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I clenched my hands into fists and lingered, but getting into a fist fight with him now wouldn’t help my cause. I left him, my warning sent. It was up to him to decide if he’d follow it or not.
I prayed for his sake that he would. I didn’t want our loose alliance to fracture. Silvano’s play was forcing my hand, but it hadn’t gone too far yet. There was a way back.
And it was up to me to find it.
I stepped out into the afternoon sunlight. I shaded my eyes and spotted the Range Rover down the block. I walked toward it, already going over my list of things to do for the remainder of the day, all while wondering if I’d have to kill Liam and Silvano, and what Melanie’s uncle did to her grandfather and how it involved her mother, when I spotted a golden-haired beauty leaning against the wall out in front of a bodega, chewing on a straw and grinning.
Palmira pushed toward me, arms crossed over her chest.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, resisting the urge to look over my shoulder toward the gym.
“I followed you. I was surprised when I saw Liam in there. That one’s got a wicked left hook. I’d be careful of it if I were you.”
I gave her a tight half smile. “I’m aware of that but thank you.”
“Shouldn’t be surprised. I bet you’ve pissed off all your fellow Oligarchs enough to learn all their fighting secrets.”
I shrugged, unwilling to admit that was absolutely accurate.
“What do you want, Palmira?”
“Need to talk.” She stepped closer, face closing down. She spit the straw onto the ground. “Walk with me.”
I glanced toward the Rover. My men were inside, waiting. I let out a breath and nodded. I didn’t have time for this, but Palmira was an extension of Melanie, and I’d give the bodyguard my ear if that meant I’d keep them both safe and happy.
When we passed the Rover, it pulled out and began to tail us. Palmira noticed, but said nothing.
“Melanie’s naive,” she began, then stopped herself and started over. “Melanie wants to see the best in everyone. Sometimes I think that leads her astray.”
“I assume you’re referring to our loose alliance. You don’t think I’m a puppy dog beneath my gruff exterior?”
“I think you’re a wolf wearing a bear’s clothing.” She grinned at her own joke, but her mirth didn’t last. “I don’t know what your game is, but I’m asking you to keep her out of it.”
“There’s no game here,” I said, studying the bodyguard. I’d heard of her, though only in passing. Apparently, Old Bern Orchard trained her from a young age to be his personal assassin and killer, and now she was close with the current leader of the Orchard clan, Melanie’s brother, Redmond. I wasn’t sure why she’d been assigned babysitting duty, when a woman of her talents was more valuable elsewhere, but it wasn’t my place to question. It also helped that I didn’t much care.
She was dangerous, but that was a good thing.
As much as I loathed to admit it, I was beginning to like Melanie. I didn’t want to see her get hurt, and Palmira was one of the few people in the world that could keep her safe.
“Melanie’s a normal person. I know she grew up in an Oligarch household, but they kept her away from the business.”
I stopped walking and faced Palmira. “What makes you so sure she’s normal?”
“I’ve known her all her life. She cares about people, unlike all of you.”
I bristled at that. “I’m sure you think you know me, given our extensive interactions over the years, but let’s be clear. You have no clue who I am, and I don’t owe you a damn thing.”
“You’re right, you don’t. But I don’t think you want Melanie to end up dead, and I’m asking you to make sure that doesn’t happen. After she fulfills her end of your bargain, walk away. Leave her alone. Let her go.”
I tilted my head, shaking it slowly. “Do you even know what she’s doing out here?”
“I’m not oblivious.”
“You must be, because even if I decided to end our relationship, such that it is, she wouldn’t be out of harm’s way. Far from it.”
“Explain.”
“She’s searching for something and it has to do with her uncle. Right now, her uncle is in bed with Silvano, pumping out a drug they plan on using against her own brother. It’s all a twisted little pretzel of incestuous filth, and it doesn’t matter if I walk away. She’ll still involve herself.”
Palmira bristled. I could tell I’d gotten under her skin, but she knew I was right. I could see it on her face. Only she wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
“You’re making it worse. Dragging her into that meeting was low, even by your standards.”
