AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The hall where we were waiting was now deserted, excluding three guards that still lingered around. As soon as I left, Ilya trailed slowly behind me. He was close enough to help, if needed, but keeping his distance to remain undetected.
“Is there a reason you’ve been following me?”
He stopped and turned left. It was a dark alley, and it felt… familiar. I might’ve killed someone here previously. On the left wall was graffiti: a green background with a golden butterfly and a crow. The butterfly was identical to the tattoo Ekaterina had.
“That painting,” I began as I followed him further. Of course, a gun was in his hand, ready to shoot. “Is it for your boss?”
He tilted his head to the side. I couldn’t see his face, and it annoyed the fuck out of me. I was good at reading people’s expressions, and he was denying me that. However, his dark eyes narrowed, a hint of amusement lingering.
“If I say yes, will you leave?”
I shrugged. That was enough of an answer for me.
“I need to have a word with your boss.”
His eyes rolled. “Speaking to me is the same as speaking to him. I’ll relay the message.”
Threatening him wasn’t the solution. However, I had to ensure he wouldn’t work with Bogdan, no matter how tempting the offers he laid out. Considering The Rapscallion never meddled in these affairs, there was a chance he wouldn’t this time, either. Yet, it wasn’t a guarantee, and I needed to make sure it was guaranteed.
“Then tell The Rapscallion that working with Bogdan Kalashnik is the same as working directly against the Pakhan. The best thing he can do right now is maintain the anonymity he’s known for.”
The motherfucker laughed. It wasn’t a chuckle or a sign of him finding the situation funny. It was full-blown laughter of disbelief. He brushed past me, tucking his gun away. He no longer saw me as a threat, and his laughter continued as he walked away.
“Don’t worry,” he said without looking back. “If anything, he’s on your side.”
Why the fuck was everybody being so cryptic these days? I was getting sick and tired of them speaking in codes. With a sigh, I took out my phone and dialed Aleksei’s number.
SIX
EKATERINA
Ignore everything I ever said about this puppy boy being cute.
Felix was getting on my nerves. He’d been by my side for the past four days, and I couldn’t seem to shake him off. He thought he was being sneaky when he planted cameras in the living room and kitchen. At first, I found it hilarious and acted as if I hadn’t noticed them.
Then, it started becoming irritating. He tried preventing me from leaving the house on multiple occasions. If I wasn’t on a tight schedule, I would’ve indulged his little antics. However, I needed to meet one person and finish my business in Texas before going to the next place.
No one told me it would be this difficult to escape a little puppy.
I was also wondering if he’d planted a listening device on my phone. I wasn’t certain, but I couldn’t make important phone calls for fear of being recorded. There were some things that I didn’t want Davorin to know about; not yet, at least.
It was a sunny day, and I no longer had the luxury of postponing anything.
“Hey, puppy,” I called out whilst putting shoes on. “I’ll be back soon.”
Felix didn’t appreciate the nickname. “Fine.”
He let me go way too easily. My phone was definitely being tracked, and he thought I wouldn’t notice him.
Fifteen minutes into the car ride, his car appeared in the rearview mirror. Felix was further behind me, but I knew his car. It was adorable how he thought he could follow me unnoticed. To agitate him further, I started driving like a maniac.
As if getting arrested twice wasn’t enough.
However, Felix had my location and always managed to track me down.
I parked two blocks away from the coffee shop I needed to be at and left my phone in the car. It was enough to detour him for a while. There were a lot of places to visit here, and it was crowded. My outfit was rather modest, and I had a hat on. There wasn’t a chance of him tracking me down easily.
Sorry, Felix. We’ll continue our game later.
