Chapter 34
Liliya’s breathing is steady beside me.
She’s tangled in the sheets, looking so peaceful as she sleeps.
I didn’t just sleep with my wife tonight.
She gave me a part of herself no one had ever had.
A part of her so fucking precious that I didn’t deserve.
A twinge pulls at my heart that she handed it over willingly, like she’d been waiting for a person worthy and found me.
Do I find myself worthy? Fuck no.
But pride swells that she did.
Being a virgin wasn’t something I demanded in a wife. I’d never base a woman’s value on that.
I ease out of bed, grab my phone from the nightstand, and tug on a pair of shorts from the dresser.
This condo is my secret. I bought it under a dead man’s name and in a neighborhood that no one talks about.
Only a select few know I have it.
No one in New York.
I unlock the sliding balcony door and step outside. The wind nearly blows the door shut. I lean on the railing, scanning the parking lot and cars, looking for anything suspicious.
All is clear.
I call Lev, and unsurprisingly, the rat doesn’t answer. I’ll break his nose for that later.
Antonio is my next call.
He answers after one ring, not even sounding tired. “Where the hell are you?”
I rest my arm on the railing, looking down. “Chicago.”
“The fuck are you doing in Chicago?”
“I’ll explain when I’m back.”
“Where’s Liliya?”
“She’s with me.”
“Be careful with her.”
I blow out a breath. “Did Leo find anything when they picked up the Range Rover?”
“A dead asshole and a wrecked motorcycle.”
“Let me guess. Dead asshole was Russian?”
“Bingo.”
“Fuck,” I mutter.
“Watch your back, especially with the wife.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “For some reason, I halfway trust her.”
“That’s stupid. You don’t trust anyone. Not to mention, your wife’s family told her to kill you.”
“The family that gave her to a man rumored to have helped his father kill his own mother and sister. You think she holds any loyalty to them?”
He pauses for a moment. “Let me know when you’re on your way back to New York. Don’t make it longer than another day. We don’t fucking vacation.”
We end the call, and I crack my neck before throwing my head back.
It doesn’t release the tension like I hoped it would.
My next call is to Andre.
“How’s she doing?” I ask him.
“You’re an uncle,” he says with a grin in his voice.
I smile for what feels like the first time in a long fucking time.
“She’s resting. Tired as hell.” He whistles. “My wife is a fucking trooper. I damn near fainted when the baby came, and I fucking gut men regularly.”
“I’m happy for you two.”
“Appreciate it. Stop by and visit us later.”
“Unless shit goes south, that’s my plan.”
“You bringing the wife?”
“Her name is Liliya, asshole.” I’m quiet for a moment before saying, “We’ll see.”
Do I trust her enough to show her all my secrets?
The cobwebs I keep hidden?
“Tell her thanks for digging that bullet out of me,” Andre says. “I owe her one.”
I nod, though he can’t see me, and tell him, “Go get some sleep and nurse that wound,” before ending the call.
I spend another thirty minutes outside, soaking in the fresh air as the sun rises. Then I trek back into the condo and check on Liliya.
She mutters something in her sleep as I kiss her forehead.
How much will I tell her when she wakes up?