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X: He won’t attack us somewhere so public. And the hotel security will stop any stunts like last time.

Iris: We could have one of the Sokolov brothers watch to see if any of his men try to follow us, then tail them. It might get us something useful. Or maybe Sasha’s just busy and this is the most convenient place.

X: Ever the optimist.

She replied with a middle finger emoji that made me cough up my cereal.

I pull up outside the glittering front of the hotel, step out, and walk around to Serena’s side. But she climbs from the car before I can open the door for her.

We walk into the hotel side by side. I clock the cameras, thinking of Yaro outside, his eyes fixed on the hotel, ready to follow or hurt or sit in quiet psychopathy, whichever’s needed.

At the front desk, Serena asks to see Sasha. The receptionist smiles and says, “She mentioned she had friends coming. She said she’d meet you in the garden.”

“Thank you,” Serena says, then looks at me. “It’s this way.”

She leads me into the interior of the hotel. There are people everywhere. This is an upscale place. If Rafael started firing bullets here, he’d bring down the Feds in the blink of an eye. He’s never done something so reckless before.

But park a car outside, try to follow us? That’s more his speed.

“We need to be open-minded,” Serena says out of the corner of her mouth, as we sit next to each other in the so-called relaxation garden. A collection of colorful flowers sits in front of us. “She agreed to meet… she knows this is about you-know-who.”

“Cordero,” I grunt. “A silver-toothed prick who deserves a bullet in the head, and I don’t care if it’s silver.”

She tenses up next to me. Takes out her phone.

Serena: It should freak me out when you say things like that.

I smirk over at her. She misses the easiness of the texting too.

Nikolai: Should?

“Yes, should,” she says, flashing a look at me. “But he sent people after my family. That brick could’ve hit Rosa. And what would those men have done if they somehow got their hands on my baby girl?”

She stands before I can reply. A woman is approaching, small with light eyes and blonde hair. She’s wearing a Delmaris uniform.

“Hey,” she mutters, sitting beside us. “You must be Nikolai.”

I nod. “Sasha?”

She nods. Serena goes to her, giving her a quick hug. “Are you okay? You look a little shaken up.”

“Long hours,” Sasha replies. She looks tired, can’t deny it, not that I’m going to say that. “I’m back on cleaning duty and… Well, it can be a lot, you know?”

She nods and wraps her arms around herself. Serena gives me a look, indicating that she wants me to give them a moment. I stand and go to the other side of the surprisingly spacious garden. It’s surrounded on all sides by glass, leading to the hotel. I watch the faces of the passing people.

Taking out my cell, I call Yaro as I scan them.

“Greetings, friend,” he says lazily.

“Anything?”

“No, but we’ll know more on the return trip. He’s not going to advertise a tail. We’ll have to watch the traffic. Do all you Volkovs worry so much?”

Goddamn Sokolovs.

I hang up the phone, knowing he’s right.

Rafael’s trying to do everything underhanded. But I know he won’t make the same mistake again. He won’t send amateurs after us. That was an opening salvo, the first volley of gunfire, a gentle prod in this world. The next hit, if he catches us slacking, will be surgical, precise.