Page 132 of Silenced

“Only you’d know that.”

“Is it a crime that I read?” I retort, but my lips twitch.

“It’s only a crime when you quote Dostivsky at me.”

I roll my eyes at the mispronounced name of one of my favorite novelists—Dostoevsky.

But I let it slide.

Pavel is old school. Born on the streets, bred on them, and serves them to this day.

Without me, he’d still be aboyevik.

“It’s good to see you, old friend,” I greet. “Maria didn’t let any of us into the ward.”

“She’s better than an Oskal as a guard dog,” he agrees then swivels his cell phone so he can show his hospital room to me. “I’m finally out of the ICU. They only just let me have a cell phone.”

“I know. Igor told me. Why do you think I’m calling?” I half mock, but my gaze is picking him apart.

It was a closer call than I want to admit, and despite the shooting taking place a while ago now, he still looks like death.

“Any news on the B4K pushers who did this?”

“Depends on the kind of news you’re talking about?”

“Are they alligator food yet?”

His deadpan tone has me hiding a grin. “Not yet. But we have options…”

“We do?”

I nod.

“What are they?” he inquires, sitting up in his bed with a grimace of pain.

“According to my intel—”

“Which is never wrong,” he interrupts.

I grace him with another nod. “Exactly.”

“Heard about the fire at their warehouse, by the way.”

My lips quirk. “You’re welcome.”

He rubs his hands together. “Three million gone, just like that.”

“They’re suffering.”

“Good. Igor told me the Colombians called in payment early, too. You didn’t have anything to do with that either, I assume?”

“Not a damn thing,” I mock. “B4K is paying for their actions, but as for the shooters themselves… there’s going to be an armed robbery in the Miami Beach branch of Fetch.” Peering out the window, I stare at the bank. “It’s due to take place within the next hour.” And I’ll have a front-row seat.

Pavel whistles. “You cut that down to the wire.”

“I had plans in place, but now you get to direct things if you want.”

It’s the least I can do after the disaster that was his shooting. I have a private hospital room atNavbut that was no use to Pavel when his shooting took place over in West Park—he had to go to a hospital instead and as a result, Maria had to deal with the cops.

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