The Blue Bar (Blue Mumbai #1)(91)

“You don’t remember this saree?”

“You’ve gone totally nuts, I can see. You sent it to me with Bilal. Why would I remember it?”

Either you don’t remember or you’re pretending. Either way it will be fun to remind you.

Bilal had done an excellent job this time, even though he refused to be part of it any further. Pity he had to go.

He took himself to his father’s old seat. “Not before we reach an understanding.”

“We have. You sign the dotted line. I’ll never open my mouth about the one thing you care about—it is all written there. This place should have been mine to begin with.”

He liked it when she was like this—worked up, but trying to cover it with her superior air.

“Sit down.”

“Don’t you dare take that tone with me.”

“The papers are here.” He gestured to them on the table. “If you want them signed, you can sit down.”

She did, and it was her second mistake. Never give up power.

He rose. “A drink?”

“I’m not here to sit and drink to the old times with you.”

“The old times?” He poured the whiskey into two glasses. “You mean the day you first walked in here?”

He needed to take her face off, the lips that had grazed his stomach, the hands that had grabbed his butt at his fifteenth birthday party, the feet she squeezed his throat with as she came. He wanted them severed. She was the original Item Number. She would convulse through each second of losing her hands and feet. He would waltz on the floor slippery with her blood.

“The world thinks you’re such a nice man. Now look at you.”

“You don’t need to look at me.” He stood behind her. “Here. You know your single malt.”

He clinked glasses, and watched her down her drink. Once he’d stuck in the injection Uhnna kept him supplied with, and taken away her treasured phone, she’d come truly awake. Fun times could begin.





CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE


ARNAV

Arnav secured the sling on his shoulder tighter, till it hurt. Damn the woman—he’d asked her to hold on a minute longer. Now he’d lost the dot on the screen that showed him where she was. Arnav paused. He could damn himself, but not Tara. He’d abandoned her. Been unable to rescue Pia. Put Tara in danger.

Time to fix his mistakes. If the men had taken her to Versova, he could only assume they’d brought her across the waters onto Madh.

“We’re quite close now,” Tukaram said, peering at the map on the phone with Pia’s location. He lowered the window. The noise of crickets, and air laden with the stink of rotten vegetation floated in.

Their headlights sliced the darkness, showing an unpaved, tree-flanked road. Tara’s signal on the screen remained dark.

“Stop here. Kill the light.”

Arnav listened for vehicle noises ahead, but all was quiet. By his watch, they’d driven for about an hour.

The twisting road led to a dead end, and the map showed a building between the trees. Behind the building, more vegetation and the Malad creek. Pia was in there. And, he hoped with all his being, Tara.

His phone buzzed with an unknown number. He answered, but instead of Ali, it was Mhatre. He was taking precautions.

“Our men are ready to move out. Tell me about the location.”

Arnav briefed his boss. The possibility of a back exit into the Malad creek, and that both Rasool’s and Vijayan’s men could be about. He knew of ten, but it wouldn’t shock him if there were more.

“You’re sure you have the evidence?” Mhatre’s voice sounded faint but firm. “You’re risking your career because of your personal connection, but if this turns out to be false . . .”

“The evidence is in a safe place. We’ll have leverage.”

“Those you are accusing are not ordinary men.”

“I’m aware, sir.”

He’d spoken to Nandini. If things went south, she had all the material for an exposé to pitch to the appropriate outlet. Once the party in power at the center got wind of it, it would be game over for the state government.

“Don’t move until we get there.”

“Right, sir.”

He exited the car and walked. Tukaram followed him. “Are they coming?”

Arnav turned. “Wait for Naik. I’ll scout around. Mhatre sir will know to place constables to cover all the exits. Park the car away from the road. Can’t alert anyone who drives out.”

“You can barely walk.”

“We can’t dawdle. Won’t be long before Joshi finds out. I’m fine.”

Arnav did feel fine. All his pain had vanished. The familiar rush of the chase alleviated the gnawing worry in his stomach. He had to find Tara. At the least, he could cause a distraction or delay, making time for Mhatre’s and Naik’s teams to surround the place.

His 9 mm in hand, Arnav stumbled, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. His only advantage was the element of surprise. Light trickled in through the foliage. A sprawling farmhouse lay ahead. A car started up, and Arnav dragged himself behind a tree, his boots squelching in the mud. A hooting bird flapped past and alighted on the tree, startling him, but he stayed hidden, crouched, ignoring sore legs. Some of the pain pushed through the medication and adrenaline. He rooted through his pockets for the painkillers he’d stowed away, swallowed two.