Maximo
“I’m sosorry about all this, firefly,” I repeat as soon as we’re settled in the backseat of the Expedition idling just outside the precinct.
“You don’t have to apologize,” Constance says as she shakes her matted hair back from her face. “There was no way we could know something like this would happen. If anything, what you taught me and the time we’ve spent together prepared me to handle those two.”
“I’m not good at apologies.” I give her a half smile. “I don’t make them very often. It should never have come to this,” I add with a sigh. “I can’t help but blame myself. I should’ve seen this coming, should’ve known that revenge is a banquet that never truly ends.”
“We’ll put a stop to it together,” Constance says as I reach over and place my hand on her knee.
Leaning up to speak to Trenton, I tell him, “Get the word out to all our crews that I want any information they can dig up onIrina Volkov, or any other Russians doing any business in the city right now. We need some leads to track her down and end this.”
Trenton nods as he pulls out his cell phone. “You offering any incentive?” he asks, scrolling through his contacts. “Some monetary compensation might help loosen some lips.”
“Absolutely. Get the captains together first and tell them there’s a hundred thousand in it for them if they bring me information that helps track Irina down. If they actually find her and bring her to me, I’ll triple it. And I’ll be in their debt.”
“Got it,” Trenton confirms as he sets up a text group with a large number of contacts. “I’m going to get the boys together at your office later today and talk to them in person there.”
“It’s never good to conspire by text.” I try another smile at Constance, which she tentatively returns. It doesn’t reach her dark, haunted eyes, which seem fixed on something far away.
“After I get cleaned up, can we come back to the hospital to see Melissa?” Constance asks as she places her hand over mine and gives it a squeeze.
“Of course. Joey, can you hang around today and act as our driver and bodyguard?”
Joey shrugs and says, “Sure. Trenton says I’m salaried now, so I’m all yours whenever you need me.”
“Yeah, I had Joey put on payroll,” Trenton confirms. “He’s good people,” he adds, giving his friend’s arm a backhanded slap. “We came up together and we can trust him. I was actually going to talk to him about taking over my old spot and becoming my lieutenant when we went out for drinks tonight. That plan sort of got derailed with all the excitement, so congrats, I guess.” He smiles at the man driving.
“Thanks,” Joey grunts.
“That’s why I like you.” Trenton slaps him on the arm again. “I inherited Enzo’s other two lieutenants, Sam and Jamie, andthose two never shut the fuck up. You don’t ask a million questions, and you get shit done.”
“Yup,” Joey agrees with a single guttural syllable.
“That’s good. I like to hear that you’re settling in,” I tell Trenton. “Tony should have some of his boys back at the estate by now, and we’ll have a cop keeping an eye out as well. We should be safe enough for now until Irina comes up with her next gambit.” I lean back in the seat, shifting my grip until my fingers intertwine with Constance’s. “No matter what she does, I will keep you safe,” I reassure her.
“I know you will try,” she replies absently as she stares out the window. “They took my knife as evidence. Do you have another one I could have?”
“Of course. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll go down to the armory and find another one you like. I can have another one like yours made, if you prefer,” I offer.
“I’d like that,” she agrees. “If you can get another one made, I’ll just borrow something else in the meantime. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it makes me feel more secure.”
“It’s not silly at all after what you accomplished today. I’m proud of you, Constance. I know that must sound insane, but I mean it. You might be the strongest woman I’ve ever known.” I raise our hands to my lips and kiss the back of her knuckles.
“Yeah, you’re a certifiable badass.” Trenton twists around in his seat to talk to us. “Those two must have thought you were just some scared little girl they could throw around. God, I wish I could have seen their faces when you went off on them.”
“I stabbed the first one in the throat. His eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his skull, and he sprayed blood all over me when I opened his throat. The second one just looked horrified at all the blood. He tried to draw a gun, but I had already grabbed the pistol from his dead friend. I shot him through the window and then leaned out to shoot him somemore. I got scraped up by the broken window glass. The EMS team said the cuts weren’t too bad.”
Constance pats at her side where her sweater is ripped, and when she twists in the seat to show me, I see the abrasion on her fair skin.
“It doesn’t hurt, does it?” I ask her.
“No, it doesn’t feel like anything,” she says as she turns her gaze back out the window. “I don’t feel much either. I’m just kind of numb right now and tired.”
“That’s probably shock,” Trenton says as he turns back to face the front. “You’ve killed a man before, sure, but have you ever actually fought one to the death? That sort of thing can fuck with your head.”
“I’m okay, but I think he’s right about the shock.” Constance calms me with another squeeze of my hand. “Once I’m cleaned up, I’ll feel better. I just need some quiet. The detectives had a lot of questions.”
“If you feel up to it, can you tell me what they were asking about?” I ask in a gentler tone.
