Page 85 of The Mafia's Fake Wife

“Agreed.”

“I’ll tell Valeriya when to bring you to the… interrogation site. If you’re in surgery, I won’t wait for you. I have to act now.” I pray she’s in surgery then, averting a confrontation with her ex.

“I’ll be ready. No surgeries planned, and unless an emergency arises…you won’t get rid of me that easily.” She sounds almost cheerful despite what the phone call has revealed.

“I thought as not. Perhaps I’ll shoot one of my lazier men and send him to you to operate. I know you’ll take care of him as you did Anton.”

She lets out a startled laugh. “You might be tempted, but you won’t.”

I sigh. “No. I’ll be in touch,solnishko.” I end the call and stare at the photos spread across my desk of the man who’s now actively trying to kill her and our unborn child. I pick up my phone again and call Anton. “Change of plans,” I say when he answers. “Pick up Harris and let me know when he’s at the interrogation facility. Make sure the room is prepared, and we’ll need privacy.”

“Understood. Anything else?”

“Yes. Elena will be joining us.”

He pauses. “Boss, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It wasn’t my idea, but she insists, and in this case, I think she’s earned the right to hear the truth from him directly.”

He lets out a slow sigh, clearly disagreeing but too wise to argue. “All right. I’ll make the arrangements.”

I hang up and gather the photos, sliding them back into the envelope. Then I open my desk drawer and remove my Glock 19, checking the magazine before tucking it into the holster on my shoulder.

Casey Harris has been a thorn in my side since the day I learned his name. Today, that ends if Elena decides his betrayal warrants death. I hope she will because I’ll be more than happy to oblige.

Moments later, the black SUV cuts through Philadelphia traffic, Viktor’s driving precise and aggressive as always. I watch the cityblur past the tinted windows, mentally preparing for what’s to come. Interrogation is bloody, brutal business, and it requires a certain savagery I try to keep locked away at all other times.

“We’re fifteen minutes out, boss,” says Viktor, his gaze flicking to the rearview mirror to meet mine.

I nod, reviewing the questions I plan to ask Casey. I need to know everything—what he’s told Nikolai about our security protocols, what he knows about Elena’s schedule, and how deeply his involvement goes in the planned hit. Most importantly, I need to know who else is involved. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and Anton’s name flashes on the screen. “What is it?” I answer, keeping my voice level despite the tension coiling through me.

“We have a problem.” Anton’s voice is tight, controlled but angry. “I lost contact with the team watching Casey.”

I straighten in my seat. “When?”

“Twenty minutes ago. I sent another team to check on them.”

“And?”

He curses. “They’re dead. Both of them. Single shots to the head, execution style.”

The temperature in the car seems to drop ten degrees. “Casey?”

“Gone. No sign of him at the apartment or any of his usual haunts.”

I close my eyes for a moment, forcing my breathing to remain steady. “How long?”

“Based on body temperature, the coroner estimates they’ve been dead for about an hour. I slipped her a couple of grand toexpedite processing but quietly, and that was her preliminary evaluation.”

Which means Casey has a significant head start. “Security footage?”

“Nothing useful. Whoever did this knew where the cameras were.”

“Nikolai.”

“More likely one of his men, but yeah.”

I tap my fingers against my knee, mind racing through possibilities. “Put out the word to every available man. I want people watching every corner of this city. Check the train stations, bus terminals, and airports. He can’t have gone far.”

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