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Kostya spoke softly to Boychenko in Russian. He gave the kid pointers on suturing, and Ten tuned it out. It wasn’t that it made him squeamish, but he didn’t want to hear it. He had enough nightmare fuel for a lifetime. Kostya talking about skin flaps was a phrase he didn’t need in that pile.

“If we use Nisha as bait, you think Kiki will show himself?”

Ten snapped his attention to Nikolai. “Boss, I don’t—.”

Nikolai held up a hand, stalling him. “I asked Alejandro a question.”

Neatly put in his place, Ten clenched his jaw. Alejandro answered honestly, “Yes, but the problem will be his handlers.”

“If he’s still with them,” Kostya interjected. “Might be that Kiki has escaped them.”

“Might be,” Nikolai agreed.

“In which case, Nisha would be a very good lure to draw Kiki back to his handlers,” Kostya continued. “Nothing like the promise of revenge to entice a man right back into danger.”

“Even if we find Kiki, we might not find the financiers.” Nikolai gestured to Alejandro who sat perfectly still as Kostya sutured his head. “And that means this man just lost an ear for nothing.”

Kostya’s phone began to ring on the far side of the unit. Stas lumbered over and answered it. “It’s Ilya.”

“What does he want?” Kostya asked, his focus on the suture he was tying.

“He says he found something in a tree outside Nisha’s cabin.”

“What do you mean?” Ten stalked toward Stas and snatched the phone from his hand. “Ilya? What the fuck is going on back there? Is Nisha okay? Are you with her?”

“Calm down,” Ilya said in that annoying laid-back way of his. “She’s making dinner. Eric is walking the perimeter.”

“What do you mean you found something in a tree? What does that mean?” Ten gripped the phone and waited to hear the worst.

“Eric noticed it first. A glint of sunlight on a piece of metal or glass. It’s a shooter, but he’s not taking shots at us.”

“He’s watching?”

“Yeah.”

“Bring me the phone,” Kostya commanded. When Ten pressed it to Kostya’s ear, the cleaner gave Ilya clear instructions to catch the intruder, if possible, but kill him if not. “And let the girl know Ten is safe.”

Before Ten could give Ilya his own instructions, the call ended. Irritated, he glared at Kostya. “And then what? Ilya catches him and manages not to get shot and?”

“Wea have someone to interrogate,” Kostya replied.

“And if that doesn’t work? If he doesn’t talk? If Ilya has to kill him?”

“There’s always Chad411,” Boychenko interrupted. He had been preparing a bandage for the wound and looked up as soon as he realized everyone was looking at him. “What?”

“Take Stas and go get him,” Nikolai decided. “We’ll arrange a rendezvous.”

“Okay, boss.” Boychenko looked entirely too excited to be sent on this errand.

Nikolai must have had second thoughts because he said, “Have Kir meet you before you make a move. You might need the extra set of hands.”

Stas nodded. Boychenko wasn’t the least bit deflated to have another older, bigger street soldier sent with him.

As soon as the kid was out the door and it clanged shut behind him, Nikolai shook his head and sighed. “He’s like a fucking golden retriever...”

Chapter Twenty-Four

You’vereallysteppedinthe shit this time.

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