Page 40 of Daddy Brigadier

Robyn quickly logs into her computer to review our surveillance footage.

“You have to see this!” she huffs, turning her laptop toward us. On the screen, a video shows a dark vehicle arriving at 2 a.m. A tall Russian man with silver strands in his hair stands on the sidewalk, and just as he appears, the surveillance camera inexplicably goes dark.

Lacey snatches the card from my hand and reads it aloud. “Daddy’s picking you up at 8. Be ready or face my punishment.” She tosses the card onto the table. “Gross!”

Pacing around the table, Lacey’s eyes dart everywhere. “He was in our house, Lexi. Right here!” She wraps her sweater tightly around her chest, visibly shivering with fear.

I was convinced I was dreaming, seeing his gaze lingering over me while his lips brushed against my skin. I bring my fingers to my forehead, the scent of cigars still clinging to me.

“How does he know where we live?” Robyn asks, frantically working to get our surveillance camera back online.

“He’s a Brigadier. By now, he knows everything about us.” A mix of emotions washes over me. I should feel frightened, yet there’s an undeniable thrill about what he might have in store for me.

Walking over to my pile of clothes, I sift through it, wondering what Valentin would enjoy seeing me wear.

“You can’t be serious!” Lacey says, grabbing the tight, short pink dress from my hand.

“Maybe he’ll tell me where Petrov is during dinner,” I counter.

“I think you’re losing sight of our mission,” Lacey steps closer, her lips tight with determination as she challenges me.

“I know what the mission is!” I retort sharply.

“Hate to interrupt, you two, but I have a message from a client,” Robyn interjects.

I narrow my eyes at Lacey, silently warning her that she’s testing my patience. She lets out an exasperated huff, and we both turn to focus on Robyn.

“When is the job?” I inquire.

“Tonight!” she replies.

I glance at the flowers. “We’re not available,” I say, turning away decisively.

“Fine. But they’re offering $3 million for a single hit.”

I turn around swiftly. “$3 million?” That’s precisely the amount we need to renovate the casino.

“Yes! Tonight at City Steakhouse.”

“Tell them we’re in!” I spring over to the board, my excitement bubbling as I lean in and plant a kiss on the sticky note with $3 million written on it. It’s exciting to think that the casino is finally within our grasp once again.

“So, you’re not going to meet with Valentin tonight?” Lacey asks.

“Of course I am, and he’s going to take me to City Steakhouse for dinner!”

Lacey storms off up the stairs. “Where are you going?” I call after her.

“To plan your funeral!” she snaps, slamming her door shut.

Robyn rises from her seat. “I’ll go check on her.”

“Shove a tampon up her ass while you’re up there!” I tell her, and Robyn chuckles softly before fading away upstairs.

I clench my teeth but say nothing, knowing deep down that she’s likely correct. I’m treading on dangerous ground with all this, and even if I could eliminate Petrov, the only result may be my own demise. But I’ll deal with that later.

Picking up the pink dress that Lacey carelessly tossed on the floor, I start choosing the perfect pair of shoes to match. As I turn, I notice Ruby leaning against the door, her arms crossed. Her eyes momentarily drift to the pink dress before locking onto mine.

“I think that dress is pretty,” she comments.