Page 46 of Til Death Do Us Part (Kornilov Bratva Duet 2)

“Do you have any idea how our meeting location got out?” Seamus asks, giving voice to my own thoughts.

I shake my head. “No idea, but I plan to find out.”

Petr is my first thought. He knew where the dinner was being held, and if he is betraying me, he could have told Fedor.

Still, I don’t want to put any suspicion on Petr until I’m sure. I don’t want to jeopardize a relationship between Petr and Seamus if I don’t have to. Plus, part of me is still desperately hoping Petr is loyal and this has all been a huge misunderstanding.

A waitress brings us each an espresso and asks whether we want anything to eat, but Seamus dismisses her with a polite refusal.

“Sorry, but I can’t stay long. Niamh is expecting me home soon.”

“I need to be getting home soon, too,” I say. Even though my “home” is empty. Molly is at her house.

“Niamh can’t stop talking about Molly. I’m afraid our wives are becoming best friends.”

“Is that bad?” I ask.

Seamus raises a brow. “They are going to share all of our secrets with one another. Soon enough, they’ll be working together to control us.”

“There are worse things that could happen.”

Seamus laughs. “Too right. We should get them together again soon. If we don’t, Niamh is going to drive me crazy with asking. She has already drawn up ideas for how Molly can redecorate the library.”

“We’ll have dinner soon,” I assure him.

We finish our espressos shortly and part with a shake and a promise.

“To our alliance,” Seamus says.

I grin. “And our friendship.”

* * *

I’m halfwayhome when the idea of going back to my empty apartment feels too depressing to cope with. Before I know it, I’ve turned around and am driving to Molly’s.

I knock three times and then let myself in with a key.

“Hello,” I call from the entryway, not wanting to startle her. However, my words are lost to the sound of music. Loud music.

I follow the sound to the living room where Molly and Hannah are standing in the middle of the room … with microphones … singing.

After the crazy few days I’ve had, it takes me a second to understand the happy scene in front of me. Two friends singing karaoke doesn’t jive with assassins and traitorous friends and brothers. They can’t coexist in the same story.

They are singing a duet, and Molly throws her head back during her part, eyes closed, belting it out to the ceiling. Half of the notes are off-key and shrieked, but she is passionate and loud and … happy.

Then, Molly turns towards me, and her eyes go wide, and her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She lowers her microphone and covers her face with her hand.

She is adorable.

Hannah carries on singing, pointing at Theo and encouraging him to dance, until she notices Molly has stopped and then notices me. As soon as she does, Hannah spins around and turns off the karaoke machine.

“Sorry to interrupt,” I say.

“Well, you did interrupt,” Molly says, walking across the room, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, though her mouth is pulled into a smile. She grabs my hand and pulls me across the room. “So, it’s your turn.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “Yeah, no. That won’t happen.”

Theo wraps his arms around my legs and tries to drag me forward. “Come on, siiiiing.”

---