Page 84 of Luka

He blinks, leaned back in his chair with one ankle rested on his knee. His face is still perfectly blank. When he looks at Mila, I get the courage as well. Her face is bright red, her glare pinned on me.

“Are you kidding me, youfuckingasshole?”

“Five minutes, Mi.Please.” I shift from foot to foot, trying not to count the seconds that could be vital. “I swear to God, you can yell at me after.”

She opens her mouth, presumably to protest, but Vitaly leans over to rest his hand on hers. When they lock eyes, she looks equally pissed for several seconds before finally relenting to whatever telepathic command he’s giving her.

Standing from the chair next to his, she doesn’t meet my gaze. I can’t imagine she’ll ever want to again.

Once she’s gone, I pull a chair up to his desk, sit and show him my palms. “Look, you don’t like me. I get it, Ireallydo. I’m sure Mila told you what happened with Leo, and I could tell you other shit that I’ve done toherthat would make your head explode. But that’s exactly why you’re going to help me.”

One side of Vitaly’s lips lifts. “Oh?”

I nod. “Be honest with yourself, Vitaly… You want me dead, but Mila is never going to let you kill me. As soon as Valdez findsout what I’ve done to his daughter, he’ll do the job for you. I’m out of your life forever… You have the contacts. All you have to do is get him on the phone for me.”

Vitaly nods, his lips pursing before he holds out a hand. “Couldn’t I just … talk to him myself? Tell him I found information on the man who has his daughter?”

I shake my head. “You might as well put a bullet in me yourself. Mila would never approve.”

“Ah.” Vitaly looks off and seems to weigh that for several seconds. When he peers back at me, his eyes narrow slightly. “You seem to have thought this through, so forgive me for criticizing your very elaborate suicide, but … don’t you think there are lessdramaticways for you to kill yourself? A bridge, perhaps? Or a gun? I do believe you own one…”

I grit my teeth at the smirk tugging at his lips.

I’m amusing him. I’ve never felt more fear in my entire life, and somehow, I’m amusing him.

“I’m not trying to commit suicide. I just need your fucking contacts.Quickly.”

“Why?”

My shoulders lift as I go to sneer, but I hold it back. My instinct is to shut this man out, to keep him as far away as possible. But right now, as much as it kills me, I need him.

“Lucia has been taken by a rival cartel to Chicago. I’m obviously not equipped to go get her by myself, but if I can give her father her location, she might still have a chance.”

Vitaly blinks. “So what are you going to do? Wait here until Daddy comes to get you, or is your plan to slink away like a snake? Because if we’re concerned with what Mila will approve of, me imprisoning you so you can’t escape the cartel’s wrath would put me in the doghouse for at least a night or two. Surely you know that.”

My hands grip the arms of the chair as I glare. “I’m not staying in Vegas. I’m going to Chicago.”

His eyes widen ever so slightly. “Oh.”

“Hey, this is fun and all, but…” I wave to the phone on his desk, my foot tapping. “Please.”

Vitaly leans back in his chair, his fingers steepling together as he tilts his head at me. “Why did you kidnap her?”

“Because I’m sick. Who cares?”

“Icare,” he says, his voice stern. He leans forward slightly with a hardened expression that straightens my spine like I’m being challenged. “The truth is, Luka, you’re right. I don’t like you. I never have. Iabhorthe idea of helping you when all you’ve ever done is whine at being asked to protect my wife. And now you’re so bold as to come tomyhome to askmea favor, yet refuse to answer my questions?”

“She watched me kill Piper,” I say, my voice deadpanned. “It was either kidnap her or kill her. She looked like a good lay.”

I inhale a steadying breath through my nose, calming my anger, but when Vitaly speaks again, it roars.

“Was she?”

“Was shewhat?”

“Was she a good lay?”

My lip curls as I shove from the chair, my palms slamming on his desk. “Just call herfuckingfather.”

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