Bingo.
I will never look away from Lana, but right now? I have to. The thought of that asshole assaulting her again is not going to happen. The chair flies to the wall when I get up from it.
I am that fucking mad.
The only thing I can think of is to call Hana.
“Hana, what are you doing?” Fuck social decency right now.
“I’m good, cousin. How are you? How was your day? I ate two apples today, cevapi, a coffee—”
“Hana, shut the fuck up,” I cut my cousin off. She doesn’t even try to conceal her sarcasm or her laugh.
“Fine, what do you need?” That’s what I admire about Hana. When she gets down to business, she does her fucking job.
“What are you doing right now?” I ask while pacing my room and simultaneously looking at my screen from a distance. Lana is sitting on her couch now, watching TV and switching channels with the remote in her right hand.
Stay in that veil of false tranquility, my little hummingbird. It’s much nicer there than here.
“I’m studying because you made me.” Hana’s tone tells me she is annoyed, but I do not give a shit.
“We’ll talk about that later. I need you to look up someone for me.” I can basically hear her jumping for joy on the other line.
“Who is the culprit that set your boxers in a twist?” I stare at Lana while answering my cousin’s question.
“Nenad Semic.”
“Got it.” Hana’s fingers are flying over what sounds like her keyboard, and with every second that passes, I grow more impatient. Someone touched my hummingbird without her consent, and I want to burn the whole of Sarajevo down.
“He was arrested a couple of years ago for petty crime, now he is living in an apartment which he inherited from his mother."
“Anything else?”
“Other than being an asshole and a misogynist, he is clean. Why, is this bottom feeder a person of interest to you?”
I grunt as that’s the only response I can muster right now.
“Oh shit. It’s because of Lana, right? You are in deep—” Hana cuts herself off really quickly because she almost said my name.
Only a handful of people know myrealname. I use Adi Hodzic for my business, but other than that? M is the only ‘name’ I use. I instructed the people who know my real name never to utter it.
You never know who is listening.
“Hana, I need to know where he lives.” She gives me his address, and I feel lighter. The wheels in my mind are turning with all of the things I’m going to do to him.
“One more thing, Adam and Sara are back in Sarajevo, right?”
“Yes. Do you want me to call Adam and have him watch Lana?” Hana asks me. I sigh at her question.
“Hana, you can’t go and give orders to my team members, you know what the requirements are.”
“Fuck that fucking diploma. Say hi to Sara and Adam for me.” She hangs up, all riled up. I don’t fucking care. I take my phone out of the pocket of my pants and call the best sniper in the world.
“Adam.”
“M! To what do I owe the pleasure?” he says in his usual happy tone. Don’t let that fool you, Adam is fucking dangerous.
“I need you to watch Lana tomorrow. Can Sara spare you for one day?”
