Page 67 of Fractured Ties

She was a lot better now that he was there.

Kolya made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like a noncommittal grunt—as though he neither agreed nor disagreed with her statement and he didn’t trust himself to speak. Maya didn’t know where to begin or end with this man.

Maybe that was the problem.

He couldn’t be figured out.

He wasn’t meant to be understood.

He simply was.

Konstantin cleared his throat loudly, saying, “If we’re all done making others feel awkward, yeah, a quick chat would be nice.”

Kolya’s jaw stiffened, but he was quick to toss over his shoulder, “Speak, then.”

Even as he spoke to his brother, Kolya didn’t let go of Maya or look away from her. It was almost like he thought if he did let her go or look away, circumstances would change. She wouldn’t be okay or she would be gone entirely. She could practically feel that fear vibrating from his very person, yet she kept quiet.

“The run down, then,” Konstantin said. “I took care of the one Albanian—Tomor, no?”

Maya nodded at the question. “Yeah, that one.”

Kolya’s scowl deepened. “He was the guard with the Albanian that Vadim was meeting with earlier when I got to the Compound.”

He was looking at her.

But he spoke to Konstantin.

Across the room, Maya saw Konstantin nod at the statement before he replied with, “My apologies on getting there a little bit late, yeah?”

Kolya’s gaze dragged its way over Maya’s scrapes and bruises again, and not for one single second did she think his rage was in any way quelled over it. “Move on, brat.”

Konstantin cleared his throat. “And speaking of the Compound—I pulled some strings and asked for a favor.”

“How so?”

Kolya’s question was quiet, tight, and dark.

“That’s where Tomor is.” Konstantin let out a dry laugh. “Still alive, for now.”

A slow, cold smile spread over Kolya’s lips. The sight of it alone was enough to make a shiver crawl up Maya’s spine. She had only seen him wear that kind of smile once before—right before he attacked her father.

“Good,” Kolya murmured. “And then?”

“We were on our way to a different spot after the Tomor thing when we were attacked on the highway. Run off the road and shot at. I’m thinking the Albanians, likely. Considering I doubt Tomor had gone alone to grab Maya, and maybe they were answering me back for their man being downed by my hand. You know how the Albanians are when you kill or attack one of them.”

Silence echoed for a long while—long enough to make Maya uncomfortable, even if the warmth of Kolya’s hands holding onto her was soothing in some ways. She didn’t know why Kolya had suddenly turned into a statue after his brother spoke.

Kolya stiffened. His mouth opened like he was going to reply, but he hesitated. Konstantin didn’t miss it from across the room.

“What is it, Kolya?”

“I don’t think—”

Kolya didn’t get the chance to finish his statement before a man walked right into the clinic’s private room without as much as knocking or even announcing his presence with a hello. His gaze drifted to the doctor working quietly in the corner, and then to Konstantin leaning against the wall before moving to Kolya, too.

A second man came in right after him.

Maya didn’t care as much about the second man—he didn’t look nearly as pissed off or as angry as the first man did. He didn’t give off the promise of violence with just his presence alone like the first man was able to simply by strolling into the room.