“Anyway, you’ve worked Harrington over so well he sings like a canary whenever you give him too much attention. The names he’s reeled off…” Misha clicks his teeth. “Their reach makes me uneasy.”
“I’m less impressed.”
“You would be. But that’s because you’re not taking into account punishments and such. If a child is allowed to be hurt, then doesn’t that mean the higher-ups sanctioned it?”
“Evenwedon’t target children!”
Misha snorts. “The Bratva did.”
“We don’t. The Forgotten Boys don’t.”
“Only because of Nikolai.”
“No, I wouldn’t allow it either. Not after what we went through.”
Misha heaves a sigh. “Maxim?—”
I hold up a hand when the sound of the water cuts off. I’ve been half-listening to make sure she doesn’t break down into tears, but her strength has come as a surprise to me.
Her confidence has always been apparent, and her bratty ways border on reckless, but this level of fortitude is definitely news.
Never mind Misha,Iunderestimated her.
That won’t happen again.
“We’ll be questioning her guards over the upcoming hours,” Misha murmurs. “Shall we leave the likely suspects for you to handle?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll make sure the pig farm knows not to feed our co-conspirators any breakfast.”
“You think there’s more than one traitor?”
“It’s been a while,” he taunts, “but surely you remember our foot soldiers work in pairs?”
A nerve flicks in my eye as I accept the truth of his statement.
“Niven?”
“Just a beat cop. New to Mt. Palisades.”
“Worth cultivating?”
“Nothing special.”
“Keep an eye on him.”
“Surveillance or…?”
I think back to what Victoria shared with me.
“If he ever needs help, we owe it to him.”
Before Misha can delve into that, the bathroom door opens, and Victoria queries, “Misha?”
He dips his chin at her and, for the first time, doesn’t look at her like she’s a waste of oxygen. “Hello, Victoria.”
“Is there a reason you’re in our bedroom?”
