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Timofey nods. “If he doesn’t, someone else will.”
There’s a solemn resignation in his voice. This is the life Timofey leads, and he has accepted it.
As for me? I’m not there yet.
Noelle’s warnings ring in my ears. She told me to leave tonight. If I’d listened… well, I don’t know what would have happened. Maybe Timofey would have been spotted by Arber and killed on sight. Or maybe he would have taken Arber out and ended all of this.
It’s impossible to know.
The only thing I know for sure is that having Timofey in my life makes things infinitely more complicated.
91
TIMOFEY
“Arber is dead,” Pavel says. His voice crackles, the cell signal failing to reach him in whatever warehouse or cement dungeon he’s in, but his message is clear.
I duck out of the living room into the hallway. The penthouse is significantly smaller than the mansion, so getting out of earshot of Piper isn’t possible. Still, the less she knows, the better.
“Confirmed?” I ask.
“What’s the survival rate of your head being separated from your body? It’s gotta be zero percent, right?”
I chuckle darkly. “I suppose that counts for confirmation.”
“Rodion probably would have shredded him.” He makes the crack before he remembers Rodion isn’t on good terms with the Bratva at the moment. He clears his throat. “Anyway, I’m absolutely positive he’s dead. What should we do with him now?”
“Wrap him up. Let’s send Kreshnik a little gift.”
It’s as good as a formal declaration of war. Then again, Arber declared the same thing when he walked into my house with a gun. He signed his own death warrant.
There’s a pause before Pavel laughs. “Fuck. That’s brutal.”
“Brutality for brutality. I think it’s a fair trade.”
“Do you want to make the delivery personally, or—”
“You do it,” I interrupt. “I trust you to handle things.”
Usually, I’d be all over this. If the Albanians are going to make a move on me, I want to head the charge to retaliate. But usually, I’m the only person I have to worry about.
Now, there’s Benjamin and Piper. I don’t want to leave them alone. Not after everything they’ve been through tonight.
After helping Piper calm down from being locked in the safe room, I then had to convince her to get into a car and drive across town with me. Having Benjamin in the backseat with her helped, but she’s still on edge. I can’t leave her alone.
“Okay,” Pavel says excitedly. “I can absolutely handle things.”
“Message me when it’s done.”
“You got it, Don. I’ll take care of everything.”
I shove the phone in my pocket and flex my hands. I physically itch to get into the mix. It’s the same feeling I had as I guided Piper through the house to the safe room. I knew I was making the right choice. Getting her as far away from the gunfire as possible and protecting Benjamin was the only thing that mattered.
Still, that didn’t quiet the instinctual part of me that wanted to turn around and wring Arber’s neck. I wanted to be the one to watch the life drain out of him.
But watching him die can’t compete with making sure Piper and Benjamin live.
When I walk back into the sitting room, Piper is peering over the side of Benjamin’s travel crib, watching him sleep. I can hear the soft lilt of whatever lullaby she’s singing to him.
