Chapter 69
We walked into the office as Jason was pulling up one of the armchairs which usually sat in the corner, closer to the desk and sank into it.
“What’s going on?” Wictor asked. He sounded guarded, and I could understand why.
“Come and sit,” Anthony told him and showed the empty visitor’s chair. “The bosses will tell you everything” Wictor looked at me and I nodded. I was safe and even though I knew it wouldn’t be a fun conversation, I knew the threat didn’t come from anyone in the mom. As Wictor took his seat and Hunter walked with me to the other side of the desk, 1 wondered where I would sit. There was only the empty armchair in the far corner of the room left. Hunter solved it by pulling me into his lap as he sat down. I blushed lightly as I wasn’t used to the open display of affection.
“Laurence, I mean Anthony,” Hunter began. “Has finished his investigation,” he continued and nodded towards Anthony.
“Through some of our contacts, we were able to get our hands on the real book keeping of Simon’s business. This allowed me to not only do a comparison with the official records but also let me know if he was hiding any money. Thanks to the information you gave me, Hana, I then started looking at places where he would most likely have hidden said money,” he explained,
“What did you find?” I asked.
“The first thing I discovered was that Simon isn’t a criminal mastermind. He has used some interesting methods to hide money. But the way he implemented it shows it most likely wasn’t his ideas. He has heard about it, or someone has told him what to do. Take the ownership of the company as an example. It was a good idea to have it all signed to you. That way, at least on paper, you were responsible for it. But then he is the one that has signed all the invoices, all the shipments and so on. Which means that him putting it in your name was worthless. Any decent lawyer can orgue he was leading you astray. That Simon has been doing illegal things behind your back,” Anthony explained.
“So I won’t be in trouble?” 1 asked.
“You will be fine,” Hunter reassured me, and Anthony nodded.
“As with most illegal businesses, Simon’s had a part, a front, that was legal. He embezzled money from that part of the business and then used money from the illegal part to support the front. It looks as if he convinced the mafia that the front wasn’t making enough money but as it was needed Simon had to add money into it. The mata was on top of his bookkeeping for the part of the business that was supported by them. But it doesn’t look like they cared about the front,” Anthony continued to explain.
“He got away with embezzling from the mob?” Wictor asked.
*Technically, he didn’t embezzle from the mob, but yes, Anthony agreed.
“And you have traced the money?” I asked, He nodded.
“He has been smart enough to not put everything in the same place. Some have been placed into real estate investments, with the help of his mother’s husband. Some have been converted into crypto currency and some he took out as cash and has hidden, Anthony told me. “I have located all of it.” I nodded.
ty and lason has found witnesses that are willing to testify
“This is the last piece of the puzzle, sweetness. John has been gathering evidence of Simon’s illegal activity We are ready to hand it over to the police anonymously,” Hunter said,
“And you want my approval?” I asked.
“Yes. This case involves two crime families, drugs, human trafficking and other things that will get the highest attention, both from the feds and the media. There is no way for us to leave you out of this. You were Simon’s wife for most of the time the business has been running and it was in your name,” Jason answered me.
“We won’t proceed unless you say you are ready.” Hunter told me. I nodded. It was a big decision, my first instinct told me. But then I realised that it wasn’t. Simon had hurt so many people. Not only me and people I cared about. But all these women that had been taken from their homes to be put to work in his business. Human trafficking was a vile thing I wasn’t nave enough to think that it would stop if we put Simon away. But it would close down one place. That was better than not doing anything. And if the government got the information, they could investigate and maybe take down the organisation. What right did I have to be selfish and why should my want for living a quiet life supersede that?
Okay, do it,” I said
“You are sure?” Hunter asked me. I nodded Jason looked at Wictor. Wictor was frowning and looking at me. 1 met his eyes and tried to show him this was what I
wanted.
“If she says it’s okay,
then she thinks it’s okay. I will be
be there to support her. Wictor told lason.
“As will all of us,” Jason said.
Chapter 69
“Good. Then that’s settled. We are in for a bumpy couple of months,” Hunter said. “Now, we have one more thing. Something that strictly isn’t legal, but that is fair,” he said. Waiting to give anyone a chance to object
“I’m curious to hear what you are up to,” I said. I had never thought of myself as someone with a flexible conscience. But here we were.
“If it’s in favour of Hana, I’m all in,” Wictor said, after getting another look from Jason.
“The cash Simon has hidden away is close to eight million,” Anthony told us,
“We will need to go to the place where Anthony has traced them to and make sure it’s still there. And when we do so, we were thinking we would withdraw about six million of them and give it to you, Hann,” Hunter said. I looked at him like he had spoken a foreign language.
“What?” I asked.
*Simon obviously had money to pay you for his business. Money that didn’t come with strings to the mafia. He endangered you, which led to you being placed in the mafia’s sight and you losing the money that rightfully belonged to you. It’s just fair that you will get that money back from him,” Jason explained.
“B–but how will I explain six million–appearing in my bank account?” I asked.
“You are forgetting that they already should be there. Simson bought his business back from you by legal means. We can hold the money safe for a month or two before depositing it back into your account with the same software we transferred it with. It can be explained as a temporary investment or something. Laure- T mean Anthony, will find a good explanation for it,” Hunter reassured me. I looked at Wictor.
“I think it’s the most brilliant idea. I have heard in years,” he told me without hesitating. The other men smiled and nodded.
“Okay, I guess it would be okay,” I agreed.
ΠΕΠ
“Good, then it’s settled,” Hunter said and gave me a quick kiss. We continued to discuss what to expect in the coming days. Wictor offered to take a week or two off work to stay with me during the days. But I told him that was too much. I would be fine.
Afterwards, we all went into the kitchen and Hunter helped me with the final steps of cooking while the three guests sat at the breakfast bar talking. Despite the heavy subjects that had been discussed, everyone was in a good mood and jokes and laughter filled the air. Everyone helped set the dining table. It was the first time we would sit at it and eat since I had come to the apartment. The light conversation continued through dinner and desert. Jason admitted that the desert was just as nice as always, despite Hunter’s help. When everyone had gone and the kitchen was clean, Hunter and I sat down on the couch. We left the TV off as I guided him to lay his head in my lap. I was worried he had overdone it today. It had only been a couple of days since he could barely stand for ten minutes straight.
“I’m fine.” he told me before I even had a chance to ask.
“Good,” I said and played with his hair, He released a little content sigh
“I want you to stay here even after they arrest Simon,” Hunter told me. My first instinct was to object, I was living here because Simon wanted me. If he went away, so would my reason to be here.
“Why? Do you think Aksakov will still come after me?” I asked.
“No, probably not. He wants to use you as bait to lure Simon out. When Simon is behind bars, Aksakow will have other methods to get to him,” Hunter told me. “But there will be other things, the police, the FB1, prosecutors, the media. They will all want to talk to you. I don’t want you to stay in that building where there isn’t even a doorman or a lock on the front door,” he explained. It made sense. I didn’t want to go back to my apartment and have to be paranoid over who could knock on my door. I had done that and I was over it,
“Okay,” I agreed.
“Thank you, sweetness,” Hunter said and took my hand that was resting on his chest and placed a kiss on it. There was a period of silence.
“How do you feel about all of this?” I asked
“I hate the idea of sending my son to prison. But at the same time I’m convinced it’s the only place for him as things are.”
“Will you see him after they take him in? Clear the air?
“I don’t think he will be open to clearing the air. Even he will figure out that it’s because of me that he is in there,” Hunter said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you, sweetness. I would like a final chance to talk to him, but I don’t want him to sense that something is off and disappear.”
Chapter 69
“You have a team watching him. Do you think he could shake off all of them?” I asked,
“I don’t know. But I won’t take the chance, it’s your safety that is on the line,” he said,
“Just think about it. I don’t want you to give up your peace of mind for my sake. I’m fine with you going to see him as long as you are being careful. Maybe take Jason with you,” I told him. Hunter looked up at me and caressed my cheek.
“I will think about it.“,
