Page 92 of The Bratva's Christmas Bump
“Good.” She hangs up without another word and I gaze back at the tree.
Fuck.
If I miss the banquet, then my dream job turns to dust. There won’t be a second chance there. But if I skip Christmas Eve dinner with my parents, Mom won’t forgive me and she’s excellent at holding a grudge.
Family or work… How am I to choose?
34
MAXIM
“How is it looking?” I’m trying not to hover over Rex, but I can’t help myself.
Ever since someone tried to break into the hospital floor Zoe’s been recovering at, Rex and I have been trying to clamp down on the flow of information outside the family. I persuaded Zoe that it was just a tired doctor confused about where they were supposed to be, and it did calm her, but the security footage showed me otherwise.
A stranger dressed in black with a cap pulled down far over his eyes. Given how quickly he fled the elevator, I suspect he was simply testing my security measures, but after what happened to Hollie, I’m now utterly convinced that this fake client of hers is actually the bastard I’ve been hunting.
Vinnie won’t be hiding for much longer.
“Not that long. Here.” Rex passes me a brand-new cellphone. “Every number there is linked to each one in the system. You can listen to anyone’s calls if you need. I’m running facial recognition through every camera in the building and down theentire block. I’ve also got the system looped into the cameras we set up around Hollie’s parents’ and your father’s manor. Whatever Vinnie’s game is, if he pops up here or at the clubs, we’ll know it.”
“It doesn’t feel like enough,” I murmur, staring at the phone screen. “How is one man escaping us this long?”
“Because he’s exactly that,” Rex replies. “One man with no contacts is harder to track than an organization and he knows it. He’s slotting into everyday life, but he made one mistake. One he can’t hide.”
My attention darts to Rex. “Which is?”
“Hollie fucked up his face with that snow globe. That shit will take weeks to heal, so he’s either going to crawl into the dark and die or he’ll do something big because he can’t hide anymore. Either way…” Rex grunts softly and finishes his work on the keyboard. “We’ll be ready for him.”
After saying goodbye to Rex, I return to the small office in my penthouse and study the cameras. Down in the lobby, Toto hugs Rex and elbows him lightly in the gut, resulting in a soft brawl that ends when Rex gets a phone call. The phone in my hand supposedly can connect to any call since every call on our network routes through it, but he never actually showed me how.
I tap a few buttons and something clicks, so I lift the phone to my ear.
“I’d really prefer if you came in for a check-up,” comes an unfamiliar voice. “I can’t tell you much over the phone without examining you.”
Is Rex sick?
“I can’t do that,” comes Hollie’s voice, and my heart stalls briefly in my chest.
I shouldn’t listen in on her conversations, but something about her tone keeps me listening, concern bleeding through with each frantic thump of my heart.
“Well, are you in any pain?” comes the stranger’s voice. “Any unusual vomiting or discomfort when you lie down?”
“No, nothing. The only pain comes from my hip but he… he shoved me so hard against that desk.” Hollie’s voice wobbles. “I haven’t told the father yet, and now I’m too scared because if something’s happened to this baby, then it’s all my fault and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!”
Baby?
Baby… Hollie’s pregnant?
Wait… this doesn’t make any sense. I haven’t been fucking her long enough for her to know if she’s pregnant or not, surely?
“Breathe, Hollie. Listen… I need you to come in for a scan. Preferably, as soon as possible. It’s the only way I can soothe your fears and find out if there is any real cause for concern.”
Hollie is silent for a long moment and then she sighs. “I have lunch with my mother today. I could maybe slip away to see you.”
“Slip away?” The stranger, presumably a doctor of some kind, pauses. “Hollie, are you in an unsafe situation?”
“No, nothing like that,” Hollie assures hurriedly. “It’s complicated, that’s all. I’m fine, I promise.”
