Page 19 of Fractured Ties

Yeah, he deserved that.

“Well, speak,” Kolya demanded.

“Like I said, I know a guy. That’s all I’m willing to say.”

“Then, you’ve got a day—no more, and no less—to get the bear out of here, Konstantin.”

“Two would be better.”

“A day is all you have before I need to take this shit to Vadim.”

Konstantin glanced at the stacks of cash and papers on the desk. “What’d you find, anyway?”

“A hundred grand, and the slips for this place. Good enough, no?”

“Should be. And—”

“Found her!”

Kolya’s head snapped up at the voice filtering into the office from the hallway. The feminine shouts and Russian curses that accompanied Anatoly’s victorious declaration made Kolya’s heart stop for a split-second.

And then there she was.

There she was.

Being dragged in by Anatoly, there she fucking was.

All five feet of her, pissed off, messy black hair, and her pixie-like face screwed into a mask of indignation and rage.

Anatoly shoved Maya Kozlov further into the room and made her stumble over her own two feet. The sudden swell of rage that washed over Kolya at the sight was unbelievable, and hardly fucking containable. It was also shocking enough to keep him rooted right to the fucking floor.

“Fuck you,” she spat at Anatoly.

Anatoly only laughed at her. “Zatknis, Maya. You should have run, you stupid girl.” Then, to Kolya, and entirely unaware how close to death he was as he moved closer to the window, and further away from the shaking girl, Anatoly added, “There’s your payment right there—she’s worth four times what anything you’ve found is worth, Kolya. Vadim would agree, and I know the man Ivan owes money to has been suggesting he’d take the offer of her—or a fucking taste of her—to wipe away the account he had with him.”

Kolya’s throat tightened.

A bitter taste filled his mouth.

Hatred thickened his blood.

Anatoly, still unaware, continued on with, “We both know Vadim would rather have something like this place to keep making him money, comrade. It’s a one-time deal with her—this place is a goldmine. Consider it.”

“But … but, no,” Maya whispered.

Kolya’s gaze drifted to the woman who seemed shell-shocked and suddenly terrified. Like all of the fight she had just shown was gone from her personality just like that.

And the tears.

Holy sweet baby Jesus in heaven … the tears.

They welled in her eyes.

Tracked lines down her cheeks.

Touched her lips.

The fucking tears!