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I’m pissed he made me think I’d deserved it

Corinne’s face is open and inviting I know this shameful event would stay private between us if I wanted to tell her about it

But I don’t Mainly because these feelings resurfacing are awful and sickening I don’t want to relive what happened to me I don’t want to talk about it I’d like to sweep it back under the rug where I’d kept it, then letBogachev behind bars forever would go a long way to soothing ht?

“Listen,” I say, pushing off the doorjaht now, but if I feel the need to hash it out, I promise I’ll come talk to you”

The way Corinne purses her lips tells me she doesn’t really believe a word I say, but she can do nothing more than accept my word She can’t force me to talk as she’s only a resource available to us

“I’ll catch you around, okay?” I say with a friendly smile

“Sure thing,” she replies

Spinning from her office, I head toward the stairs and bound up theht sway In my apartment, I eat a tuna fish sandwich and putter around on s to implement

I also spend a great deal of ti and if he’s safeCHAPTER 15GriffinAnatoly Bogachev lives in a fifteen-eous views of lower Manhattan His fa mafia ties But he sort of eclipsed those uncles and cousins who deal in extortion andThe money he ht-thousand-square-foot apartment—while his relatives lead a far less luxurious lifestyle

I decided to play it blasé about the death of his nemesis, Bebe Grimshaw I’d texted hiood news for him He told me to be at his apartment at noon, and I was there fifteen minutes before, always habitually early because I know that iachev

I wait for hi room His office is just down the hall, and I can see his door is fire Victorian-styled sofa that’s uncoly But it’s expensive, which is really all that matters to the man

The door doesn’t open Anatoly leaves me to stew, and he doesn’t beckon me into his presence until five after twelve because while he appreciates punctuality, he doesn’t feel compelled to bestow it on others It’s just one way he loves to display his power

“Stoltz,” he bellows, and it carries through the heavy carved door of his office I’d only ever given him my fake cover naround check on ot an extensive history built under that name by the FBI

I push up fro, and make my way down the parquet floored hallway to my boss

Unsurprisingly, the door opens by another one of Bogachev’s erant nalish Noruy who stands in this office to protect the kingpin froone, Bogachev is using this guy as my replacement As soon as I enter, Karl exits and shuts the door

Anatoly sits behind a hand-carved Italian desk with stunning filigree work on the sides It’s large enough it could be considered masculine, but it’s so ornate in its details it just comes off as prissy All that matters to my employer is it’s insanely expensive, so it’s worth it for him to sit behind

His head bent over a stack of papers, he doesn’t bother glancing up I take a aze I’ve performed hundreds of times over the last few years The office has dark paneled walls and custom built-ins, many of which hold a host of electronics and servers

Anatoly works mostly off his laptop, which is closed on top of his desk I’d kill to be able to log onto it for just five e flat-screen TV mounted to the wall and I know there’s no way I can plant Bebe’s device there while occupying the space with Bogachev

I quietly take one of the chairs across froe me It takes alood news”