Page 201 of Silenced

Maria: Nice? I’m not nice. That’s the first thing you should learn about me.

Maria: Myata has flown the nest BTW.

“Who’s Myata?” Savannah asks over my shoulder, reading the messages when they come in.

“This woman who told everyone she was engaged to Nikolai.”

“Good thing she’s gone seeing as he belongs to you.”

I like that turn of phrase more than I want to admit.

Me: Oh, that’s good news, I guess?

Maria: The best. You’ve already got half the women in the Bratva sniffing around Nikolai. One down is better for you.

Maria: Plus, he cut her out in the most humiliating way imaginable so that should stop the ovaries from getting ideas above their stations.

Maria: I’ll help you keep him. Come to my store when you get back, da? We’ll find you clothes to keep him on his toes.

Me: Store?

Maria: Niko says you got your toga from the gala there.

Oh.

Thatstore.

“She owns a clothing store?”

“Trust you to be interested in that, Savannah,” I tease, but a smile flirts on my lips. “And yes, she does. Apparently. Well, I don’t know if she owns it. Nikolai kind of reappropriated this dressmaker’s place.”

“Reappropriated?” Savannah asks carefully. “Why do I think there’s a story you’re not telling me here?”

“The proprietor called me fat, so he threw her out.”And fed her to Vasily. “Seems like he’s given the business to Maria.”

She blinks at me. “He seriously did that?”

I blush. “He did.”

“Okay, I love him, then. That’s the kind of whacko shit Aidan would do for me.” She sighs. “Don’t you just adore these assholes who’ll burn the world to the ground at your feet for you?”

That has me gaping at her. “I mean, I guess?”

“There’s noguessingabout it. Reply to her. You need her on your side, stat, if she can hook you up with clothes too. No offense, honey, but you tend to dress like a nun.”

Though I roll my eyes, I tap out:

Me: That sounds great. Maybe we can go for coffee when we return to Miami?

Maria: Haha. If you think Nikolai will let you out of the house for coffee in Miami, you’re mistaken. But I have nice Lamborghini now. I come to you, da?

Me: Da.

My cheeks flush when Savannah snorts.

Me: I mean, yes.

Me: Talk soon.

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