Free CrossFire (Love & Lies #1) by Alex Strong Page A

weapons. This was only a sample of his personal collection that was hidden throughout the house, but it had everything he would need for now. He selected a knife and two guns with extra ammo before restoring the cabinet. He was just walking back out to the garage as Aaron’s motorcycle turned into the driveway.
    “You made good time,” Reid said when Aaron pulled off his helmet.
    “Told you it wouldn’t be hard,” Aaron said as Reid started putting on his vest. “Jesus, man, your wound is bleeding.”
    “What?” Reid turned around best he could and saw the red staining his t-shirt. “Dammit, I must have pulled the stitches.” He went out to the garage to grab his first-aid kit.
    “A doctor should be looking at that,” said Aaron.
    “No time. You’re going to have to help me.”
    Aaron bandaged it while he told Reid what he had learned. “So the car is registered to a Peter Maren, a suspected courier of local crime boss Aleksandr Morozov. Like anything else connected to the man, it hasn’t been confirmed. But here’s the thing; Morozov is Casimir’s cousin.”
    “Do you think Morozov’s helping him?” Reid asked as he grabbed a clean shirt from the laundry room and started again to gear up.
    “Would make sense. But I know what you’re thinking, and no, we have nothing concrete on Morozov to bring him in.”
    “Doesn’t mean we can’t question him.”
    Aaron shook his head. “The man is virtually untouchable. I think we’d be showing our hand by approaching him.”
    Reid thought about it and knew Aaron was right. Especially since they weren’t working in any official capacity at the moment.
    “You have an address for this Maren guy?” He asked.
    “Of course.”
    Reid grabbed a water, an energy bar, and the bottle of ibuprofen sitting next to the fridge. “Let’s head out then.”
     
    “How you wanna play this?” Aaron asked as they sat in Reid’s Cayenne. They parked on the street around the corner from Peter’s apartment building in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle.
    “I think I’ll go in myself,” said Reid. “If he tries to run, you can cut him off.” He put in an earpiece and called Aaron’s cell. “Keep the line open.
    Aaron nodded and both men exited the vehicle. Reid made his way to the front while Aaron walked around the back, presumably keeping an eye out for other exits.
    At the building entrance, Reid found a secured entry so he hung back a short distance until someone made their way to the door from the inside. He walked up and pretended to dig for a key. The couple leaving actually smiled at him as they held it open.
    “Thanks,” Reid said, returning the smile.
    He took the elevator to the third floor and as he made his way down the hall, he noticed peep holes on the doors and knew that Peter wasn’t going to be opening the door for Reid. He slowed down to listen for movement inside as he walked by and heard someone, hopefully Peter, on the other side of the door.
    “Wells,” he said quietly into the earpiece, “I’m pulling the fire alarm to draw him out. Let me know when help arrives.”
    “Copy that.”
    Reid continued to the end of the hallway and pulled on the lever, careful not to leave any fingerprints.
    Most people were either not home or not taking the alarm seriously, because few tenants were exiting into the hallway, but Maren finally poked his head out to check the threat. Reid was ready, shoving him back inside and quickly aiming his gun to Maren’s head as he kicked the door closed behind them.
    Maren’s mouth fell open. “You—you! I left you at the airport!”
    “I’m glad you think so. Now, against the wall with your hands up.” Maren did as he was told. “I’m going to ask you some questions, and if you want to make it out of this with all your body parts attached, then I suggest you answer them.”
    “You wouldn’t shoot me here,” said Maren. “Someone might hear you.”
    “First of all, I don’t need a gun to dismember you.