Caleb by Trent Emily Jane

Author:Trent, Emily Jane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Camden Lee Press, LLC
Published: 2020-03-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Caleb had plenty to keep him busy at Black Swan, although Livi wasn’t far from his mind. He couldn’t deny how he felt, but he wasn’t about to reveal that to her. It was more than pride, because he didn’t feel right about putting any pressure on her.

Livi had enough to deal with; she didn’t need Caleb as a distraction. He was supposed to be doing the opposite by keeping her safe. Plus, she had made it clear long ago that she didn’t want to be more than friends—but that didn’t stop Caleb from caring for her.

Hawke was in his office, so Caleb rapped his knuckles on the door and went in. “Anything on the background of Alexei Baranov?”

“Jake has been working on it,” Hawke said, then motioned for Caleb to sit. “He has had an extra workload with Amanda on maternity leave.”

Jake was another teammate who had married; he’d fallen for a coworker. Caleb wouldn’t have suspected that Amanda would be the one. The two had argued incessantly before going undercover together.

That mission had changed the relationship. Amanda had gotten pregnant, which was wonderful in Jake’s eyes, because he had already bought the ring and planned to ask her to marry him. The wedding had been an intimate affair with close friends and family. The baby was due any minute, from what Caleb understood.

“I’m glad he fit that in, because the situation has escalated.”

“Yes, so I understand,” Hawke said. “Alex is an interesting case. We had a background workup on him, since he hired us for protection at the ballet. But there wasn’t any alarming information that turned up.”

“And now?”

“Jake dug deeper and learned that Alex has financial issues.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Caleb said.

“As artistic director, he manages the hiring, expenditures, and budget,” Hawke said. “He has to answer to the CEO, but not entirely. To some degree, he’s autonomous.”

“Then what’s he up to?”

“Alex isn’t frugal with money,” Hawke said. “He likes to spend big—and although there is more to learn about his activities, it appears that he has put the academy in a weakened financial condition.”

“What about the violence?”

“Alex is explosive,” Hawke said. “There are plenty of incidents to substantiate that. But not much on his record. The information is based on the opinion of others, and rumor. It’s known that he abuses his wife, yet she hasn’t filed a complaint.”

“The guy intimidates women,” Caleb said. “He needs to get nailed for his crimes, and I’m sure what we’ve found is the tip of the iceberg. It’s satisfying that Livi pressed charges. It will take more, but it’s a start.”

“About that…”

Caleb leaned on the desk. “Don’t tell me.”

“Yes, you’ve got it,” Hawke said. “I talked to Lonnie, and via police channels he got wind of what’s going on. It seems that Alex is off the hook. He convinced the DA to drop the charges for lack of evidence.”

Caleb’s blood boiled. “Damn, how can he get away with that?”

“It’s a matter of having the right connections,” Hawke said.

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