Page 191 of Bratva Jewels Box Set
“I’m surprised you aren’t on the floor passed out.”
“I need a clear head to end this,” I tell him.
“Good, because that girl loves you,” Sergei tells me.
“I know. I love her too.”
Sergei nods. “She arrived in Ibiza safely. She slept on the plane, but I think that’s because emotionally she was exhausted.”
“I did the right thing sending her away, didn’t I?”
“You did. Having her family around her is what she needs. And you need to concentrate on taking down that little fucker.”
“Am I being selfish thinking about a future with this woman? I can’t give her the life she deserves. Maybe sending her away permanently is wiser. That way she can meet a normal man, get married, and have children. She won’t ever have to worry about looking over her shoulder wondering if today is the day my enemies plan to strike,” I say, throwing back the last of my whiskey.
“Is that the life Grace wants? The white picket fence, the 2.5 children, the normal guy?” Sergei asks.
Who knows. It’s what she deserves.
“I know I’m just an old man, but I see true happiness between the two of you even if it was fleeting. It’s the same spark I had with my wife, Natasha.”
I never got to meet her, but I always heard Sergei talk about her fondly. She died from complications during childbirth when Anna was only two. He lost his wife and child in one night. She was the love of his life, and no other woman stood a chance against that love, not even after all these years.
“Enough talking about our feelings and shit. We have work to do,” he says, changing the subject.
The old man is right. We have so much to do like hacking into Dmitri’s computers and phones to find out what he knows about Elena and Anna. It’s something we should have done earlier, but I was distracted.
Unknown number: I have a new phone.
I stare down at the text that came through on my secure phone. The only person that has this number is Sergei. Does he have a new phone?
I press his old number, and he picks up straight away.
“Do you have a new phone number?”
“No.”
“Then who the fuck is messaging me on my secure line?”
Sergei falls silent.
“Has the number been compromised?”
“It’s Grace.”
Everything stills.
“What the hell did you say?”
“I’m guessing she found the number when I gave her the money.”
“What the hell did you do, Sergei?”
“I was trying to help.”
“By putting her in danger?” I say, raising my voice.
“It’s your secure line. It can’t be traced. I thought …”
