Page 35 (1/1)

The hushed voices of h the thin walls of uht, so rare that I pricked up my ears That’s when I heard them—those names

Stefanov and Pavlov

My htfully My father replied in a soothing tone, and when he repeated the names, his voice was harsh A moment later, the sound of pots ca solyanka for dinner, and the sarette reached me from the balcony

Eager to know Bat

The ping of s me back to the present I pick it up and check the screen It’s the head of the cleaning tea me know the job is done Vadi after daybreak when his cronies cooods for their daily deliveries Stefanov will get e soon

Good I can’t wait

Druers on the desktop, I knock back the rest of the vodka The alcohol slips s ht about two bratva bosses? My father was a high-ranking police officer He never discussed work at hoht man? Did Stefanov or Pavlov own him? Is that why my mother was upset? Because he’d sold information to theood wo Corrupt cop is not the ie I have of my father, but I was just a kid I was h money for a skateboard than I was in my father’s job

Unable to think aboutthe pain that tears ia aside

How do the dots connect? Is there a link between my parents’ conversation and the events of the last couple ofup then and now? Stefanov paid Vadim to kidnap Katerina Did he also pay the ical deduction That means Stefanov most likely paid the assassin who tried to kill me But why? What does it have to do withPavlov fit into the picture? His s with Stefanov around the time of the attacks on Katerina and me could be a coincidence—it’s very likely that the two bratva bosses do business together—but the fact that

I don’t have the answers, but I will find them And when I do, I’ll make Stefanov and every man involved in his scheme pay

Firing up the encryption app, I send anotherfor information on Stefanov and to do the sa infor intomotivates like proet me the information I need

The earlier adrenaline has yet to work itself out of my system I’m too hyped up to be able to sleep To use the ti Katerina’s leave of absence Once all the paperwork is out of the way, I schedule an e, asking her what tiht be ruthless, but I’m a man of my word I said my kiska could have a reward if she behaves, and now that she knows there’s no way out, she’ll behave if it means that she can speak to her friend Call itKaterina’s co it for her The sooner she adapts to her new situation, the sooner she’ll be happy again

I’ via the hospital security ca into the real-tiress As I expected, they haven’t found anything Hopefully, I’ll learn more soon, either from Adrian or the man I’ve put on Stefanov’s tail

I type a co my security chief, Nelsky, to shut down the search and instead focus on obtaining information on Stefanov and Pavlov’s personal and professional operations I want the blueprints of their homes and their offices I want to kno many men they have on site and eapons they’re aro to school, where they keep apartments for their mistresses, what cars they drive, and what their wives eat for breakfast I want to know everything right down to the brand of their underwear I want to know their strengths but mostly their weaknesses I want to knohere their protection is breachable They h, you’ll always find a vulnerability