Page 89 of Bound to a Monster

Right up until Lev pulls up outside of our house and a car’s already there waiting for us.

“Stay here,” Lev says, reaching for the glovebox. He flips it open and a gun tumbles out into his hand.

I stare at the weapon, pulse racing with fear. “What’s going on?”

But as Lev starts shoving the gun into his waistband, the door to the car opens and a single man steps out.

Valentin Zeitsev. Alone, unarmed, and looking annoyed. There are no guards, no soldiers, nothing threatening.

Only the most dangerouspakhanof the most powerful Bratva in the city.

“Stay here,” Lev says as he gets out of the car. He stands there, staring down Valentin.

I get out after him. Lev looks outraged and annoyed as I greet Valentin. “Thank you for visiting us,” I tell thepakhan, acting like this is nothing more than a normal social visit.

Even though I know about Lev and the silence order.

Valentin gives me an appraising look. His smile is tight and knowing. “Lev got lucky when he married you, didn’t he?”

“Lev is the most blessed man in the city, thanks to me. Would you like to come inside and have some tea?”

“Tea would be nice,” Valentin says and looks back at my husband. “Coming, Lev? We need to have a conversation.”

Lev hesitates. His jaw works. I can tell he doesn’t like this one bit, but there’s nothing else he can do. I nod at him and gesture with my head, and he finally grunts in reply.

“Let’s talk,” he says and heads into the house.

Chapter 36

Lev

Ikeep waiting for a bunch of armed men to come swarming into our house.

Instead, Valentin sits at our table and accepts tea from my wife. He makes small talk with her about children and about his wife. There’s nothing outwardly threatening about him, but I know thepakhan.

He’s a clever man. Brutal and efficient when he needs to be. There’s no way he’d ever show up here in person after putting a silence order on my head unless something important happened.

I’m on edge as Carmie eventually joins us. She sips her tea and keeps on pretending like everything is totally normal.

“I shouldn’t take up more of your time,” Valentin says, turning toward me. “Your wife here is overly polite.”

“She doesn’t know any better yet.”

“Stop that,” Carmie says, swatting at me. “He’s just uncivilized, that’s all.”

Valentin’s tight smile suggests he knows a thing or two about barbarism, just like me.

Nobody speaks. I get the sense Valentin’s waiting for me to send Carmie away, but that’s not going to happen. She’s as much a part of this now as I am, and I want her here by my side. Valentin gets visibly impatient, glaring at my wife before finally breaking the stalemate.

“You killed Jovan,” he says, his tone cold and steely. If he thinks that’s enough to scare Carmie away, he’s insane. She already knew about that misadventure.

“Purely in self-defense,” Carmie says for me.

Valentin seems surprised. Then his face softens and he laughs. “You two don’t have secrets from each other.”

“She’s aware of my business since it impacts her, too.”

Thepakhannods to himself, considering. “She’s the reason Adriano came to me, not you.”

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