Page 162 of Cashmere Cruelty

“Motya, it’s me.”

“Now is not a good time, brother.”

“Is that Yuri?” April mouths below me.

I stick two fingers into her mouth to shut her up. I don’t miss the way her eyes go dark and hooded at that—blyat’, I’m even harder now.

“It’s urgent,” Yuri pants. By the sound of it, he’s been running. “It’s better if we speak in person. Can you meet me at the loft in fifteen?”

The loft. Yuri knows I’ve been staying at the penthouse. If he’s asking to meet there, it can only mean one thing: whatever this is must stay between us. “I’ll be there in ten.”

April gives a muffled groan.

I shut the call and slip my fingers out. “Next time, I’ll have to gag you.”

“Do you really have to go?” she blinks up at me with her doe eyes. “I know you’re the Batman and everything?—”

“Pakhan.”

“—but can’t you call in sick or something?”

“It’s not a government job,” I deadpan, pulling away from her warm, willing body.Someone better be ready to die for this.“Besides, it’s Yuri. If he’s calling me this early…”

April’s face immediately shifts to concern. “Is he okay?”

“Relax. He just sounded winded.”

“Okay, good,” she exhales. “You’ll tell me if anything’s wrong, though?”

I move my lips to say yes, then I stop. Why should I promise that? My Bratva’s my business.Mine. No one else’s.

“I’ll call you,” I say without elaborating. I was already planning to do that anyway. Ever since the break-in, I’ve sometimes been dropping surprise calls or texts. Nothing too long, just random pulse checks.

For the baby, of course.

“Okay.” April beams. “Good luck.”

She pecks me on the lips. That’s a new part of the routine: morning goodbyes. The first time she did that, I felt like a fucking deer in the headlights. It’s not the kind of goodbye I’m used to.

“Call me if there’s any trouble,” I say.

Then I grab a few clothes and text Grisha.

We get to the loft with a minute to spare. But Yuri’s already there. “Something happened.” Then he clocks Grisha and snarls, “What’s he doing here?”

“He’s here because I told him to be,” I snap back. I’m in no mood for games, especially not now. “So are you gonna talk or not?”

Yuri swallows. He looks between us, then seems to make a decision. Good. I wasn’t going to wait much longer. “It’s about the D.C. plan.”

That gets my attention. “What happened?”

I’m expecting news of a delay. I’m expecting to hear thevoryare being difficult, that they’re still demanding to be looped in. I’m even expecting to see an extra zero tacked on the price last minute.

What I’m not expecting is for Yuri to say, “It’s over, Matvey.”

“Come fucking again?”

“It’s over,” Yuri repeats. “The deal… it fell through.”

---