Live No Lies (Lawson & Abernathy 2)

Dimitri watched the TV in the lobby announce the latest breaking news and shrugged it off.

Dimitri owned the building through a subsidiary firm. He thought that would come in handy and it definitely did. He’d just come in from a poker game that didn’t go as expected. He exchanged greetings with the pretty receptionist and winked at her before he went into the elevator. Inside, he pushed the button for his high-end penthouse.

Marco Island was Dimitri’s second most favorite place in the world. Each time he came here, he left with the memory of two things: the exquisite taste of their food and the aesthetics of the soft white beach sand against the alluring blue of the ocean. However, on this occasion, his stay in the island wasn’t exclusively for luxury.

The elevator doors opened right into his large living room. The first thing his eyes caught was the half-empty bottle of tequila on the table. He picked it up, took a swig, and carried it into his bedroom.

Dimitri groped about till he found the light switch.

At the same moment he was flicking the lights on, he heard the sound of a cocked gun behind him. He turned. To his chagrin, a familiar face sat in one of the armchairs, pointing a gun straight at him.

“Hello, Mr. Stankovich,” Mack greeted.

Dimitri tried to say something but his voice barely rose above a whisper. His heart beat furiously and disbelief appeared on his face.

“There’s no magic trick to pull anymore, Dimitri,” Mack said. “Whichever way you choose to go, just know you’re definitely paying for your crimes.”

At that same moment, the elevator pinged open, pouring out a number of operatives into Dimitri’s living room. Leading the company was Special Agent Brenda Lawson of the FBI with a triumphant smile on her face.