Page 40 of Dark Bratva Christmas
“Back again,” a vendor says with a kind smile. I smile back, wrinkling my eyes at him, surprised that he remembers me after a year. He's probably in his fifties, with a kind face who sells homemade wood cut picture frames. I’ve bought things from him nearly every year, though I never learned his name.
“You remember me,” I say, beaming a smile at him before looking over at Matysh.
Matysh seems unfazed, paying more attention to the items in the stand than anything else.
“Of course I remember you,” the man says, blushing slightly. “I always remember a face as pretty as yours.”
“Well, thank you,” I say, blushing at the comment.
I just brush it off and pick up a picture frame and look at it, choosing not to say anything else.
But out of the corner of my eye, I can see that Matysh isn't doing the same. His fists are clenched at his side and he's staring at the man as if he could slit his throat.
As I feel fear rising in my body, I reach out to grab Matysh's arm and drag him away from the stall before we get a replay of what happened last night at the ball.
I'm too late, though.
He shrugs away from my touch with eyes as cold as ice. My heart beats rapidly in my chest thinking about what could go wrong here.
To my surprise, Matysh just sticks his hand out for him. “I’m Matysh.”
Oh god, please don’t do something stupid.
“I’m Bill, it's nice to meet ya,” he says with a friendly smile, extending his hand out to shake.
I watch in horror as Matysh clamps his hands around the man's, squeezing it so tight the man winces. “This ismy wife. I would appreciate it if you'd never fucking speak to her again.”
“Of course, Sir.” He nods quickly, tugging his hand free from Matysh.
“Good,” Matysh smiles, and I see the depravity written all over his face. “Have averymerry fucking Christmas,Bill.I’ll remember you much better than you remembered my wife.”
I see the fear written all over the man’s face, and my heart sinks to my stomach. The poor, innocent man is being tortured fornogood reason.
I should’veknownwe can’t be fucking normal. Not when one of us is a complete and total freaking monster.
Chapter twelve
Matysh
“You know, I meant nothing by it,” Peter insists, looking up at me from where he’s bound to the chair in the middle of the vacant warehouse. “I meant nothing at all. I was just trying to be—”
“Do youeverstop fucking talking?” I explode, my fist landing right in the side of the temple.
Peter lets out a nasty grunt, but I only shake out my fist.Fuck.
“Boss,” Bogdin interrupts me. “You have a meeting with Boris Petrov in fifteen minutes. You might want to wrap this up…”
“Fuck!” I throw up my hands, having forgotten all about the meeting that I’m supposed to have with him. I pull out my phone, and double-check the security camera, seeing thatCatarina is still safely in her room. “Still no leads?” I look up at Bogdin.
He shakes his head. “No.” He then pauses, eyeing Peter. “What do you want to do about…him?”
I purse my lips, give it a second of thought, and then pull out my Glock. I put one round in between Peter’s eyes and then look back at Bogdin. “Clean it up.”
He nods. “Yes, Sir.”
And with that, I head for the docks, arriving two minutes early. However, once again, Boris leaves me waiting for him in Red Hook.
Being late once is an accident, being late twice is a choice. I’m certain he’s trying to show me he’s still got the upper hand.
