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“I’m going to find that out first,” I assure him. No one is walking away from this shit, and it’s going to be a slow end, worse for the fucker that put that match to the deli.
“I don’t think Yosif was dumb enough to talk to Ivan. We need to find out how Ivan found out,” Arman adds.
“The only people who know we talked to Yosif are Yogi and Boris, and I trust them with my life.”
“I trusted Ivan the same way,” Dad shoots at me.
“True, but they would have warned Yosif why I was having him brought to me. Yosif had no idea. Odds are Ivan was having Yosif watched, especially after the birthday party. He didn’t seem happy Yosif had shown up. He pushed him out.”
Dad stares at me a long moment. “I’ll handle Ivan.” He gets up from the chair. “Let me know when you handle the crew.”
“I will.” I look to Arman. “I could use your help with that.”
Arman nods as he gets to his feet. “Happy to help.”
As we walk out of the living room and into the foyer, Charlotte stands in the hallway coming from the bedrooms. Her hair is mussed but pulled back into a loose ponytail. Her eyes are swollen from lack of sleep.
“Ivan did this?” she asks in a low whisper filled with pain and anger.
Dad reacts first and steps to her. “He will pay for it. I promise you.”
Her lips press hard together, but all she does is nod.
Dad and Arman make their way out of the condo while I stay with Charlotte.
“I was hoping you’d sleep longer,” I say. “You haven’t slept well the last two nights. Maybe I should call the doctor.”
“It’s because of you.” Her voice dips lower, almost unrecognizable. “My father’s deli is gone, my apartment is gone, Mark could have died because of you.”
“Charlotte, he won’t get away with it.”
“Get away with it?” She brings her hurting eyes up to meet mine. Her body coils tight like a spring ready to launch at me. “He already has, Nikolai. I’ve lost everything because of you.” She puts a hand up when I step toward her. “No. Because of me.”
“Don’t—”
“It was my decision to sell myself to you. That was my call. To save my brother, I’ve cost us everything.” She drops her hand and turns around. “I’m taking a shower and then I’m going to the hospital to see Mark. Alone.”
“I’ll go with you.”
She whips around with her hands fisted at her sides. “Alone, Nikolai. I’m going alone. And when I get back, I’m packing up my stuff.”
“Charlotte.” My body locks. “That’s not happening.”
“I think losing everything more than makes up for what my brother owed you. It’s only another six days, anyway, right? I think having to start my entire life from scratch should warrant forgiveness of six days.” Her voice is like steel.
Six days? I hadn’t thought of how many days were left. I hadn’t thought about the end date in weeks. She’s been counting them down, apparently. Like a prisoner in jail.
“Where are you going to go?” Probably not the best action to remind her she has nothing, but it pops out. She’s leaving, and I can’t let that happen.
She stares at me a long moment. “That’s not your concern anymore.”
She turns on her heel and disappears down the hall. The soft click of the bedroom door closing smacks me in the face.
