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“Yeah.” I marvel at the irony. “Their incompetence leaves the door wide open.” I point a finger at my chest, I won’t risk being recorded declaring I’ll personally take care of it. “Does anyone else know about this?”
“I came straight to you, Bash.” He slides the cassette over to me. “Your dad was like a big brother to me. Let me know what I can do.”
I study the man for a moment. He’s got to be in his mid-forties, but he keeps damn fit for his age, looking more like a retired quarterback than a mafia captain. His wife Lorna and three kids live in the west Long Island in a nice upper-middle-class, respectable brownstone. He’ll be moving up in the world as my right hand. I’m glad to have him on my side.
“I’ll let you know, Stieg.” I hold up the cassette. “It’s good to know I can count on you in the clutch.”
“You bet, k--,” he catches himself before calling me kid. “Bash.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I say as I rise from the desk and switch off the fan. Once we’re back out in the parking lot, I motion him closer. “I want to do this right. I’m going to play the tape for him before I hack his sorry ass to pieces. Yuri’s wedding is in ten days in the Hamptons, we’ll all be up there. It’ll go down that night.”
“Good. I only ask that you allow me to have a go at him. Not a single day goes by that I don’t miss Alexi.”
I grip his shoulder. “Sergei may have raised me, but you’ve been the closest thing to filling my dad’s shoes.”
He pats my shoulder back. “I know Alexi would’ve done the same for my boys.”
“All right, I’ve got to go take care of some business,” I say absently rubbing my sore knuckles. I’d worn brass ones, but I’m afraid my lust for busting skulls must have gotten the better of me.
He glances down at my hands and chuckles. “Put some ice on them.” He shakes his head, smiling. “I’d hate to see the other guy.”
“Yeah, see ya around.” I hop into the car and head home to Madison.
Chapter 15 – Bright Days Ahead
WhenTessaarrivedat10am, I took off for the hospital to catch up on some case notes and talk with Emma about the cardiothoracic residency. The more I look into it the more I realize how highly coveted the position is. I’ve been working my ass off for it, and Emma thinks I have an edge, but Simon is still a strong contender. The official announcement is two months off, which means this is no time to get complacent.
When I approach the nursing station I see Lisa Melvin the redheaded medical student who switched shifts with me the first night Sebastian and I were together. She’s on the phone, smiling and giggling like a schoolgirl. Oh, boy, has Lisa finally met someone special?
I check for messages and review some charts. That’s when I hear it, she speaks a few words of Russian. I turn to look at her.
“Yeah, last night when you,” she snickers and looks around, “Did that thing, I’m still walking funny.” More laughter and a few more words I’m sure she’s butchering the Russian language. She sounds as bad as I imagine I do. But what were the chances that she started dating a Russian the same time I did?
“Kristoff,” she says demurely. “You’re so sweet. I can’t wait. You too,do svidaniya.”
I quickly look away as she ends her call. I’m dying to ask her about her boyfriend but can’t without revealing that I was eavesdropping. I recall seeing her at the hospital coffee shop sitting with a dark-haired man who looked to be about her age.
Kristoff…has Sebastian ever mentioned a Kristoff? I check myself. Isn’t that absurd for me to assume that all Russians know each other. I mean, it won’t hurt for me to ask about him, but I’m just not assuming he does.
“Madison, just the person I was looking for,” Lisa says. Her freckled cheeks pull tight into a smile.
"Uh-oh," I say as I plaster on a smile in return. “Lisa, hi. How’s it going?”
“Fantastic,” she beams and clasps her hands together. “But I need a huge favor. Could you please, please, please switch shifts with me Wednesday. It’s my birthday my boyfriend is taking me out somewhere special.”
I grimace inside, that would require me to work a double-shift which Sebastian hates. But if it helps me gain some intel, I’ll see if I can make it work. I mean, it’s her birthday for heaven’s sake.
I smile big. “How long have you guys been going out?”
She actually shimmies with delight. “About 2 months now and he is so amazing.”
“Yeah, how did you two love birds meet?”
“Oh, we met here. He was being treated for lacerations on his hand, he works construction. And I don’t know,” she grins, and her brown eyes roll up. “Our eyes just met, and we knew. He asked me out for coffee and the rest is history.”
“That’s so sweet, I’m so happy for you,” I say, patting her shoulder. I look askance at her. “Were my ears playing tricks on me, or did I hear you speaking Russian?”
Her eyes widen in surprise whether it was due to my eavesdropping or the fact that I understood some Russian, I’m not certain.
