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“Arman will be here in the morning,” he tells me. I clench my jaw.
“There won’t be retribution so quickly. If Yefim wants to make a move against us, it will be subtle and not immediate.”
“That’s not why he’s coming.” He sighs. “Igor is arriving in the morning. Arman got word from him earlier tonight that he was coming to Boston.”
“Arman talked to my father?”
“He wanted to let him know he was coming and said he wanted to see him, Nikolai, and Gregor, too. I’m not sure when they will be here.”
I ring the bell to her apartment and wait for the buzzer to let me in.
“He wants a fucking family meeting? Now?”
“I guess.” Maxim waits a beat. “Is she at her apartment?”
“Her light is on.” I ring her bell again. “And don’t you dare tell me to be easy on her.”
“I won’t.”
“And you’ll be ready for the ass kicking I’m going to give you for letting her leave in the first place.”
He snorts. “I didn’t let her do anything.”
Just because he’s right doesn’t make it all right. I had been surrounded by Yefim and his son and nephew while she slipped away.
The buzzer still hasn’t gone off, so I grab the door and jerk it to test the lock. It flies right open. Fucking thing wasn’t locked at all.
“Be nice to her, Roman!” Mandy yells into the phone. “She was just upset. Don’t be mean.”
“Dammit, Mandy. I said go sit in the living room,” Maxim grumbles. “Sorry.”
I start taking the stairs two at a time.
“You have your hands full, too. I’ll be home soon, with her. Take Mandy home.”
“Call if you need me.” He ends the call.
Stashing my phone in my coat pocket, I turn down her hall. It’s already ten o’clock, there’s no activity on her floor, so when I knock it echoes throughout the hall.
I wait.
Nothing.
No sounds.
No television playing or anything.
I knock again, harder this time. Then stare at the little peephole of the door, willing her to open the door. A dark sensation creeps into my chest when there’s still no sound.
I try the door; it’s locked, and it actually holds pretty well.
Grabbing my phone again, I call her. So far, she hasn’t picked up a call or answered any of my text messages, but before I kick down the door, I’m going to be fair and give her a warning.
Open the door, Billie, or I’m breaking it down.
No response.
If you don’t answer me or open this door, I’m kicking it down. On the count of three. One…
