Page 67 of Toxic Attraction
"Elena can handle Mila's morning routine." I cross to her, tilt her chin up. "This morning, you stay where I can see you."
She searches my face, then nods. "Okay."
Good.
Mikhail finds me in my office after lunch.
"Boss. Got results on that burner number trace."
I look up from shipment manifests. "And?"
"Routes through multiple proxies. Endpoint traces to Brooklyn. Signature's consistent with small-time debt collectionoperations in that area. Could be O'Rourke's network, could be any of a dozen operators running protection rackets."
Small-time debt collectors squeezing a dead man's family. Exactly what Valerie told me. Nothing worth my immediate attention when I have Armenians testing borders and Colombians renegotiating terms.
"Conclusive?" I ask.
"No. Just patterns. Without more data, it's speculation."
I grunt and close the report. "Keep monitoring. Passive surveillance only. Anything changes, you let me know."
Mikhail hesitates. "Boss, if someone's running an asset inside your house—"
“Conclusive?” I ask.
“No. Just patterns. Without more data, it’s speculation.”
I close the report. “Then we treat it like a live wire anyway.”
Mikhail hesitates. “Boss, if someone’s running an asset inside your house.”
“We are not calling it an asset until it proves it can survive the word,” I say, voice flat. “We are calling it a possibility.”
He waits.
“Double the internal sweep. Staff communications, device checks, and access logs for the last fourteen days. I want every other staff verified. Quietly.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Put a watcher on Valerie. Not to babysit her. To watch who watches her. No contact, no intimidation. Just eyes and a report.”
Mikhail nods once and leaves.
I pull up security feeds instead of reviewing the rest of his data.
Find Valerie in Mila's room. She's reading to my daughter, and Mila is curled against her side, completely trusting.
The image makes something tighten in my chest—possessiveness, satisfaction at seeing what's mine exactly where I want it.
Whatever small-time operator is squeezing Valerie's family can wait. Bigger problems demand attention.
The Bratva family dinner is tonight.
It’s where Bratva Pakhans and members gather from time to time to talk and, mostly, show off.
I tell Valerie to get ready.
She looks at me, confused. "For what?"
