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13Leonid“I’m going with you.”
I stood in front of the floor-length mirror in the bathroom and shoved the magazine into my Glock. I pulled back the slide and pushed it into my waistband.
“No, you’re not.”
Robin sat on the bed wearing all black. She stared at me, a touch of anger in her expression. It made her pouty lips drive me crazy.
“I was thinking, back in the car. About my future. What I’m going to do after this.”
“Yeah?” I turned to look at her. “What’s that?”
“I need to learn something. Maybe I can learn this.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What, learn how to kill people?”
She looked down at the carpet. “Maybe not kill people. But maybe learn… the big picture stuff.”
“You’re already learning that.”
“Just let me come.”
I let out an annoyed breath. “The last time I let you came, we got ambushed. You really want to risk it again?”
“If you go out there and get yourself killed, I’m screwed. You think Hedeon and the other guys are gonna let me live?”
He frowned. “That’s a good point.”
“My life is tied up in whatever happens to you right now. So I’m not getting left behind. I’m not just sitting in this room wondering whether you’re alive or dead and whether I’m about to get killed or not.”
I held up my hands.
“Fine.”
She looked surprised. “Really?”
“Really. Fine. You can come.” I lowered my hands and pointed at her. “But you do what I say. No bullshit. Remember how fast it all went down with Pavel?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Then you need to make sure you listen. I tell you to run, you just run, no questions, no hesitation. Got it?”
“I can do that.”
“Good.” I stepped out of the bathroom. “Get ready. We’re leaving in ten.”
She nodded and stood as I brushed past her and into the living room area.
Bringing her along was a mistake. I knew it but couldn’t do much about it. I didn’t want to risk making her do something stupid. If she acted impulsively or irrationally while I was out laying this ambush, shit might go sideways.
And besides, I sort of liked that she wanted to learn my trade.
It wasn’t going to happen. But it was cute.
I didn’t have a problem with women in the crew. We had women, not a lot of them, but a few. They could be just as dangerous as any muscle-head asshole. But Robin didn’t have the stomach for this work, and I didn’t think she deserved it.
She’d been trapped in that Volkov hell for long enough. Killing, violence, uncertainty, it was all she knew. I didn’t want her to have to live it forever.
If I could, I’d make sure she needed up somewhere safe and stable after all this was over.
Ten minutes later, she emerged, her hair pulled up into a tight bun.
“Let’s do this.”
I nodded, grabbed my phone, sent a text with an address to a number Hedeon had forwarded an hour ago.
Robin followed me downstairs and out into the night. We got into my car and drove west toward the flower shop. It was late, just after midnight, but there were still people walking through the streets.
“This part of the city stays wild,” I said.
“Lots of bars. Young people.”
“Lots of witnesses.”
“What’s the plan?”
“We wait for things to die down. Then we make our move.”
“Might be busy until two.”
“That’s fine. I’ve got a feeling it won’t matter.”
She nodded. “Are you doing this alone?”
“No. Someone else is coming.”
“Do you know who?”
I shook my head. “But he’ll be here. He’s waiting for my signal.”
“You guys have a really complicated system.”
“Tell me about it. But so far, it works.” I leaned back in the seat. “Get comfortable. We’ve got some time to kill.”
She sighed and leaned her head back on the headrest.
The night buzzed with drunk young people and some older couples out for a stroll. Robin fell asleep after an hour of sitting around. I let her sleep, the girl had been exhausted lately and she needed the rest. And there wasn’t much she could do, anyway.
A steady flow of men in hoodies and baggy jeans stopped outside of the flower shop’s side door. I watched them come and go, making a mental note. It was almost a steady rhythm, every fifteen minutes or so. They’d show up, knock, wait, do something inside, then leave again. I couldn’t see any bags or objects on them, but that was probably why they wore sweatshirts, to hide whatever they were bringing out of there.
My guess was drugs. It’s always fucking drugs with these people.
Time slowly slipped away. Cars rolled down the street. A group of motorcycles growled past. Robin talked in her sleep, though I couldn’t make out any words. Her eyes twitched as she moved through cycles.
Two o’clock came and went and the night quieted.
But the guys kept coming.
I nudged Robin after the 2:15 guys came and went. She startled awake and looked around.
