Jasper follows on his heels. She looks between Tatiana and me before narrowing her eyes on me.
“Well done.” Tatiana holds out her arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
Noah doesn’t let her embrace him. He high-fives her instead before doing the same with me. Then he runs to Jasper and slams both palms on hers in a gesture that Ted likes to use.
Wiping a hand over his forehead, he blows out a breath. “Phew, I’m hot now. Jazz played too, but she didn’t kick a goal. Are you thirsty, Jazz? Do you want water too?”
Tatiana’s smile is soft. “Your water bottle is in the fridge. Are you hungry? It’s almost time for your snack.”
“Can Jazz cut me an apple?” He turns big, serious eyes to me. “I’m not allowed to cut with the knife.”
“That’s wise,” I say, trying to keep a straight face and not smile.
“Sure.” Jasper dips her head toward the hallway. “Let’s go wash our hands first.”
“I’ll come with you,” Tatiana says quickly.
The three of them pile through the doorway. I look at the photos on the notice board one last time before walking outside. I wish Tatiana wouldn’t be so hard-headed about using my money. I know how badly she wanted to go to school. Her father wouldn’t let her. He said she was bound to marry after her twenty-first birthday, and he didn’t see the point of her getting a diploma if she were going to become a mafia wife and have babies. Now that dream is within her reach, and the fact that she’d rather clean houses than let me pay for her studies tells me just how much she loathes me.
Kent and Ulysses stand on the porch, keeping watch. I take my phone from my pocket and send a text message to Reino, instructing him to meet us out front.
While we wait for him, I study Kent. I haven’t spoken to him since the incident at the hotel. He’s loyal, but I need to be sure I can trust him around Tatiana.
He averts his gaze, not looking me straight in the eye, which is his way of showing respect.
Reino rounds the corner with his hands shoved in the back pockets of his jeans. “What’s up, boss?”
I check through the window. The lounge is still clear. “Someone sent men after Tatiana.”
Reino’s gaze sharpens. “They could’ve been bounty hunters.”
I lean on the balustrade, anger hardening my jaw. “They weren’t mine.”
“Gold diggers who were after the reward you put out?” Ulysses speculates.
I cross my arms. “My reward came with a condition. I wanted information. No one was supposed to lay a finger on her. These men didn’t care in what condition they had to deliver her.”
Reino watches me from under his eyebrows. “Do you have someone on the job?”
“As we speak.” My tone is cold and hard. “I want to know who was behind this.”
“Teszner?” Kent asks, his upper lip curling with distaste.
“Perhaps,” Ulysses says. “He’d inherit her shares if she died.”
“Could be,” Reino muses. “But she’s got a bigger value to him than her shares. He could still marry her off to Stein and make an alliance for himself through the deal. He knows you’re coming for him, that it’s only a matter of time. Getting a powerful ally behind him is his only chance at protecting himself against you.”
“Or he’s after the same thing we are.” Kent looks between us. “The necklace.”
Ulysses rubs a hand over his beard. “Money would definitely solve a lot of Teszner’s problems. He could pay off the debt collectors. But how would he know Tatiana has the necklace?”
“It’s not that hard to guess.” Kent shrugs. “It disappeared when she did.”
“Did word get out about the necklace?” I ask.
Reino shakes his head. “Unlikely. The only people who know about it are the four of us and Tatiana. You briefed the bounty hunters yourself, and you didn’t give them a reason why you wanted her back.” His tone becomes cautious. “Could someone have found out about Noah? They could’ve planned on kidnapping him and asking you for ransom.”
The possibility did cross my mind. “The men who managed to track her down didn’t know about Noah, not as far as I can tell. She was four months pregnant when the first attack happened.” The knowledge still makes me volatile. “She wouldn’t have showed yet. She locked Noah in the bathroom when the second assault happened, so the assailant never saw him.”
