Page 34 of The Stalking King

Yeah, right…

“It’s early days,” I say. For me, anyway. “When things are more solid, we can talk about it.”

She huffs. “Fine, but I’m holding you to that promise. He must be special to make you smile like that.” A moment later, her gaze moves to a picture of Evan on the wall, and the life drains from her.

I’ve thought about telling her to remove the picture many times, but how can I?

“Do you remember when he wanted to be a police officer?” she says in a distant voice. “Do you remember that little hat he had?”

I pull her into my arms, holding her, just like Maksim held me. There’s some irony there… here she is, talking about the little boy with the bright smile who wanted to set the world right. Meanwhile, I may be falling for a man who does the exact opposite.

CHAPTER 14

MAKSIM

The next morning, I sit opposite a well-kept man with thick glasses and a fine layer of sweat clinging to his upper lip. He’s the representative for a senator whose private emails were leaked recently. He’s trying to figure out if it was our organization or Conrad’s. We had access to none of his conversations, but it wouldn’t be wise for me to admit that. In this world, implication is worth almost as much as fact.

Behind him, Nikolai paces. This is one of our moves. Nikolai walks up and down like a caged lion, causing the man to think he might leap at him any second. My mind is partially here, partially with Lia. Perhaps that’s going to be my new norm now, always partly somewhere else, with her. It’s not a bad thing.

Wesley Grant adjusts his glasses and clears his throat. “The senator is eager to know if there’s anything he can do to make this process smoother for himself,” he murmurs.

“So, you think we just piss our information all over the streets?” Nikolai says from behind him, pacing endlessly.

“Nuh-no,” the man stutters. “Not at all. That’s not what I’m saying.” He smiles tightly, more like a reflex, and throws his hands up. “What am I saying?”

I almost feel bad for him. He isn’t built for situations like this. That’s why the Bratva functions so well in this world. These men are used to weak, terrified men like themselves.

“I’m waiting for that too,” I say flatly.

“We just want to know, uh, if there’s a reason why the nation now knows…” He hesitates.

“Now knows the size and color and shape of your lauded senator’s penis,” Nikolai says, laughing darkly. “And that he’s not shy about shooting it through the ether for all to see.”

Wesley swallows. “Well, yes, exactly…”

I lean forward. “Perhaps your senator should remember that there are fees to be paid in this town. Fees which would have protected him from this sort of thing. Was he paying any fees, Mr. Grant?”

He looks like a chastised schoolboy, shaking his head. “No,” he says quietly.

“And now look what’s happened,” Nikolai snaps. “He might not recover from this.”

“But if he does,” I go on. “Tell him to give us a call. Data kept with us is better than data left in the wild. He should’ve thought of that before he tried to fly solo.”

This is part of the job too. Protection. With our vast resources, we hire the best cybersecurity specialists imaginable to wipe our clients’ histories clean… while saving a small piece for ourselves. It’s ugly work, sure, but still better than what other mafias do.

Once Wesley is gone, Nikolai leaves to handle some business. I’ve got back-to-back meetings with legitimate clients. It’s not like we can just plaster on the door, Volkov Enterprises, Blackmail and Deep Dark Secret Specialists! Our front-facing businesses span a wide range, from security to retail and anything in between.

I check my phone for the tenth time. I feel like a teenager, waiting for his crush to text him first. I’m trying to give Lia some space, but it’s difficult. Ultimately, I text her.

Maksim: When are you next getting a day off? I don’t want you working yourself into the ground.

I feel a huge sense of relief when she texts back an hour later.

Lia: Days off? What are they again?

Maksim: They’re what you take when you’re not at work. You should try it sometime. If money is the issue, all you have to do is say.

Her next reply is even faster.