The Final Hour (Volkov Bratva #3)(98)

Lucky for him, he didn’t foresee anything like this in the future.

“Are you okay?” She asked dropping her hands to hold his.

He almost smiled. He couldn’t think of the number of times he had asked her that exact question over the last two years. Mishca definitely didn’t want her to worry about him now, especially when this was nothing compared to what he would be facing once he met with the others in a few days.

“Let’s get this over with.”

Together, they headed to the courthouse, used to the cameras now. This was the day they had all been waiting for. It was the last day for the People to present a case that was worthy of going to trial. Few people knew that the decision wasn’t going to be in the favor of the prosecution.

“Where’s Luka?” Lauren asked looking around, completely oblivious to what had happened between him and Mishca.

Truthfully, Mishca hadn’t seen the enforcer since the night at Vlad’s hotel room, and he was glad of it. At the moment, he didn’t know what to say to him, and despite his temperament, Mishca didn’t want to say something to him out of anger.

“He’ll be here soon, I’m sure.”

Sure enough, Luka appeared right behind the State’s Attorney. His face was impassive, but he did wink at Lauren as he headed to the defense’s table. When he met Mishca’s gaze, he only inclined his head in a show of respect.

Eventually, Mishca would get past his anger towards him, but he wasn’t sure when that day would be. Until then, he would keep his distance.

Agent Green wasn’t far behind, and if her expression was anything to judge by, she knew that this was about to end, and not in her favor. The State’s Attorney didn’t look particularly happy either, but she had a better poker face.

Jessica looked to Mishca, her voice low as she asked, “Is everything in order?”

She had worked for Mishca for years, and just like so many that took an oath to obey the law in all ways, she’d succumbed to their side long before she had ever come to work for him. As long as she received her money, she kept his secrets.

By the time the judge claimed his chair, looking less than impressed when the State’s Attorney very obviously tried to buy time, Jessica interrupted her, wanting to end this.

“Seeing as the prosecution has failed to meet their burden of proof, I believe that it is only fair that all charges against my clients be dismissed without prejudice.”

“Your honor,” the State’s attorney immediately protested, “the State just needs a little more time to locate our witness.”

“That would only deny my clients the right to a speedy trial.”

“Your Honor—”

Behind his bifocals, the judge stared hard at Mishca first, then turned his gaze to the stone-faced district attorney, interrupting her. “Regrettably, I am inclined to agree with the defense.” Reclining back, Judge Canten raised his gavel and announced, “All charges against the defendants, Mishca Volkov and Luka Sergeyev, are dismissed with the court’s apologies.”

The gavel slammed down, the sound echoing around the courtroom. Lauren climbed to her feet, breathing out a sigh of relief as she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Mishca’s shoulders.

Despite the verdict being in his favor, Mishca didn’t gloat as many would in his situation. Only Lauren knew why. Whispers started around the room, the shock clear at how quickly Mishca’s trial had went by. It wouldn’t be the first time a suspected organized crime member was in and out of court in less than a month.

Mishca didn’t care how it looked, he was just ready to leave and put this behind him. He couldn’t say how long it would take for him to get over it, but as he pulled Lauren to him, he didn’t care about that, only that she stayed by his side.

Shaking his lawyer’s hand, Mishca promised to wire her money first thing, and truthfully, he was ready to leave.

But Agent Green was less than thrilled by the verdict, and she couldn’t afford to have Mishca Volkov walk out of the courthouse unless he was wearing handcuffs. She knew he wouldn’t be the only one. Sure, they might have gotten a few of the lower level members on weapons charges, and she might have dismantled their organization, but Vlad had been the ticket to taking down everyone, and without him, all of her hard work had been for nothing.

Without any options left—and perhaps not thinking too clearly—she did the only thing she could.

Climbing to her feet, she stepped into the aisle, preventing Mishca and Lauren from walking another step. “Arrest him.”

Even the State’s Attorney looked surprised by this, but she didn’t protest, hurrying behind Jessica to see what the agent was doing. Green had been hoping for Mishca’s trademark smirk to cross his face, or for him to even have a smart retort, at least then she would know he knew why she was arresting him, but instead, he just looked remote.

“On what charge?” Lauren demanded, almost at the same time as Jessica.

“The kidnapping and murder of FBI Special Agent Terrence Novak, also known as Vladimir Robakov.”

There were two things Mishca knew for sure. The first, Agent Green was desperately reaching. She needed a reason to arrest him, if only to save face with her bosses. If anything Vlad had said was true, Agent Green hadn’t even known where Vlad was, so she couldn’t possibly know that he was dead, and with Luka on disposal, Vlad would never be found, if there was even a body left to discover.