Page 61 of Lies He Told Me (Bratva Crime Syndicate 1)

“Okay, deal then. I mean it. I’m in.”

“Where are you?”

I peer out through the stained, broken glass of the phone booth to gauge my surroundings. “The 7-Eleven near Blythe and Caltree.”

“I’m sending a car.”

He hangs up, and, just like that, I realize I’ve done it. As I sit on the dirty pay phone booth floor hugging my arms around my legs while Chowder paws at my back, I still don’t know what to feel.

I can only hope I’ve made the right choice.

14

Gavril

And so it begins.

Joy strides in with a glare, talking already. “Here are my terms.”

She jabs up a finger. “First: my mom—Terri Smith—gets the best doctor in the city, and a new apartment. You make the call now and get her out of there today. I don’t care whether she agrees. You get rid of the trash she’s living with, you don’t give him her new address, and you warn him to stay far the hell away from her.”

Another finger. “Second: Chowder stays here with me.”

Another. “Third.” She pauses, looks around as if weighing the rest of her options, like she knows she has a blank check and doesn’t have the faintest idea how to spend it. “I want the studio, the paint supplies.”

Something twists in me, but I ignore it. I look her in the eyes. She’s panting like she’s just fought a battle. Hell, maybe she has. Our own demons are the worst enemies of all. I give her a curt nod, never letting my eyes leave hers.

“Done.”

She swallows and stands still. I notice her fists are balled up and tight. She says nothing.

“Is that all?” I say.

The question seems to take her by surprise. She hesitates, then nods once more. “Yes,” she finally says. “For now.”

Clearly, my little wife-to-be likes the taste of power. So far.

I withdraw my phone and text Ludmil.Find the girl’s mother. Terri Smith. Get her a new apartment, something nice. And schedule an appointment with the best doctor in Toronto. Today.

His response is immediate.Yes, boss.

Walter glides in, regarding Chowder with an impassive expression.

“Walter, take the dog for a walk while I show Miss Smith her room,” I tell him.

Joy opens her mouth to argue, then shuts it, evidently thinking better of it.

“Follow me,” I command, already walking. I don’t look back to see if she obeyed.

We get to her room soon enough. She pauses in the doorway, not even trying to hide how overcome she is at the sight. I like seeing it through her starstruck eyes: the purple velvet-covered bed, the tassel curtains, the diamond chandelier. A room fit for a queen.Myqueen.

“I didn’t expect …” she murmurs.

“To get your own room?” I quirk a brow at her. “I assure you, while I have specific expectations for this arrangement, none of them involve me controlling your every move, or depriving you of anything you wish for.”

She uncrosses her arms, wandering in as she fights a smile. “I just … have never seen in person …”

“My designer does her job well. Of course, if you’d like anything added or removed, that’s also possible. Miranda will do whatever you ask.”

---