Page 112 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

I grit my teeth. “Reluctantly. But I’ve never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“I never understood that expression, but we’ll circle back on it. Jennifer is still under cover?”

“She’s got another lead,” I tell him. “Another girl who’s terrified to say a damn word.”

“Who’s to say this won’t turn out the same as the rest?” he asks skeptically.

“Approaching them directly hasn’t been working, so I made her take a different approach.”

“Which is…?”

“Befriend them. Earn their trust and then get them to confide in her unknowingly.”

“Old school.”

“Effective, but time-consuming.”

“You’re worried?”

“Not worried. Just impatient,” I say. “I want this shit dealt with. It’s taken up far too much of my attention from the start.”

“It’s only a matter of time. But have you thought about the fallout of an operation like this?” Demyan asks.

“Are you referring to my beloved brother- and sister-in law?”

He nods. “Bingo.”

I exhale with frustration. “It can’t be helped.”

“Not sure that explanation is going to fly with your wife.”

“She’s searching for something from me,” I say in a low voice. “Something I can’t give her.”

“You mean affection? Dignity? A shred of human decency?” I throw him a glare, but he just laughs. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the girl has feelings for you,sobrat. But like most women, she wants assurances. She wants to know where she stands with you.”

“I’m not that kind of man.”

“What kind of man are you?” Demyan press. “Because I’ll tell you this much: I don’t think you can handle disappointment.”

“I’ve never had to deal with disappointment. I get what I want.”

“Exactly,” he says. “Which is precisely why you’re going to take it badly.”

When I glance back towards the window, I can no longer see my father or Olivia. That doesn’t stop me from scouring every corner of the garden. Nor does it stop the tremor of doubt in my chest that comes whenever she leaves my sight.

“You need to compromise a little,” Demyan continues. “The way I refused to when I was with Miranda.”

“Compromise,” I scoff. “That’s not a word in my vocabulary.”

“Then are you prepared to lose her?”

I tense, thinking about the possibility of a future that doesn’t include Olivia. Trying to think about a future at all.

My own future is not something I spend a whole lot of time considering. I focus on the here and now. The only future I consider pertains to the Bratva and its interests.

Before I can wrap my head around any of it, my phone starts to ring.

I pick up. “Jennifer.”

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