Page 85 of The Bratva Sinner

I’m still half asleep, with Lila’s hair against my face, and her body warm and fitted against mine. I’ve slept better the past two nights than I have in years. She gave me her virginity, and I haven’t been able to let her out of my bed. I haven’t taken her again. She needs to recover, and I want to make sure she wants this. Wants me.

My phone vibrates again, jostling me fully awake.

I reach for the phone on the nightstand, trying my best not to wake her.

Cinder.

I slide out of bed carefully, pull on my pants in the dark, and step into the hallway before answering.

“Yeah.”

“We’ve got a problem.” Cinder doesn’t do greetings. “Mia and Sofie handed in their keys this morning.”

I lean against the wall. “They quit?”

“Packed their bags. Mia wouldn’t even look at me when she left. Sofie cried the whole time, but she wouldn’t stay.” A pause. “They’re scared, Maksim.”

“Of what?”

“Of being associated with you. Rumors are spreading like wildfire. Word is you're bleeding out and too proud to admit it. People are saying the Albanians have you pinned down, and that you can’t do shit about it.”

I drag a hand through my hair. “What else?”

“One of the new girls, Priya, got hurt last night. Bad client. He worked her over pretty good before the house mother got someone in the room.”

I go very still. “How bad?”

“Two broken ribs. Her face is a mess. She’s going to be okay, but she’s not working for a while, and she doesn’t want to press anything. She just wants to disappear.” Another pause. “The client was Albanian, Maksim. He wasn’t there for a good time.”

I rub my eyes. “Where is she now?”

“I’ve got her at the house. Ava’s been with her.”

“Good. Make sure she has everything she needs. Money, time, whatever she wants.” I push off the wall and start moving down the hallway. “I’ll stop by and talk to her.”

“There’s more.” Cinder’s tone tells me I’m not going to like it. “I’ve been calling around. Emily at the Coral Gables house says three of her girls are talking about leaving. The Grove house is the same. Rosa told me two are already gone. The house mothers are trying to hold it together, but the energy is bad, Maksim.They’re all hearing the same thing. They think you’re finished. That the Albanians are moving in, and anyone still under your name is a target. You know this world. Your house. Another house. A pimp on the corner. They’ll still make their money.”

I stop at the top of the stairs. The house is quiet below me. Guards at their posts. Everything is normal on the surface.

It’s far from fucking normal.

“My houses are superior. Safer.”

“They used to be,” she says quietly.

“I’ll call all the house mothers,” I say. “Don’t let anyone else walk out the door until I talk to them.”

“I can try. Can’t promise.” She hesitates. “You need to fix this fast. We’ve built something here, Maksim. These women trust us. If that trust goes, it’s done. We’re just another whore house.”

“I know what it means.”

“Do you? Because you’ve been a little distracted lately.”

I don’t take the bait. “I’ll be there in an hour.”

I go back into my room, moving silently to avoid waking Lila. She needs her rest. She seems physically recovered, but she's not letting herself feel any of it yet. I’ve been there, done that. One morning, she’ll wake up, and it will all be right there. It will pull her under. She needs to have a fighting chance, and that requires rest.

I get dressed and scribble a quick note for Lila. When I go downstairs, I find Damien in the kitchen with coffee and a look on his face that says he knows.