Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Polina refuses to go down without a fight. “You rigged that fight, so if anyone should be prosecuted, it should be you.”
“Who said I rigged the fight?” Nothing but dishonesty rings in his tone when he says, “I wasn’t even in attendance, and you won’t find a second of footage that says otherwise, or a witness willing to come forward.” His pause doubles the tension hanging thickly in the air. “But all this could go away in an instant. You just need to get in my car.”
When Polina doesn’t immediately tell him to go to hell, I say, “Polina, let him play these games. We will get your dad back, but not like this.”
“It’s been months.” I can barely hear her since her words are faint whispers. “I don’t know if I can wait any longer.”
Her ship is sinking, and Vasily adds more water to the hull. “You won’t have to wait a month if you keep your side of our agreement. You might not even have to hold out for a week.”
“A week?”
With her mind made up, I bring in defenses. I sprint for the storeroom, screaming Yev’s name as often as I moaned Matvei’s during my lunch break.
He sprints out of the storeroom so fast we collide in the hallway.
“Vasily,” I push out in my breathless state.
I thought I was healthy. My breathlessness proves fitness has nothing to do with your clothing size.
“He’s here—”
Yev sidesteps me before all of my reply can leave my mouth, and then he sprints out onto the street even faster than that.
As his head slings from left to right, he yanks his cell phone out of his pocket and dials what I assume is a frequently called number since he knows it by heart.
My eyes follow his when it drops to the gutter where Polina’s cell phone and purse are dumped.
“Fuck.”
Yev’s fearful gaze slings to me when I announce, “This isn’t just about her dad anymore. He threatened to have charges drawn up against you for the fights Friday night.”
“And she believed him?”
I want to shake my head but can’t, so I nod instead.
Yev cusses inwardly this time.
While he calls another number, I pull my cell phone out of my pocket, ignore the ten or so unread messages, then hit the call button at the top of Matvei’s name.
He answers, but he takes a lot longer than the times I’ve called him previously, and his tone is snappy instead of happy. “Yes.”
“I need your help. Polina—”
“So you can ask me to help someone else, but when it comes to information about me, you can’t ask me directly.”
I softly cuss. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“No. You wanted to spy on me. For what reason, I don’t know. I’ve been an open book with you, Natalya, because I trust you.” The sound of his office chair creaking into place sounds down the line. “Clearly, the shoe is not on the other foot.”
“It is. I just…” I stop talking when I realize I’m digging my hole deeper. “You scare me.” When he inhales a sharp breath, I push out quickly, “Not because I think you’ll hurt me. Because of how you make me feel. I—”
He cuts me off again. “I’ll find out what I can and get back to you once I know anything.”
“Thank you.” Before I can speak another word, he disconnects our call.
With a shaky hand, I store away my phone before shifting to face Yev. He does the same while working his jaw side to side. “Where does he live?”
“Nobody knows.” Over grumpy, intolerable men, when his growl reaches my ears, I snap out, “Nobody fucking knows. I’ve had my bodyguard searching for his home address for months. The closest he got was an event his father is hosting tonight down by the lake. His name isn’t on the deed, but Saka is reasonably sure Vasily and Leon will be there.” When I recall Matvei’s contacts in Kronstadt, I say, “I could probably get you a ticket.”
A light bulb switches on inside his head. “No need.” His smile would make any red-blooded woman’s veins hot. “I already have one.”
“If you want them to believe you’re a guest, you need to wear a bow tie.” When I spin the rack holding the ties, the camera above the counter moves with me.
So you’re angry enough to ignore my messages, but not angry enough not to watch me?
Game on, mister.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you as a plus one? I doubt I could get through to Polina as well as you could, but I’ve been known to occasionally steer her away from trouble.”
I realize we’re playing dodgeball, not volleyball, when Yev replies, “By standing by and watching her be schmoozed by a dick like Vasily Cabanow?” As quickly as his anger rose, it vanishes. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”