Page 136 of The Bratva Sinner

That’s enough.

That’s everything.

38

Maksim

I wake up and see the sun is high in the sky. I slept later than I’d planned. I’m surprised that I haven’t been pulled from bed by an emergency.

Arlind hasn’t responded.

I kiss her once and push myself off the bed. My body protests. Everything hurts. My ribs, my shoulder, my knuckles where I split the skin on someone’s jaw.

“I’ve got things to handle,” I say.

“I know.”

I shower and dress. When I come back out, she’s sitting up in bed with the sheets pulled over her, watching me move around the room. She doesn’t need to ask where I’m going.

“I want you to do something for me today,” I say.

She perks up. “Okay.”

I sit on the edge of the bed and face her. “Cinder’s going to one of the houses this afternoon to meet with the women who are still there and go over security protocols and answer questions. I want you to go with her.”

Her eyebrows go up. “Really?”

I need to give her a job. She needs to feel like she’s part of the solution. This is something she can do that I can control.

“She asked for you,” I say. It’s not entirely true. Cinder didn’t ask; I told her, but Lila doesn’t need to know that. “The women are scared. They’ve seen other women leave. Some of them have been approached. They need to hear from someone who isn’t me or Cinder that they’re safe. Let them know they have options.”

“What kind of options?”

“Any option they want. They can stay. They can leave with a severance package. They can transfer to a different house. I’m not holding anyone against their will.” I take her hand. “I think they will appreciate you talking to them.”

She seems confused. “Me?”

“Can you do that?”

She nods slowly. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good.” I stand and kiss the top of her head. “Cinder will pick you up at two. She’ll brief you on the drive over.”

I leave her there and head downstairs, where Damien is pouring a cup of coffee.

“Status?” I ask.

“Quiet. Police haven’t connected the three locations to us. The witness from the first house is being treated at Jackson Memorial. We’ve got eyes on him.”

“Good.” I pour my coffee. “I’m sending Lila with Cinder to the Coral Gables house this afternoon.”

Damien looks at me. “Really?”

“That house has the most security of any location I own,” I say. “Cinder will have four men inside and two outside. The cameras are live. The panic system is functional. If anything looks wrong, they lock down and call it in.”

I can see in his face that he doesn’t love it, but he knows better than to argue.

“Where will you be?” he asks.