Page 150 of Twilight Sins

“That’s where the bad news comes in,” he winces. “Akim called off the greenlight and is planning to take you out himself.”

“Is the bad news that Akim is an even bigger idiot than we thought? He can’t kill me.”

“No, but the word is that he’s planning to take you out… when you meet with Budimir.”

There it is.

“How sound is your source this time?”

“Solid as a fucking rock,” he says. “I’ve confirmed it.”

I grind my teeth. “Then we have a leak.”

“Maybe Boris was a double agent, after all. Before he was murdered, obviously,” Nik adds.

If Akim knows that we’re planning to meet with Budimir, then he knows I’m going after him financially. He’ll prepare for it.

“It doesn’t matter now. The plan is shot to shit.”

“Does that mean we’re backing out?”

I shake my head. “No. I want Akim to think he has the upper hand. We need to meet with Budimir so Akim thinks he is one step ahead of us. Then we can catch him off-guard.”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Nikandr grins. “Are we finally taking out Akim Gustev?”

I smirk. “Drink up, brother. We’ve got work to do.”

I drive up to the house through the side gate and enter through the patio doors, but Luna is waiting in the kitchen.

It’s the first time I’ve seen her since the alley. Her hair is tucked behind one ear, the bruise high on her cheekbone blossoming into a nasty purple color.

Sergey is dismembered and decomposing in some barrel of acid by now, but my fists still clench. I should have dragged his death out longer. Made him suffer for everything he did to her. Everything he wanted to do.

Luna hears me and stands up. “You’re here.”

She’s wearing a pair of my sweatpants rolled around her waist and a tank top. I want to rip them off of her. But I know where that would lead.

Nowhere good.

“It’s my house.”

“Right, yeah.” She chews on her full lower lip. “You were gone all day.”

I walk past the island. If she’s waiting for an explanation of where I’ve been, she’ll die waiting. I don’t owe her anything. I’ve given her more than enough already. All I want to do is get to my office and sleep for a few hours.

Then her fingers wrap around my elbow. Her hand is cold and the first thought in my head is that I should turn up the heat if she’s uncomfortable. Fucking hell, what is wrong with me?

I twist away from her.

“Sorry, I—” She pulls her hand back. “Can we talk? It will just take a second.”

“No.”

I’m going to end Akim and then Luna can go back to her life. I don’t need to talk about that; I just need to fucking do it.

I keep walking, but she reaches for me again. “Yakov, please.”

I snatch her hand off my arm. “No.”

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