“He seems close with Yaroslav.”
“Send Yaroslav to the hospital. I want him there when Arkady wakes up.”
“Got it. You almost back?” Maksim sounded stressed.
“We’re driving now.”
Sergei was sittingon the floor in the boardroom, his wrists handcuffed behind his back to a radiator pipe. One of my men sat and watched him.
I walked into the room. “Wait outside, please.”
He stepped outside, and Sergei smirked at me. “Everyone treats you like you’re the big boss around here.”
“I am the big boss.”
He studied me speculatively. “Not for long.”
“I had a long talk with Grisha this afternoon. He’s not interested in putting you in charge anymore.”
“That’s bullshit, and we both know it.”
“We concluded that you’d be allowed to remain in Vancouver, but you’ll be on a tight leash. Neither of us will tolerate you challenging my authority.”
He stared at me with deep hatred, but he didn’t respond.
“Are you in agreement with this order, or should we put you on the first plane back to Grisha?”
He continued to watch me with intensity but didn’t answer.
In my hand, my phone buzzed. It was Mila.
I needed to take this call.
I stepped out of the room and made eye contact with Maksim as I did. He pointed at the guard, who moved back into the room to continue his watch over Sergei.
I made sure to step out of hearing range before I answered.
“Hey, doll.” I winced as I spoke, knowing I deserved whatever reprimand I had coming.
The hysteria in her voice was high and intense. “There was a man… and it’s raining… The dogs are outside… I’m so scared… He’s still here.”
I pressed the phone to my ear, trying to hear her better. “Mila, what’s going on?”
“I woke up, and it was so dark, and he was chasing me.” Her breathing was so erratic I could barely make out her words.
What the fuck is going on?
“Baby, did you have a bad dream?” I could hear dogs barking, and I knew I was reaching but I didn’t want this to be true.
“He’s here.” Her voice dropped to a whisper, and the fear in it made my blood run cold. “Bandit, please stop barking.”
I snapped my fingers, which immediately grabbed Maksim’s attention. I covered my phone and spoke quietly. “I need four armed men to accompany me home now and I need you to try to make contact with the guard at my house.”
“Got it, boss,” he called after me as I took off down the stairs, my phone still pressed to my ear. “I’m coming, Mila. Where are you?”
Across the bay, four of my best men were running toward two SUVs that were parked and ready to go. All of the men were carrying heavy artillery.
“In the guardhouse,” she panted in my ear. In the background, I could hear all the dogs losing their minds.
