Crushed (Partners in Crime Book 3)

Chapter 12

Grace rushed up to Olivia and gasped, "Why the crutches?" Her eyes landed at her ankle brace and she gasped a second time, "What did you do?"

Olivia brushed her off, "Nothing. I'm fine."

Hunter took his wife's hand and led her inside, "She's fine hon. Don't worry."

Grace nodded but didn't look reassured.

Olivia ignored Jack's attempts to help her inside and instead did it herself. Soon, everyone was settled in the family room with pizza and a computer or a notepad.

"Shall I pray?" Dominic asked. Nods came from all around so he began. "Lord, we come to you today asking for guidance in this case and a blessing over us. Please be with Olivia and help her ankle to heal quickly. Please bless this food to our bodies. We love you. Amen."

A chorus of amens filled the air and everyone dug in.

"So did we get any fingerprints from that note?" Dominic asked.

At that moment, Olivia's phone chose to vibrate. She looked at it intently. With a raised brow she said, "Yes we did actually. Payton checked it for me. And we have a match. Nasir Novinsky. He's been in once for shoplifting. We sure got lucky."

Jack wiped his hands on his napkin, "The little boy who gave us the letter is Nasir Novinsky?"

Olivia shook her head, "No, whoever wrote it is Nasir. The boy was just a messenger. Obviously Nasir didn't think to use gloves."

"I haven't heard of Novinsky before." Cole wrote something down on his notepad.

Olivia pulled on her glasses and tied her hair back into a messy bun. "You couldn't possibly have. He's only twenty. He can't be that powerful. I'm guessing he's just a henchman who wrote the note for someone else."

"Makes sense. But who?" Hunter wondered.

"Ronan Vladislav." Dominic answered him. When he got confused looks, he added; "I did some research today. He has a rap sheet a mile long but we've never had proof to catch him. It was only small stuff against the US so he wasn't that big of a threat, but I guess now he's chosen to go big."

"Or go home." Nicole finished.

"Exactly."

"So you think Vladislav is in charge and he's got henchmen for him?" Grace asked.

Before Dominic could reply Olivia spoke, "Yes. Vladislav has a son. Pitre Winslow." She continued to stare at her computer screen and type away. She knew she was a nerd, but she really didn't care.

"How does that make sense?" Chloe asked, "If Pitre is Vladislav's son shouldn't his last name be Vladislav as well?"

Olivia tapped a few more keys on her screen. "Yes, but he legally changed it to a more American name a few years back. I'm going to guess his father wasn't too happy about that considering he hates America, being Russian Mafia and all."

Chloe slowly nodded, "That makes sense."

"I'm making a document with all the information on it. I can share it with you guys if you would like." Olivia volunteered.

"That would be nice. Thanks Liv." Cole raised his pizza to her.

"I'm going to say that Vladislav is the brains behind all of this and Pitre and Nasir are just his errand-runners." Nicole remarked.

"Precisely." Jack said.

"So now the big question." Dominic cleared his throat. "How are we going to stop this?"

~~~~~

Jack dropped Olivia off at her house after the whole information explosion meeting was over. "Jack."

He turned from his spot on the steps. "Yes?"

She pushed up her glasses in that adorable way she always did. "I'd like to go back to the crime scene tomorrow and check it out."

"The one in Denver?" Why would she want to do that?

"Yes. I'd like to look for some more evidence on Vladislav. And I..."

That made more sense. "You what?"

She shifted uncomfortably, "I..."

He moved closer to her, as she was getting quieter. "Yes?"

"I don't want to go alone." She whispered.

She was scared. No, nervous. And she wanted him there for her. Pride swelled. "Of course. I'll go with you."

"Okay." She looked at the ground, and then her big brown eyes looked up to meet his.

His breath hitched. He needed to get out of here or he'd do something he'd regret. "Well, I'm going to go. I'll pick you up at nine?"

She nodded, "Sure. And bring food."

He grinned, "You and that stomach of yours can't make your own food?"

She smiled, "It can, but it's easier when you pay for it, then give me some."

Jack laughed, "I see."

She smiled and then turned to go inside, leaving him.