Chapter 32
Unacceptable
Elizaveta
I have splitting headache. Furious, I lie in bed contemplating if I should use emergency phone to dial Miroslav for update. I grow impatient with each day I wait for him to come to me.
“I have had enough,” I growl and sit up.
Room begins to spin as head thumps. With groan, I climb from bed. Then stumble for door to head to kitchen for glass of water and something to calm ache in head.
As I down glass of water, sound of footsteps outside catches my ear. I reach for hidden gun and narrow eyes at door. Places still dark, so I can hide in shadows for now.
Door opens and Miroslav steps inside. I relax and place glass and gun down on countertop. Finally, he here with news.
“What do you have for me?”
“You not like. Team I hire dead. They went for LaSalle’s son first. No success,” he says as he hangs his head.
I growl and swipe at glass on counter, knocking to floor. Glass shatter as it hits floor beside my feet. Balling my fist, I try to calm as my chest heaves. Killing little boys shouldn’t be so hard.
They are not like parents. They can’t fight back. Failure is last thing I expect to hear. It is unacceptable.
I palm my head as headache returns with vengeance. It barely started to go away. Now feels like drums play in head.
“Why can’t anyone get job done? LaSalle has little boys and oldest is far from problem.”
“I did not get full story. No one survived to tell what happened,” he murmurs.
“What now?” I bite out.
“You want a son from each of them, da? May I make suggestion?”
I sigh heavily. “Da, go on.”
“I call in favor. I have a friend who knows Ne Nash. Kiyoshi Matsumara-Nash’s only son. He one of them.
“Friend can get close and take him out. I work on finding new crew to handle your other request. I have someone soon. I did not spend everything on last hit.”
“Da, da. This is good. Go with plan. And that bitch, how soon will you bring her to me?”
“She is on run. I don’t have as many men as I used to. It’s taking time to get to her.”
I growl, getting pissed off and frustrated all over again. None of this is what I want to hear. Every day I am reminded of all I have lost—because of her, because of bullshit.
I should have made them all pay sooner. I never should have let that bitch get away. None of those mistakes will happen again.
“Find her and bring her to me. Take another million for search. I want her found.”
“Save your money. I have a better idea when it comes to her,” Miroslav says.
“Oh really? And what is that?”
“You know her poison. Dangle what she can’t resist in her face and she will come.”
A smile slowly comes to my face. I should have thought of this myself. I take a deep, cleansing breath to relax and think. He is right.
“Da, you are right. I haven’t lost yet. We do this, but we do on my time. I will go to handle this one on my own.”
“I figured you would say that. I will make arrangements for when it is time.”
Tasha
“You look good. I was getting worried about you,” Val says as she pulls me into her embrace.
I pull away with a smile on my face, then run a hand through my new haircut. I had it cut into a bob that stops just below my chin. It now looks healthy and is full of body.
Today I have it curled to show off all the body, layers, and bounce. I’m wearing one of LaSalle’s white dress shirts with a belt around the waist and thigh-high black leather heeled boots that made the man growl in my ear with promises of a steamy evening once our children are in bed tonight.
I smile at the thought as I reply to Val. “Girl, that spa day saved my life.”
“Uri told me about that. I love that boy more with each passing day. Uri was tickled when he asked him to help plan that day for you and LaSalle.”
“You guys are the ones who helped him? I was wondering about that.”
“I didn’t help. That was all Uri. Did you know Sammy had roses sent to all the girls with thank-you cards and sweet messages addressed to each of us?”
“Thank-you cards?”
“Yeah, for the things we do for him. No two cards were the same.”
“I love that kid so much. LaSalle looks at him like he’s so proud of him and I can’t blame him. I am too.”
“I’m letting you know now. I’m going to beat the life out of his girlfriends if they try to break his heart. I want nothing but the best for him,” she says.
“Girlfriends, I’m not ready. Megan has been texting her little friend from school. That smile on her lips almost got that boy hurt.
“Girl, the way LaSalle stopped and started watching her, then asked who she was texting. If Sammy hadn’t been there to answer for her and reassure his father it was nothing—” I stifle a laugh and shake my head. “They are growing up too fast.”
“Tell me about it. Vita’s mosquito bites are turning into something I can’t ignore. I had to break down and buy her a bra. She’s nine; like, what the hell is going on? I’m changing her diet to vegan,” Val grumbles as we go to take our seats.
I sigh. “Took Jess shopping for her first training bra and realized Megan needs her own. You are preaching to the choir. Did you order?”
“No. Chef Eric is in, so I waited for you.”
“Oh, I didn’t know he was back.”
“I ran into him coming in.”
I nod. Val must have entered through the kitchen, as we tend to do most of the time. I came in through the front today as I rode with LaSalle, who has a meeting here.
Club Smoke, Fire, and Desire NY is our spot. We come to eat, relax, and kick back as we talk over Bella business at least once a week. Although it’s been a while since we’ve taken advantage of the spa and amenities here.
“Anna got on my nerves last week. I think Uri and LaSalle had a talk with her. I don’t think she’s coming back.”
Just like that, I’m reminded why we stopped. Anna was a chef here. She had a habit of rubbing all of us the wrong way, but she was Ramses’s hire. We didn’t want to make waves for the guys.
“Good, because her ass had one more time to say something slick to me or to look at my husband like she was fucking him in her mind. She only got the one pass because this is his business, but he has partners.”
Val rolls her eyes. “I doubt either of them would have sided with her. Remi and Ramses know the deal.”
“I thought Ramses had something going on with her.”
Val waves me off. “He used to. That’s why her ass was so bold, but he’s done with her.”
“Figures,” I snort. “Old stink-ass attitude.”
“Right. That’s exactly why she ended up with my gun in her mouth.”
“What?” My eyes go wide as I look back at her.
She shrugs and picks up her menu, telling me there is way more to the story. I should have known. Eric wasn’t supposed to be back for another two months.
“Anyway, I love those earrings,” she sings.
Then she reaches for my ear, fingering the white-gold chandelier earrings LaSalle gifted me this morning. When I asked what the gift was for, he smiled at me and told me it was because he loves me. My cheeks heat as I think about how I thanked him.
I don’t know if that was more for him or for me. All I know is that we were both sweating, panting, and smiling by the end. Again, I think of his growled promise for tonight to be more of what I got this morning, and I begin to squirm in my seat.
“Eww, you nasty. I know that look.”
“Mind your business. He’s my husband,” I snicker.
“Welcome back, sis. You had one more week before I stepped in.”
My smile falters a little. “We all need a moment sometimes.”
“That’s why all I did was watch. I wasn’t going to allow you to break. We carry each other, remember?”
I smile back at her. “Yeah, I know. It’s just been a really rough year.”
“Don’t I know it. I’m counting all eleven of them. Since I met Uri, it’s like it never stops. Uri has found me in a closet losing my shit a time or two. We are allowed.”
“I hear you. How about we pick our spa days back up? We don’t have to leave before we do something the guys will be angry about anymore.”
“You thought I was leaving because of her. Girl, please. I’ve been ducking that real estate chick. She’s sweet but can’t take no for an answer. I’m going to hurt her feelings if she doesn’t back off.”
I burst into laughter, feeling more like myself today. I’m going to spoil Sammy with hugs when I get home. His thoughtfulness snapped me out of my funk.