Page 30 of Ruinous Need
“I’d like your help in tracking him down. And arranging mercenaries.”
“You’re going to war?” His eyes sparkle.
“Not quite. But knowing Yuri, it will feel like I am.”
“And what can we expect in exchange?”
“You can have our business for the next year. We’ll store and move whatever you’ve got, guaranteed. As long as you’re selling at a fair market rate.”
He purses his lips together, but he can’t hide the greed sparkling in his eyes. It’s a good deal. Better than good.
“What if I can’t find Yuri?”
I shrug at him. “Then there’s no deal. And I might have to come back, but what you said earlier? Your last day? It will be that day.”
Manuel swallows. “I see.”
“And, make it quick, Manuel. I’d like to wrap everything up soon.”
He nods quickly and drains his glass of wine.
As we’re about to head out the door, he calls out. I turn back.
“Wait! I know things between you and the Bratva are better now, with your cousin in charge. But if you are looking for something to do on the side…”
Then he hands me a picture of Lisette.
My blood runs cold. I channel all my effort into freezing my facial expression so my mouth doesn’t drop open in shock.
“Who’s this? Another girlfriend?” I force my face into a smile.
“No. Somebody who could be worth a lot of money to the Irish. A man with your resources…” He gestures, hands out. “You’d have an excellent shot at tracking her down.”
I feign interest. “What do they want with her?”
He shrugs. “No idea.”
On the drive back, I talk to Markov about the escalating risks.
I didn’t want to do it, but with all these attacks on Lisette, one guard plus me is not enough. I need a guard, but clearly Lisette does too. We’re going to need another line of defense.
Daria Sulikova. A stone-cold killer who rivals Markov and me.
And… Semyon’s ex. Kind of. A head-spinningly toxic relationship, that one. It was always going to end in flames, and it did. The two of them don’t really possess enough emotions combined to form any kind of approximation of a human relationship. They’re both empty shells of human beings.
But Daria is a damned good guard.
I don’t like her. I don’t always approve of her methods. I do respect her.
Because, even after everything she went through with Semyon, she’s still loyal to the Bratva.
Blind loyalty is what we need right now, while it feels like the other mobs are like sharks circling bait.
Daria’s not going to let Semyon’s fiancée be kidnapped without at least doing some damage to whoever tries to take Lisette.
CHAPTER 11
LISETTE
