, and now I'm headed to Carlsbad for an emergency family meeting. May stay the night. Can we catch up tomorrow?
It was just as well Maya was busy. He needed to go to his office and put some of his own clues together. Plus, after the kisses they'd exchanged earlier, he'd be playing with fire going to her house now. Although, that fire would be pretty damn good. Unfortunately, it could burn him in more ways than one.
He texted back. How about breakfast? There's a pancake place by the beach—Belle's. Meet you there—eleven?
She answered right away. Yes. See you then.
He put his phone down and started the car, hoping her meeting with her sister would go better than the one with her dad, but he doubted it. Maya might end up with her entire family against her, but she seemed willing to take the risk in pursuit of the truth. He still wished she would let it go or at least back off for a while. But that wouldn't happen, so he'd deal with that tomorrow. Right now, he needed to work on his own case.
It was after eleven when he arrived at the office, and he wasn't expecting to find anyone on the premises, but Caitlyn was at her desk when he arrived.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. "It's Saturday night."
"So?"
"So…you should have plans."
She shrugged. "I'd rather work. I had some paperwork to catch up on, and I've been doing some research for you. I've put together Eddie Bozic’s life story, and I found something interesting. He had an older stepbrother, Thomas Bozic, who worked as a bartender at the Russia House in the eighties."
"That's interesting." He sat down in the chair next to her desk.
"It gets better. Thomas Bozic was married for less than a year to Sylvia Graham. She was Sylvia Coleman then. He was about twenty-seven, and she was twenty-three. They divorced and she married Mark Graham seven years later and had a son, David. That marriage ended ten years ago when David was thirteen. After Mark left her, Sylvia went to work at Falcon Motors for her ex-brother-in-law, Eddie Bozic.”
"What happened to Thomas?"
"He was killed in a car accident a couple of years after the marriage to Sylvia."
"You are good."
Caitlyn gave him a smile. "Yes, I am. When the Russia House reopened as the Firebird Club, Sylvia left Falcon and went to work at the club."
"We have multiple links between Sylvia and Bozic and Falcon Motors and the club." He paused. "I also found out tonight that Sylvia's father, Edward Coleman, was one of the five original investors in the club. The other investors were Wallace Jagger, Dustin Paul, and Daniel Bragin. Wallace was at the club last night and Paul, Bragin and Coleman were there tonight."
"So, the investors are still very active in the club."
"Along with their offspring. Sylvia is the club manager. Constantine's nephew is the owner. Jagger's son, Ryland, seems to always be at the club, and I heard Bragin's daughter was there tonight, too."
"I can dig further into that group. Have you learned anything else?"
"Yes. When certain cars arrive at the club, David Graham, Sylvia's son, takes them into a building. Then, a few minutes later, he drives the car out and parks it in the lot. This evening, I managed to slip into that building while David and Eddie Bozic were having a conversation."
"What did they talk about?"
"Eddie had just learned that David was trying to blackmail Ryland Jagger."
Caitlyn smiled. "The wedge worked."
"I planted the evidence in Jagger's car earlier today."
"Nicely done."
"I actually overheard Ryland tell Sylvia that her son was blackmailing him. She was shocked. Ryland told her to take care of it or else. She didn't take nicely to his threat. She said she knew a lot of his secrets."
"That's juicy."
"But she didn't say what those secrets were. After that, she must have run to Bozic with the information. He then accused David of blackmail and told him if he crossed him, he'd end up like Yuri. Bozic talked about the blackmail as being a side deal, so David is clearly involved in Bozic’s operation. They were standing by a black Corvette when they were having this discussion. I got the license plate number." He pulled out his phone.
She pulled up another screen on her computer. "What is it?"
He read off the letters and numbers.
"Got it," she said a moment later. "The car belongs to Lindsay Bragin. She's forty-nine years old and lives in Pacific Palisades."
"Bragin's daughter."
Caitlyn's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Lindsay Bragin is the CEO of the BLN Technology Group. They own several companies, including an AI firm and a weapons defense contractor." She flung him a quick look. "Good targets for Russian spies."
He nodded, thinking the same thing. "I need to get into one of those cars, but they don't stay in the garage for long." He paused. "Bragin said I looked familiar, and he never forgets a face. I didn't have any sense that I'd seen him before. Maybe I ran into him on a former case."
"What about when you were getting to know Yuri?"
"Yuri and I spent all our time at the actors' workshop." He frowned. "I have to admit it bothers me. I don't need people staring at me and thinking they've seen me somewhere else. Anyway, that's all I've got."
"We can dive deeper into the Bragins."
He smiled as she bit back a yawn at the end of her sentence. "I'll do that. You should go home."
"I should go home." As she got to her feet, she said, "What's the next play?"
"Turn David into an asset. But I may need another wedge."
"We can always make that happen. Even if it didn't happen, if you know what I mean." She gave him a sly look. "I'm really good at manipulating photos."
"I may need that skill very soon."
"No problem. It's a good idea to use David. We need someone who is really on the inside."
"We'll see how good the idea is. The last guy I tried to turn ended up dead in my car."
Chapter Twe
lve
Maya had no sooner parked her car in her sister's driveway, when Darcy came flying through the front door. She grabbed Maya's hand and led her down the side yard to what she considered her she shed. Once inside, she closed the door and let out a breath.
Maya stared at the strain and tension in her sister's eyes and felt a little bad that she'd put it there. But Darcy had always been more uptight, more rigid, more worried about everything. Maybe it came from being the oldest. Or she was just wired that way.
They had been opposites in personality and appearance since they were born. Darcy had her mom's blonde hair and blue eyes. She was tall and thin, while Maya was shorter and curvier. Darcy was quieter, too, less bold, but no less determined in going after her goals, which was why she was not only married to a wonderful man with a beautiful baby but had also won a teacher-of-the-year award three years into her career.
"Why aren't we in the house?" she asked her sister.
"Because I don't want to wake the baby."
"Is it the baby you don't want to hear us, or is it Matt?"
"Matt is already in bed. He's fighting a bug. I want him to rest."
She didn't completely believe her sister, but she sat down on the love seat, too tired to argue with her. "Well, I'm here. And it's closing in on midnight, so let's talk."
Darcy pulled the chair away from the table she used for her crafts and sat down. "Mom is hysterical. I called her back after I spoke to you, and she still hadn't calmed down. She also said Dad left the house, and she doesn't know where he went."
She frowned at that piece of news. "Why would he leave?"
"Because you accused him of murdering his mother."
"That's not what happened, Darcy. Is that what Mom said?"
"Pretty much, in between her wild sobs."
"I simply asked Dad about the fast-food bag in Natasha's car the night she died. The food was not eaten, and by all accounts Natasha was a health nut. The only times she went to get that kind of food was when she was with Dad. It was their thing to do. She'd pick him up from practice or school and they'd get a burger. It made me wonder if she was supposed to meet Dad that night or if he was in the car and he left before he ate, before she was killed."
Fearless Pursuit (Off The Grid: FBI Series Book 8) Page 13
