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Oleg answered. His big, bearish face peered out from the cracked door.
“You’re late.”
“Rain held us up.” Leo gestured at him. “Let us inside. My shoes are getting wet.”
Oleg snorted and pulled open the door.
Leo let me go up first then came in behind me. Oleg shut the door behind us and it took me half a beat for my eyes to adjust.
The room was almost barren. Two folding chairs and a couple of stacked Amazon boxes with crumb-covered plates on top sat in front of an old TV on the floor. It was tuned to static and the white-noise sound drifted into the room. The rooms beyond were equally barren, with a single beat-up table and a few chairs acting as the only other pieces of furniture.
“Welcome to home,” Oleg said.
“Where’s Hedeon?”
“Upstairs resting. Arm hurts him.” Oleg walked past us and toward the kitchen. “Want a drink?”
Leo gave me a look then followed him. I lingered in the living room and frowned at the folding chairs and the dirty plates. I couldn’t imagine Hedeon living in a place like this, not the guy that was tending to a beautiful garden and had a nice house in a good, quiet neighborhood. This place was a dump and it was about as far from civilization in this city as possible.
I heard Oleg take out some glasses and followed them into the kitchen. They stood next to the kitchen counters as Oleg poured whiskey. Leo took his glass, sipped it, made a face.
“This shit’s terrible and this house is a dump.”
Oleg grunted and threw his whiskey back in one. “No kidding.”
“How’s Hedeon dealing with it?”
“Not well. He’s not used to living like this.”
“And you are?”
“More than him, at least.”
Leo looked around and sipped his whiskey again. “You could at least get some chairs for the living room. Or maybe decorate. Fuck, this place is depressing.”
“We can’t all live in luxury hotels like you.”
Leo snorted. “That’s not fucking true and you know it.”
“Anyway, no use in getting things. We’re leaving here in a few days.”
Leo nodded and looked back at me. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s no wonder he’s been in a shit mood.” I made a face and sniffed the air. “Smells like rat poop.”
“That’s on account of the rats.” Oleg grinned at me.
I felt a wave of nausea and had to look away.
Leo sighed and finished his whiskey. There was a noise on the stairs and I looked back over my shoulder as Hedeon came down the steps and into the living room. He looked thinner than I remembered, his right arm in a sling, his clothes shabby and ill-fitting. He needed a haircut and a shave and probably a shower.
But his eyes still burned with that odd intensity.
“You’re here,” he said.
I nodded. “We’re here.”
Leo walked past me, over to Hedeon. There was a tentative moment until Hedeon reached out with his good hand and gave Leo a quick, tight embrace.
“I haven’t thanked you properly,” Hedeon said. “I didn’t think it would be good to do it on the phone.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
Hedeon waved him off. “You saved my life. If you hadn’t shown up, I would’ve been trapped.”
“We got lucky.”
“Thank you.” Hedeon motioned to the table. “Sit, drink more of Oleg’s awful piss whiskey if you want.”
Leo grinned and took a seat. I pulled out a chair next to him and Hedeon sat at the head of the table. Oleg refilled the glasses but lingered in the kitchen doorway.
Hedeon let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. “I have to say, it’s a risk that you’re here.”
“I know.” Leo leaned toward him. “I wouldn’t have risked it if this weren’t important.”
“You could’ve called.”
“Probably, but you would’ve said no.”
Hedeon gave him a small smile. “All right then. What’s so important you had to track me down?”
Leo glanced at me and nodded. “You tell him.”
I cleared my throat. Surprise bolted through me. But I took a breath and looked at Hedeon, who stared back impassively.
“One of the girls that tipped us off to Maksim’s whereabouts is in trouble,” I said. “Maksim’s been punishing the girls. Thinks one of them betrayed him, which they did. I want to help them.”
“Help the girls?” Hedeon made a face. “They’re, what, a bunch of used-up hookers?”
I grimaced and felt a wave of anger. “They’re people stuck in a bad position.”
“You want to risk a lot for these people.”
“They’re important. Ursula helped us.”
Hedeon leaned toward her. “You mean, Ursula helped me.”
“You wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near Maksim without my help,” I said, a drip of venom slipping into my tone. “Don’t forget about that. I was in the car when we saved you from the Volkovs.”
“From your family.” A little smile lit up his eyes. “I don’t forget that, either.”
“Hedeon,” Leo said warningly.
Hedeon leaned back and waved him off. “Tell me why saving these girls should be worth my time and my men.”
