Page 81 of A Monster Is Coming

“Oh,” Niamh said.

“They’re in mine.”

Niamh chuckled. “I already figured that out. I filled in the blanks.” She smiled at me and then stroked my cheek.

“Would you like to meet them? Get to know them?”

She tilted her head to the side, and looked at me. “Why?”

“I just … I want you to be comfortable here. I know it’s not going to be easy for you to make new friends, not being my wife, so those you can make, even long distance, would be important.”

“I’ve never been good at making friends,” Niamh said.

“I have a feeling you’ll find these ladies are … similar,” I said.

“Why?”

I took a deep breath. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but Ivan has a tendency to find broken, damaged women, who need … someone.”

“Oh,” Niamh said.

I already knew what was going through her mind, because with her circumstances and family, she fit the bill quite well.

“I, ugh, I kind of fall into that category as well, huh?”

I didn’t even answer that.

“My men, as well as their own guards, will be there. You won’t be alone, and I will make sure your men are aware that if you give them a signal, they should bring the meeting to an end.”

“A meeting?”

“I was thinking you and the ladies could do lunch today.”

“This is sudden,” Niamh said.

“I just want you to try and make some friends.” And with our wives out of the way, it meant I could talk to Slavik without any trouble. I knew it was a risk.

I had intended to spend today with Niamh, and to explore our newfound … closeness. I wanted every opportunity to spill my sperm deep inside her so I could get her pregnant again. Also, I did want her to have friends. Aurora, Adelaide, and Charlotte were good people.

And so, four hours later, while Niamh was with the wives, I arranged a different kind of meeting with Slavik. He was in a café enjoying a cup of coffee, when I went to join him.

“You used your wife so that you and I could have a meeting?” Slavik asked. “I will have to warn you, if this is in any way designed to terminate Ivan, then you will be dead within minutes.”

“My loyalty lies with Ivan Volkov. I give my life to the Volkov, and that will never change.” One of the inks right around my chest is the Volkov brand, the V with the ivy around each one. I had the mark inked around my chest so I would always remember my loyalty, my ties.

“Then, what could you possibly want from this meeting?” Slavik asked.

“What has Finn Byrne done to Ivan Volkov to make him remove every person helping him?”

I couldn’t quite connect the dots. Ivan was turning this into a hunt. He had the ability to kill Finn. Not only did he have the man’s son, he also had the man’s daughter, the woman with all the power of the Byrne name. Ivan hadn’t used any of it.

Also, he had The Beast and The Butcher at his disposal, and their reputations were not false. I had seen The Butcher at work, and I now saw why she was named as such.

Ivan had the power, and yet he was taking out everyone around Finn. Almost playing with him, taunting him. Not that I had an issue with how Ivan was dealing with him. We all dealt with our demons in different ways.

This was personal.

Slavik sat back.

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