Page 14 of Silenced

Maria: Any updates on who did this to him?

Me: It’s under control.

She leaves our conversation on ‘read’—the only person in the Bible Belt with the balls to do so.

She isn’t to know that before I swept into Kentucky to save mysolnyshkofrom her fucker of a husband at Misha’s behest, I was handling two of the B4K gangbangers behind Pavel’s shooting.

Safe to say, their bodies will be feeding my alligators tonight.

Nor is she to know that I discovered there’ll be an armed robbery soon. One that the Bratva will definitely be ‘policing.’

Turning my screen for Dmitri to glance at, knowing her sass will cheer the miserable little shit up, I watch him smirk. “The rest of those B4K pushers who shot Pavel were asking for trouble by targeting him…

“In fact, you should just set her on them. She’s almost as terrifying as ‘Mute.’ What she could do with a pair of heels is probably worse than anything the KGB could come up with.”

Huffing because I can’t denythat, I return my focus to my phone.

Semion: Those B4K pushers you left alive started squawking. They confirm that the warehouse was where they stored their recent shipment of coke, Pakhan.

Me: How’s the blaze?

Semion: Firefighters are still trying to contain it. Three million dollars’ worth of cocaine is apparently fueling it.

Dmitri, spying the text exchange, cackles. “Serves the fuckers right.”

I nod my agreement then text:

Me: Feed them to Vasily.

Semion: You don’t want to talk to them, Pakhan?

My gaze flickers to my little sun.

Earlier, the pushers were my priority.

Now?

Jaw working, I come to a split decision. “Deal with them tomorrow, Dmitri.”

His brows lift. “You sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Me: Dmitri will handle them tomorrow.

Semion: Da, Pakhan.

“Not like you to delegate.”

I sniff but don’t answer my brat of a son.

Instead, I tuck my phone away and study mysolnyshko.

Immediately, the strangest urges itch beneath my skin.

She’s filthy.

Vomit-speckled, even.

---