Captured by Cowboys (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 1)

Her jaw dropped.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ That’s something we’ll deal with later, pet.” He turned back to Wright. “Go on, Sheriff. Finish the story.”

“Sergei is…correction, was, the eldest son of the head of the Mitrofanov family, Niklaus. The Mitrofanovs lead a Russian syndicate based in Chicago. I have a friend back in Bliss who helped me map out the organization.”

A syndicate? This was worse than Emmett could have imagined. “Are you telling me the Russian mafia are running the boys’ home that Amber worked at?”

Wright nodded. “I am. Niklaus set the place up through regular channels. Times have been hard on charities, so fresh money is treasured in those circles. Along with some grants the place was awarded, he had a nice little operation that’s been going for two years. The boys acted as transporters to and from the syndicate’s main channels. The Mitrofanovs had to keep up appearances to the regulatory agencies that had jurisdiction over the property. Niklaus put Sergei in charge and some other underlings, but he had to have legit staff, too. Enter your Amber, or as I know her, Kathy. She was coming to Bliss, where I live, to hand over all the evidence she’d gotten her hands on. I was going to coordinate with the DEA and FBI. The minute my friend, Alexei, heard the name, he knew the mob was involved.”

Emmett recalled the state she was in during the rainstorm. “‘Bliss’ and ‘Wright’ were the words you were saying when I found you, sweetheart.”

“It’s a twenty-hour drive from the boys’ home to Bliss.” Amber squeezed his hand. “I got lost somewhere before I got to Denver. Now that I’ve seen where Destiny is on a map, I must’ve headed west and north for a couple of hours. I had a flat tire and had to stop. I started walking and then the wind started blowing so hard. I tripped and fell.”

“Baby, you should’ve followed Nate’s advice.”

Amber squeezed his hand. “If I had, I would’ve never met you, Emmett. You may not always like my impulsiveness, but I don’t care what you say, I’m glad I tried to get to Bliss despite the risk.”

“It was fate.” Cody winked. “No doubt about it.”

“What about the missing persons report from Chicago? It showed Amber as married.”

Wright shook his head. “She’s not. Apparently, the Mitrofanovs have a mole in that precinct. Not sure who, but I’ll work with Sheriff Wolfe to see if we can figure it out. We’re c

oncentrating our investigation on Nicole Flowers, the officer who filed the report originally. Not sure if it was her, but someone there passed the information on to the Mitrofanovs when Wolfe contacted that office. Presto. Sergei and his goons show up. We’ll figure out who leaked the information. Count on it.”

“What about Sergei’s father? What was his name?” Emmett asked.

“Niklaus Mitrofanov,” Wright answered.

“Won’t he come looking for Amber now that his son is dead?” At that very moment, Emmett wished he had his gun with him, his need to protect his woman growing with every beat of his heart. She’d done the noble thing to help Juan and the other boys, but that had put her on the radar of some very dangerous men.

“And you, too, Emmett,” Wright said. “But Mr. Mitrofanov is being held by some friends of mine in the DEA.”

“How long have I been out?” he asked.

“About eighteen hours,” Bryant informed.

Mr. Mitrofanov would be a threat again soon. “Can’t they only hold him for seventy-two hours without charging him?”

Wright smiled. “My buddies will find a way to hold him until we get everything in place that we need to charge him. You and your brothers left two of the Mitrofanov henchmen alive, though quite worse for the wear. They’ve already signed plea deals. With their confessions, the evidence Amber stashed in the home’s van, and her and Juan’s testimonies—Niklaus Mitrofanov will be locked up for the rest of his life.” Wright grinned a little. “Which will very likely be a short one. Alexei assures me someone in prison will take care of the son of a bitch.”

Emmett wasn’t crazy about the idea of Amber having to testify, to show her face inside a courtroom. “How long before this goes to trial, Sheriff?”

Wright shook his head. “The wheels of justice move painfully slow, unfortunately. That’s why it’s always just best to shoot ’em. It’s so much faster and with less paperwork. Oh, sure the doc will likely scream about having to do autopsies, but it’s really easier in the end. I’d say eighteen months minimum, but Mitrofanov will be behind bars awaiting prosecution. He’s a definite flight risk. The judge won’t even set bail because of that.”

Emmett knew how these things worked. There was always someone waiting to take over if the boss went down. “But there must be more to this syndicate family than Niklaus.”

Amber sighed. “Nothing is going to happen to me or to you. You’re worrying for nothing.”

It wasn’t “nothing.” He couldn’t lose her. “Look at me, Amber. In the eyes.”

She obeyed, her eyelashes fluttering hypnotically.

God, how he loved her, but she could be headstrong and foolish. Bratty, too. “Time to set the record straight, sweetheart. I will never stop worrying about you, about your safety. That’s my job. Now and forever, got it?”

She nodded, chewing on her lower lip like a good little sub.

“Better.” Emmett turned back to Wright. “My question was about others in the crime family’s employment.”