Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
He stares at me in surprise. Then his smile brightens the car, and suddenly my tears turn to laughter. He hugs me tight and kisses me. “That’s incredible,” he says, pressing his forehead to mine. “Fuck, little fencer, I’m so proud of you. I knew you were special the moment I saw you stab a guy in the throat with your lipstick.”
“Honestly, that’s a low point for me.”
“Shouldn’t be. It was a beautiful thrust.” He kisses me softly. I stay like that, basking in him and floating with pride.
It’s not the biggest deal in the world. It’s not like I just won a gold medal or something. There won’t be a podium in my future, no national team honors, no dizzying heights of the sport.
But I’ll get good again. I’ll get sharp and I’ll compete, and I’ll do all that with a coach that believes in me and a husband that has my back.
Even though I know everything is bad for us right now, I can’t help but keep on grinning.
Right up until Lev pulls up outside of our house and a car’s already there waiting for us.
“Stay here,” Lev says, reaching for the glovebox. He flips it open and a gun tumbles out into his hand.
I stare at the weapon, pulse racing with fear. “What’s going on?”
But as Lev starts shoving the gun into his waistband, the door to the car opens and a single man steps out.
Valentin Zeitsev. Alone, unarmed, and looking annoyed. There are no guards, no soldiers, nothing threatening.
Only the most dangerous pakhan of the most powerful Bratva in the city.
“Stay here,” Lev says as he gets out of the car. He stands there, staring down Valentin.
I get out after him. Lev looks outraged and annoyed as I greet Valentin. “Thank you for visiting us,” I tell the pakhan, acting like this is nothing more than a normal social visit.
Even though I know about Lev and the silence order.
Valentin gives me an appraising look. His smile is tight and knowing. “Lev got lucky when he married you, didn’t he?”
“Lev is the most blessed man in the city, thanks to me. Would you like to come inside and have some tea?”
“Tea would be nice,” Valentin says and looks back at my husband. “Coming, Lev? We need to have a conversation.”
Lev hesitates. His jaw works. I can tell he doesn’t like this one bit, but there’s nothing else he can do. I nod at him and gesture with my head, and he finally grunts in reply.
“Let’s talk,” he says and heads into the house.
Chapter 36
Lev
Ikeep waiting for a bunch of armed men to come swarming into our house.
Instead, Valentin sits at our table and accepts tea from my wife. He makes small talk with her about children and about his wife. There’s nothing outwardly threatening about him, but I know the pakhan.
He’s a clever man. Brutal and efficient when he needs to be. There’s no way he’d ever show up here in person after putting a silence order on my head unless something important happened.
I’m on edge as Carmie eventually joins us. She sips her tea and keeps on pretending like everything is totally normal.
“I shouldn’t take up more of your time,” Valentin says, turning toward me. “Your wife here is overly polite.”
“She doesn’t know any better yet.”
“Stop that,” Carmie says, swatting at me. “He’s just uncivilized, that’s all.”
Valentin’s tight smile suggests he knows a thing or two about barbarism, just like me.
Nobody speaks. I get the sense Valentin’s waiting for me to send Carmie away, but that’s not going to happen. She’s as much a part of this now as I am, and I want her here by my side. Valentin gets visibly impatient, glaring at my wife before finally breaking the stalemate.
“You killed Jovan,” he says, his tone cold and steely. If he thinks that’s enough to scare Carmie away, he’s insane. She already knew about that misadventure.
“Purely in self-defense,” Carmie says for me.
Valentin seems surprised. Then his face softens and he laughs. “You two don’t have secrets from each other.”
“She’s aware of my business since it impacts her, too.”
The pakhan nods to himself, considering. “She’s the reason Adriano came to me, not you.”
“I had my brothers talk some sense into my cousin.” Carmie spreads her hands in a what-can-you-do gesture. “I guess it worked.”
Valentin grunts. He turns his teacup in a slow circle. When he speaks, there’s no trace of emotion in his tone, like he’s giving a lecture to a class of bored teenagers.
“I’m angry with you, Lev. You killed a very useful member of my organization without asking me permission first. You did this during a very sensitive time when he was dealing with a very frustrating issue. Now, I’ve been left scrambling to find a way out.”
“What can we help you with?” Carmie asks.