“I just don’t believe it’s wise to get too attached to this girl considering who she is, and who she belongs to,” he adds.
“She belongs to me,” I correct him, and he breathes out a ragged sigh.
“Yes, Pakhan I understand that too. I’m merely suggesting you proceed with caution because of Jude’s plans to marry her. Taking her away took everything to another level. You know I will fight for you to the death, but I will not die or watch you die, because we slipped up. Getting too attached to a woman you’re fascinated with is slipping up.”
As he speaks his eyes—which rarely show emotion—give him away. For a few brief moments it makes me think it couldn’t have been him who betrayed me. I have the same tug on the remnants left of my soul I had when Maksim spoke to me the other day.
I know he must know I suspect him too, but unlike Maksim he won’t say it and as he stares back at me with that fatherly presence, I almost feel ashamed for thinking it was him.
“Points noted Obshchak.”
He dips his head and walks out.
I return my focus to Olivia and I don’t miss the quick glance she gives the gate again as whatever escape plan forms in her pretty mind.
* * *
I work into the evening switching between speaking to Dominic and looking through Jude’s files. Again, neither of us found anything of significance in the fuck load of files we searched through.
Frustration twists my insides by night fall, and I fell just as defeated as last week when we had nothing. That’s the problem with having so much to look through, even if it is a massive lead. The awareness you might not find anything at the end of the search is just as fucked up as the hope that pushes you along.
I keep looking at one more file, then another and another each time hoping I’ll find answers. Then failing.
It’s late when a knock sounds on my opened office door and Maksim comes in.
Instantly I recall my annoyance from earlier but school my thoughts, so I don’t look as transparent as I was when I was with Ilya.
“I just came to check in. I won’t be long,” he says. He went to our Brotherhood meeting in my stead.
“What’s going on?”
“Everything’s fine and I might have found someone else with Japanese connections in the car industry.”
That’s good news.
“Who?”
“Xiou Su, he’s a retired race car driver who’s doing his own thing. He seems clean but I have a few more checks to run. He’s a good fit because of the modifications he can do himself.”
I nod. “Perfect. I want someone like that.”
“Good. I’ll draw up the contracts once I’m happy he’s legit and we can set up the final meeting at the club on Sunday.”
I haven’t been back to the club since I brought Olivia here. “Yes, set that up for the usual time. Anything else?”
“Olivia’s going to try and escape. You know that right?” he raises a brow.
“Of course, I know that.”
“And you still want her to go outside?” He inclines his head to the side and gives me a quizzical stare.
“The fresh air will do her some good. Did she say something to you?”
“No, I saw her looking at the gate. Pakhan, she doesn’t seem to get that we are not good people.”
“No, she doesn’t.”
He laughs. “Well maybe she’ll be too weak to try to escape because that starvation shit is going to get tired.”