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I looked at Leo from across the hotel room and he only arched an eyebrow.
“They know I know things,” I said into the phone. “They know I can go places.”
“Yes, true, but I have feeling that is not enough, yes? I hear they did something very bad to you and men you are with.”
“They tried, but they failed.”
“Hah, of course, all Volkov men are failures.”
“Ursula, I need your help.”
“Yes, I thought so.” She took a long drag and blew the smoke into the receiver. “What do you want?”
“The next time Maksim’s in the diner, I want you to text me.”
“Text you. About Maksim. You also want me to die, yes?”
“Nobody will know it was you. Send the text then delete it from your phone. That’s all you’d have to do.”
“And you get caught, you tell them I sent you, yes?”
“If I get caught, I’ll get killed. We’re not coming to hold his hand.”
There was a long silence. Then she laughed.
“I always hated him,” she said. “You know, the first day I came to America, he saw me and said, not pretty enough, she looks like a little dirty peasant girl. I hated him so much because he was right.”
“Help me,” I said. “You know it’s the right thing.”
“Right thing.” She grunted. “I hate right thing. But I think I hate Maksim more.”
“So you’ll help?”
“Yes, I’ll help. But only because you are asking. Anyone else ask, I tell them to go fuck themselves.”
“You’re a darling. When you send that text, make sure you’re not anywhere near him, okay?”
“I will be far, far away.”
She hung up the phone. I smiled and leaned back in my chair. Leo tilted his head.
“She’s in, I take it,” he said.
“She’s in.”
“Good.” He looked at a clock. “How long, do you think?”
“Won’t be long. Maksim liked the diner. He’ll show up.”
Leo nodded, but his face remained clouded over.* * *Turned out, I was wrong.
It took Ursula five days to text us.
In the meantime, we moved hotels twice. Leo preferred big, fancy chains, and so he made sure we didn’t hurt for comforts and luxury. I fell in and out of bed with him, because there was nothing else to do, and because I wanted him. We ate well, we had sex, and he spent endless hours texting everyone in the crew.
Everything changed suddenly. It was just after seven on a Tuesday. I had my feet up on the coffee table. Leo was pacing around the bedroom talking to Oleg on the phone, getting his evening update on how Hedeon was doing and what the rest of the crew was up to.
Then my phone buzzed.
I stared down at the screen. Ursula’s name floated on the screen.
He’s here with some man. Good luck.
That was all, nothing else. I stood up, heart racing.
“Leo.”
I heard him say something on the phone then poke his head out. “What’s up?”
“It’s time.”
He frowned. “She texted?”
“Just now. He’s at the diner.”
He held the phone to his ear. “Oleg? Yeah, I’ve got to go. It’s time.”
He hung up, disappeared into the room, then came out with his gun in his hand. He pulled back the slide.
“Let’s go.”
I chewed on my cheek, but followed him from the room. I wore tights, a sweatshirt, and had my hair up in a bun. I wished I had more time to get ready, but then again, I didn’t know what I would do. There’s not exactly a dress code for a mafia-style hit.
We found Leo’s car parked a couple blocks from the hotel and got inside. A bus rolled past with its headlights on. People sat inside, illuminated next to the big windows. A pack of young men wandered along the sidewalk, laughing too loud.
“You know the plan?” he asked.
“I remember.”
“You’re coming only to identify Maksim and anyone else important.”
“I know.”
“If shit goes bad—”
“I know, I know. Call Oleg, tell him what happened, get out of the city.”
He nodded, face serious. “I’m not sure what’ll happen here.”
“I know.”
“But we have to do this. I have to do this. He can’t keep getting away with this shit.”
I reached out and touched his thigh. “It’s not too late to turn around. We could get more people. Make sure it happens right.”
He frowned, shook his head. “No, this is on me. I need to fix this.”
“If you’re scared—”
“I’m not scared,” he said. “Not for me, anyway.”
I watched him as he turned left and headed north along Broad. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“You don’t get it, do you? I’m the only thing standing between you and your family. I’m the only one that does worry.”
“But that doesn’t mean you have to go and get yourself killed for me.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t plan on getting killed. Still, just know what you’re supposed to do if something does go down.”
I nodded and retreated to my side of the car. I wrapped my arms around myself and didn’t speak as he stared straight ahead.
