Page 39 of Sin and Redemption

“Did you…?”

Maximus nodded. “When I was younger, I spent many evenings carving. It’s been a while but I did the best I could.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Thank you for not ridiculing my wish for a grave.”

Maximus frowned down at me. “Every loss needs an outlet. I hope it helps you cope with our loss.”

Our loss. I had rarely considered it as such. That Maximus felt that way made me feel better. I didn’t ask what he did to cope. We had already been talking more than I’d intended.

Silence fell over us, and I allowed myself to feel the full intensity of my sadness, something I’d fought every day in the past three weeks.

One year later

I glanced at my watch. Flavio should arrive with Sara any moment. Since Sara had returned to college last semester to further pursue her degree in art history, either Flavio or Romero had picked her up in the afternoon and taken her home in addition to the bodyguard who watched her while she was there. Too many bad memories were connected to me picking her up. I wasn’t usually home at the time, as I’d started to work a lot again, but today was our first wedding anniversary. One entire year as husband and wife, at least on paper, but we were roommates, not more. I doubted we even qualified as friends. We rarely spent time together and when we did it was often loaded with awkwardness. I was fairly sure Sara didn’t enjoy being near me and so I tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. The two darkest days of her life were directly connected to me, so I couldn’t blame her for wanting some distance.

We only had dinner together about twice a week. The rest of the time, she ate with her parents and siblings. We did what was necessary to keep up appearances but not more. When I’d suggested we go to dinner for our anniversary, she had agreed at once. But even that was probably only for appearance’s sake.

I blew out a breath, annoyed at my train of thoughts. I glanced at my watch again and reached for my phone in my pants pocket, ready to call Flavio. The hum of the elevator made me stop.

The beep of the code being entered into the keypad sounded, and the door opened. My phone rang as Flavio and Sara entered the apartment.

I gave Flavio a nod in greeting and Sara a brief smile before I answered the phone. It was Maddox.

“We have a lead on where they are,” he said as a form of greeting.

I froze. “Jabba?”

“Yes, and the bald one, Yevgeny or what was his name.”

“Where?”

Flavio came closer, his eyes eager.

“In a warehouse in Newark. We don’t know the exact location yet but should be able to narrow it down soon.”

Sara was frozen in the dirtroom, in the process of removing her coat.

After more than a year of searching and questioning Bratva assholes, I finally had a hot trail for the men who had captured Sara and me. I’d killed many of Jabba’s acquaintances and family members, but he’d always escaped capture. He’d gladly pushed everyone into the path of the oncoming bus, the filthy coward. He wouldn’t escape this time.

“Send me the details. I’m coming as fast as I can. We’ll find him.”

“You should wait for backup. I’m too far away to join you in time. Romero is on his way too.”

“I’ll handle it,” I clipped. “Send me the details.” I hung up. Jabba would be mine today even if I had to search every fucking warehouse in Newark by myself.

Sara watched me with wide eyes, still wrapped in her scarf and one arm in her coat. “Our attackers?”

I nodded. She swallowed hard.

“I’m coming too,” Flavio said immediately.

“No. You have to watch Sara.”

Flavio stepped in front of me. “Let someone else do that.”

“Last time someone other than you watched her, she was kidnapped, remember?”

Flavio shook his head, but he finally stepped out of my way so I could grab my guns and the bag with my knives and torture utensils.

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