“T-Trust me.” After throwing back the contents of my glass, I gave him a wicked smile. “And if he makes t-too much noise, we’ll t-take care of him.”
Dima gave a low whistle. “Easy, cowboy. Let’s get through the patricide first before we start branching out in the family tree.”
I laughed. “When will we meet with the men?”
“As soon as we can call them all together. I’m sure news of Father’s death will travel fast, so we should have a time and meeting place ironed out for the next couple of days.”
Nodding, I poured another glass of vodka. Even if I worked night and day with Sarah, it wouldn’t give me enough time to improve my stutter. “At the meeting. Will you d-do t-the talking?”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Then fucking explain why?”
As Dima rose out of his chair, he grimaced. When I cocked my brows questioningly at him, he scowled. “I just sat too long.”
“Is p-physical therapy still helping?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Fuck you. I was just concerned.”
Dima walked over to me, slightly dragging his right leg. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Even if this speech pathologist you’ve kidnapped cures you, it doesn’t change who you are inside, Maks.”
When I opened my mouth to argue that there was no cure, he said, “Just like my limp doesn’t change who I am inside. We’re perfectly imperfect to run the Korolov Bratva.”
My chest twisted with his words. I desperately wanted to believe him. That our men would embrace the new leadership despite the fact that I stuttered or Dima limped. But I wasn’t there yet.
“Okay,b-brat.”
After clapping me on the back, he motioned to Father’s body. “I guess we should call the funeral home, huh?”
For anyone other than the Bratva, a homicide at home would have to be investigated.
“We could always just wrap him up in the rug and b-bury him in the b-backyard,” I suggested.
Dima snorted. “Tempting.”
With a grin, I said, “He’d just p-pollute the soil and kill all the grass.”
“Maybe the burn pile?”
“I’ll let you decide because I need to get back to BLANK.”
A smirk curved on Dima’s lips. “You mean you need to get back to your sexy doctor?”
“That’s not it at all.”
He wagged his brows. “We both know it is.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “You’ve b-been g-gossiping with Aleks and Lev.”
“You know it,” he laughed.
“The three of you are worse than Mila and Kira,” I replied as I started for the door.
