But I don’t have time to dwell on relief. Maksim is hanging on for now, but if we don’t get Kallie back, there’s no telling what he’ll do. “Tell me what you saw.”
“I didn’t see, but I heard.” His fists clench at his sides. “She stepped out for a second, and then there was a struggle. She tried to scream. I dragged myself out of bed, but she was already gone.”
“You didn’t see who took her?”
“Who else do you think?” he spits. “It’s that fuckingmudak.Has to be. We need to get her back, we?—”
“That’s impossible.”
“You’re not hearing me.” Maksim drags himself to me, eyes crazed and bulging. “He has her.She’s—fucking hell, she’s my life. I can’t just leave her!”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“Then what?—”
“Desya’s dead.”
Maksim’s face drains. “You’re shitting me.”
“I’m not.” I jerk my head towards Mia. “Ask her if you don’t believe me.”
He turns to Mia. She’s standing a little way off, pale and shaking. “It’s true,” she whispers. “I… I shot him.”
Maksim looks shocked. “And you saw him die?”
“Yes. He fell into the water afterwards. He… didn’t come back up.”
Blyat’.I can’t begin to imagine what she must be feeling. Earlier tonight, she thought she was going to lose me. She killed someone to avoid that happening. Broke her oath, betrayed every single one of her convictions.
Now, it’s her best friend she might lose.
That’s not gonna happen.Whoever took Kallie—I will find them. And once she’s safe, I’ll make them pay with their blood. For MiaandMaks.
“Then who?” Maksim asks, sitting heavily on the couch. “Prizrak?”
“Could be,” I concede. “If he ordered this before he went. He was always playing chess when everyone else was playing checkers.”
Maksim’s fist slams into the coffee table. “Fuck!Then what are we gonna do about it?!”
Before I can answer, a telephone rings. It’s not mine. It’s not Maksim’s, either.
We both turn to Mia.
“It’s an unknown number,” she says quietly.
My instincts flare. “Put it on speaker,” I tell her.
“O-Okay.” She accepts the call with trembling hands. “Hello?”
“Hey, sweet thing.”
I recognize that voice instantly. Without thinking, I snatch the phone. “You fucking monster,” I growl.
“What the hell did you do?!” It’s Maksim, yelling loud enough for the receiver to pick it up. “Where’s Kalinda, you filthy piece of shit?!”
“Oh, good, everyone’s there. That’ll make this easier.” His words are dripping in sarcasm. “But I’m afraid I have no interest in speaking with hothead men. So put my woman back on.”
“She’s not your woman,” I spit. “You’ve lost, Brad. Get the fuck over it, or I’ll make you.”
