Page 58 of Surrogate for the Bratva
Chapter Thirty-Two
Igor
Shit.Inside my home office, I paced. No, I wore a fucking hole in the handwoven Persian rug because I knew what needed to be done. I knew that today would have to be the last fucking day that Dmitry Voronov got to see the sun rise on another day. Back and forth I walked the length of my office as the sun streamed in through the floor to ceiling windows, my mood at odds with the beautiful day outside.
Maxim stepped inside and folded his arms. His blank expression leaned toward anger. “Is everything okay, Igor?”
I stopped pacing and turned to look at my oldest friend in the world. My brows dipped because I was angry as fuck myself. Angry that Dmitry and circumstances have forced my hand, forced me to act before I was damn well ready. “No Maxim, nothing is fucking right at all.”
He pressed his lips together and took a few more steps inside before he closed the door. “Voronov or April?”
I sighed. “Yes.” The weight of that word was oppressive.
“Okay. Which is more pressing?”
I smiled, grateful to have Maxim in my corner during this time. “I have no fucking clue but Voronov impacts the other, so he takes top priority today.”
Maxim understood perfectly. “Today?”
I nodded. “Yes today. It needs to fucking happen today.” I stared at Maxim who watched me warily like I was a man who was on the brink of losing his shit. “I can’t focus, and if I can’t focus then I’m as good as dead. We’re all as good as dead if he’d not handled today. Before I come back, beforewecome home tonight. I can’t sleep until I know he’s drawn his last breath.”
“Okay,” he replied easily. “What’s the plan?”
He laughed when I sent him a wicked glare. “If I could fucking focus, I would have a plan but since I don’t, I guess I’ll do what I’ve been doing.”
Maxim’s arms fell to his sides. “You mean sneaking out of the compound at night and taking out Dmitry’s men one by one?”
I nodded.
“Glad you’re fucking admitting it.”
Somehow, I managed a smile. “Any updates on our traitor?”
“I have a few suspects but none I want to speak about just yet,” his expression was inscrutable and as much as I wanted to know, later was soon enough.
Just then a knock sounded on my office door, and I sighed, glaring at the door as if it had offended me. “What is it?”
The door opened and Ivan appeared with an uneasy expression on his face. I didn’t have time for pleas for greater responsibility or more money or whatever the fuck else he needed. “I have something I need to tell you.”
“It has to wait.”
“But—” Ivan tried again but I shook my head to stop whatever else he thought he needed to say. “Okay, later. But it needs to be as soon as possible.”
“Are you leaving?”
“What? No. This is more important than that.”
“Okay. Later.” I gave him a long stare which he correctly interpreted and got the fuck out of my office. As soon as we were alone again, I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. “I need you with me tonight. Who isn’t on your list of suspects that we can trust to look after April?”
His lips twitched for a brief moment and then he gave my question careful consideration. “Ivan isn’t a suspect, and he needs to speak to you. He’s a good pick.”
“All right.” We spent the next hour coming up with something that resembled a plan.
Eventually Maxim stood and rubbed his palms together. “I’ll gather all the tools we’ll need. Maybe you want to go talk to April before we head out?”
“About what?”
“Fuck man, to say goodbye? To kiss her before you go off to battle? I don’t know. Talk to her or don’t. Meet me at the door in forty-five minutes.”
