I didn’t see the syringe until he plunged it into her leg. She tried to fight him off, but it was no good. She was out before she had the chance to fight back.
“Fuck me,” Ive said. “What the fuck was that?”
“We’re moving her to your territory,” Ivan said.
He turned his gaze toward me.
“Do you know Rage?”
“He’s the current VP,” I said. “I haven’t talked to him but my informant told me he’s reasonable. He’s the only one that didn’t agree to strike out against you.”
“I like this,” Ivan said.
“That girl has already been through a lot,” I said.
“I know, which means she will be more than adequate to deal with what I have planned.”
There were times I thought Ivan was soft. Maybe a little too soft for being a Pakhan, but watching him now, I knew he was up to something, and he wasn’t going to allow Lottie’s reaction to hinder his plans.
I look toward Ive. He didn’t care either. If it hadn’t been for Adelaide, I doubted I would have cared. She was back at the penthouse with Terrance on the door, and Leo, well, he was by my side. I’d hired one of the women from the casino to take care of Adelaide. It was a fucked-up decision to do, but she had been a nurse at one point. She liked the money she got working for us. After her husband had left her with three kids to feed, she turned out to be more loyal than her husband. Anna was a sweet woman. The moment I approached her, she had been more than happy to help with Adelaide.
“Arrange a meeting with Rage,” Ivan said.
I nodded.
“Transport her tonight to your territory. No hiccups. I don’t want her dead, and you make sure she’s taken care of,” Ivan said, looking toward Ive.
“Consider it done.”
“Good.” Ivan snapped his fingers, bringing an end to the conversation, and then he walked away.
Ive looked back into the cell and I moved closer to him.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I think she’s going to be a handful.” He ran a hand over his face. “How is married life treating you?”
“Fine.”
Ive looked at me with a raised brow. “Just fine?”
“Yeah, just fine.” It wasn’t just fine but I’m not the kind of guy who talks about his feelings with every person I meet. “Good luck.”
I have my suspicions about Ivan’s plans. I think he’s going to make Ive and Lottie marry. I don’t think he’s going to kill her, but then this is Ivan, he could change his mind at a moment’s notice.
Leaving the cell, I make my way outside where Leo is standing by the car. He hasn’t fucked up at all. I know he feels ashamed for being manipulated by my wife. Ignoring him, I climb into the back of the car and pull out my cell phone.
Clicking on the security app, I check in on my wife and find her sitting on the sofa, arms folded, looking a little pissed off. She didn’t like me hiring someone to take care of her. She also didn’t like that Leo wasn’t playing guard to her either. The moment the doctors had said she could go home, I’d made the necessary arrangements, but she didn’t understand why I wouldn’t allow Leo to take care of her.
I type a message to her.
Me: Cheer up.
I wait to hear back from her and I don’t have to wait long.
Adelaide: I’m bored. There’s a big surprise.
I can’t help but smile.
Me: I’m on my way home. What do you want for dinner?
Adelaide: Nothing.
Me: Attempting to starve yourself?
Adelaide: I just don’t feel very hungry.
Taking a deep breath, I don’t know what to say to that, so I pull up the image on the app and watch her.
Anna moved toward Adelaide, taking a seat on the coffee table. I didn’t turn up the volume, but I see my wife’s stiffness. Anna’s smiling, her usual sweet self. That’s why men kept returning to the tables. Not just to gamble away their money, but to be near her. I had to wonder if Anna would have made better money in one of my many brothels, but she had a knack for distracting customers and was damn good at math. I know she could have easily been married off multiple times, but she refused each offer, not wanting to be tied down to a man. Her husband had sure done a number on her.
I closed the app, sat back, and watched the city go by.
Bethany was still out there, not suffering. She hadn’t reached out yet, but this is all part of the plan. Nathan is already in Oleg’s territory, working the fighting circuit, gaining a reputation. He sent me regular updates of his progress. I still didn’t like him but Ivan was convinced we could use him. No good would come from him, I could guarantee it.
I tell Leo to head straight for the penthouse suite. I’m looking at houses to move Adelaide into. When she is fully recovered, I have every intention of getting her pregnant again. I’d not considered myself father material before, but thinking of having a child with her filled me with something close to yearning.
Rubbing at my eyes, I try to clear my mind, but the truth is, I need to kill. Taking out the shooter hadn’t quenched my thirst, and every day I’m with Adelaide makes me want to murder her sister even more. Whenever she asks about her parents, I get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that won’t go away, and it pisses me off more than anything.