Page 48 of Toxic Salvation
“Principal and interest and a small bonus, as a sign of my gratitude for you closing their accounts swiftly and immediately. No Krayev man answers to anyone but me from now on.”
Understanding dawns in his expression. He doesn’t like it, but he knows better than to argue. “I see. Consider it done.”
I move toward the curtain separating us from the main floor. “Oh, and Nico? I suggest you put your money on me. When the takedown comes, I’m going to win.”
18
KOVAN
I go home after my visit with Nico’s. I’m three laps into a late-night swim to cleanse my body and clear my head when Osip appears poolside, disrupting the only peace I’ve had all day.
“You got some time for me?” he asks.
“Sure, because I came out here to spend quality time with you.” I don’t bother hiding my irritation as I continue my stroke.
Osip clutches his heart. “You wound me, brother.”
“This better be good.” I haul myself out of the pool and grab a towel, already knowing from his expression that whatever he’s about to tell me will ruin what’s left of my night.
“Erm…” His usual confidence falters as he glances around the empty patio. “Okay, now I don’t know how to say this.”
“Just fucking say it, Osip.”
He takes a breath. “I’ve done some digging, and it turns out Vesper’s name has been circulating in certain circles for weeks now. Maybe longer.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. “Her name? They have her fuckingname?”
“I’m sorry, Ko. I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but?—”
I drop the towel and advance on him. “If her name is out there, that means she’s a target. A sitting duck. Anyone can make a move on her, and Ihor can claim he had nothing to do with it.”
Osip holds up his hands. “Does it really matter at this point? We both knew this was always going to happen.”
He’s right, but that doesn’t make the rage burning through my chest any easier to swallow. “Double Vesper’s security detail. I want someone watching her every second of every day. No one gets within ten feet of her without me knowing about it.”
“She’s a doctor, Kovan. That’s going to be nearly impossible to manage without?—”
“I don’t care if it’s impossible. Find a way.”
“She’ll figure it out if we do it your way.”
“I’d rather have her furious with me than dead.”
Osip shifts uncomfortably, which tells me there’s more bad news coming. “There’s something else. I looked into what she was doing during that month you two weren’t speaking, and there are some gaps in her timeline that don’t add up. Could be nothing. Could be innocent explanations for everything. Or…”
“Or?”
“… or someone got to her during that time.”
I freeze. The possibility that someone else has been pulling strings is so outlandish that it never even occurred to me. But what if…? Could she really have…?
“Find out everything you can. Every detail, every hour she can’t account for. There are no innocent gaps.”
Osip grins despite the tension. “That’s what she said!”
I’m about to tell him exactly where he can shove his juvenile humor when my phone vibrates. Vesper’s name appears on the screen, and Osip notices immediately.
“Speaking of the devil.”
