Page 53 of Past Due

“If we don’t, they’ll kill Marley and Rina.”

Zec nodded. “Yes, they will.”

Aghast at his friend’s coldness, Besian asked, “And you’re fine with that?”

“Not at all,” Zec replied, “but this isn’t my mistake. He,” Zec stabbed a finger at Luka, “has to learn the way the world works.”

“At the expense of Rina’s life?” Besian couldn’t believe that Zec would so easily sacrifice a girl he had known since she was born.

“If Luka wants to be a man, an honorable man, he knows what he has to do to save his sister,” Zec said matter-of-factly.

Besian might have been furious with his nephew, but the thought of serving him up to be murdered was sickening. It was too much, and he wouldn’t allow it.

“Zec, arrange a meeting,” he ordered. “I want to speak with Darko. Tonight,” he added.

Wordlessly, Zec nodded and left the office, stepping out onto the patio to make the call.

“I’m sorry,” Luka said quietly from behind his desk.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Besian snarled. “What I will say is that if anything happens to Marley or to Rina, I will end you.”

Luka swallowed hard. “Understood.”

Zec returned from the patio and shut the doors behind him. “It’s done.”

“When?” Besian asked.

“Tonight. Here. At the house.”

Besian figured that was a good sign. It meant Darko wanted to negotiate in good faith. Still, he didn’t want Marley here when the meeting happened. “What are we going to do about the girls?”

“Rina is planning to go out with friends tonight,” Luka said. “One of the girls going is Stefana, Darko and Dusan’s sister. She and Rina are tight.” He crossed his fingers in emphasis. “I’m sure Rina will try to drag Marley along with her. Darko won’t do anything while his sister is with them.”

Besian didn’t like the idea of Marley out in the city, dancing and drinking with his wild niece. It wasn’t because he was possessive or controlling. He wanted her to go out and have fun and enjoy life. What he didn’t like was the idea of her being beyond his reach and immediate protection. “Guards?”

“There are always four men on Rina when she goes out at night,” Luka assured him.

“I’ll send two of my crew,” Zec offered.

Knowing how ruthless Zec’s men were, Besian accepted. “Thank you.”

Needing a break from his nephew, Besian left the office and made his way upstairs to the guest room he would be sharing with Marley. He heard feminine laughter from Rina’s suite at the far end of the hall. He recognized Marley’s high-pitched giggle and felt a calming wave wash over him.

Inside the guest room, he closed the door and leaned back against it. He closed his eyes and took a moment to breathe. When he felt centered, he pushed off the door and got to work unpacking the luggage that had been brought up by the staff. He needed something to keep his hands busy as his mind raced.

First, he had to negotiate time to handle this mess. Second, he had to get Marley and Rina to safety. Third, he had to figure out who the fuck stole the legit crypto wallets. That third step would likely be the most violent and dangerous.

The door opened suddenly, and Marley entered the room shaking her head and smiling. She spotted him hanging up his shirts in the closet and grinned. “There you are!”

“Here I am,” he said, smoothing the black trousers before looping them over a hanger. When he turned toward her, he must have had a troubled look on his face because her smile faded.

“Besian? What’s wrong?”

He wanted to lie to her, but she was too perceptive for that. He gestured toward the wide leather chair in the corner of the room. After he sat, he pulled her down onto his lap, drawing her sideways so he could see her face. Not wanting to speak too loudly, he kept his voice low. “Something was stolen from Luka.”

Her blue-green eyes widened. “Something expensive?”

“Very,” he confirmed. “And it wasn’t just his. He shared it with another person.”

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