Page 79 of The Bratva’s Monster

I should go back to Alex’s house. Wait for them to come back. If Rikki finds me here⁠—

Several car doors open around me, men in black suits with their hands hovering over the bulges in their jackets.

Stefan’s men. Oh, shit.

I have to warn them. I reach into my jacket pocket, looking for my phone.

And then I feel the wind of my back door opening and shutting like a tap on my shoulder, followed by the cocking of a gun. Cold steel presses against the back of my head.

“Don’t fucking move.”

31

RIKKI

Everything’s going according to plan. We arrived about fifteen or twenty minutes early, parking a few cars back from the cafe Josef pointed out, just out of sight of the windows if Stefan happened to be watching.

“All right,” Alex says to Josef in the back seat as we watch our guys get into position. “This is going to be pretty simple. All you have to do is talk to him.” He stops, looking up in the rearview mirror at him, then he gives me a side-glance. I turn around to see him looking through the back window.

“You looking for somebody?” I ask. Josef turns back around.

“Stefan’s car,” he says. “Just want to make sure he’s here.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Alex says. “You’re going in anyway. If he’s not there, you’ll wait for him.”

“And we’ve got this block covered,” I add. “So don’t even think about bolting.”

He doesn’t nod or really acknowledge the threat. He just sits back and picks at his nails like a child.

Stefan must have owed somebody a favor to decide to put him to work. He’s inept in the worst ways that a Six could be. Probably begged for the chance to try and take Liz out for Stefan.

“Better get going,” Alex says, still watching him through the rearview. Josef doesn’t bother looking back at him. He just opens the door and walks across the street.

“What do we think?” Alex asks me. “He look like a runner to you?”

I shrug. “He’s scared shitless. I think the better question is whether he’s more scared of Stefan or us.”

Alex nods. “So, you and Liz. You want to tell me the real story there?”

A hard, inward cringe grabs me. I still haven’t settled my feelings about her. Every time since we were together the night before last, my feelings shift back and forth like a pendulum. I’m stuck between feeling completely out of my skin about it all and wanting to be with her at all costs.

“I don’t want to talk about that,” I say. Alex nods slowly.

“I’m just saying, she’s the reason we’re here right now. I’m not out of pocket for asking out of concern.”

I turn my eyes from the street and to him. “It’s not her fault that shitbag came after her.”

“Maybe not… but I’m not wrong. She is the whole reason we’re here right now.” He adjusts his jacket and stares past me to the cafe. “Can’t say as I blame you. She’s got a whole Helen of Troy thing happening.”

“Except she didn’t start this war.”

“Not making it any better.”

I do not like his implication, but it’s not on me to say anything so I don’t. I turn away, watching the cafe entrance.

“It’s all right, bratishka,” he says. “We’ll talk more about her when this is all over.”

I suppose it was too much to hope for to think that he’s completely turned over a new leaf about Liz. I just hope the hole I’ve dug for myself isn’t so deep that I can’t climb out of it.