Page 124 of Savage Don

It’s only a text from Leonid.

Maksim is recovering well. He’s finally started talking clearly again, but now he won’t shut up. You should probably get over here and listen to what he has to say. Interesting shit. Not safe to relay over text or phone. Apparently, before he tried to escape, Artuzov attempted to bargain for his life. And a man like Artuzov only has one thing to bargain with. Information.

Fuck. I hadn’t even thought about the possibility that Maksim may have learned something from Artuzov before everything went to shit.

Looking up from my screen at Domenico, I decide to prolong his suffering, as well as give him some time to make up his mind on my offer.

I have little doubt that Sonia will be able to talk him into selling his daughter. Hell, she’ll probably jump at the chance.

They don’t deserve Francesca. No one does.

But I’ll do my best to prove myself worthy.

“Think about my offer,” I say, trying to keep calm as a thousand different possibilities race through my mind. What has Maksim been hiding? “You have until midnight.”

Without waiting around for a response, I turn and storm out of the office.

Leonid seemed convinced that Maksim has something important to reveal. I trust his judgment.

Fuck. This shit could finally be picking up. If I play my cards right, I might just get my happy ending.

But one wrong move and everything could come crumbling down. There’s no room for mistakes.

If my gut is right, and I finally get proof that Domenico is behind the leaks, then I won’t return to his office with a dowry.

I’ll return with my gun.

And I won’t just take his daughter.

I’ll take his life.

26

Ray

“Nice of you to show up,” Maksim smiles when I burst into his hospital room.

His words are still slurred, and I can see that part of his face is still drooping, but it’s less obvious than before, and he already looks a thousand times better than he did the last time I checked up on him.

“Didn’t the doctors say you might never even talk again?” I tease, reaching out for a handshake.

Maksim has to twist and offer his left hand, because his right one obviously still isn’t up for the task, but there’s a glow to his rugged mug that almost makes me happy.

Shit can get better, even when everything seems to be getting worse.

“If only they had been right,” Leonid taunts, standing up from his bedside chair to shake my hand, too. “All of this silence has gone to our friend’s head. Before this, I could hardly get two sentences out of him, now, I’ll be lucky if that’s all I get.”

“Is that right?” I smirk, forgetting about Domenico for just a little while. “Maybe we’ll have to get you a new job, Maksim. Never thought I’d have to worry about you talking to the cops.”

“Hey, I haven’t changed that much,” Maksim grunts, shaking his head. “It’s just that Elisa told me I should try to talk as much as possible—she said I need to exercise my vocal cords like any other muscle. This is for rehab, not for pleasure.”

“Let’s hope,” Leonid laughs. “I always felt a lot tougher with a silent killer by my side.”

“I’m sure I’ll be right back to my old ways soon enough,” Maksim nods, a crooked little smile forming on his half numb face.

“Don’t go back too quickly,” I tell him. “I didn’t rush over here to enjoy your silent charm. I want to hear about what that cowardly commie Artuzov had to say before he stuck you with that paralyzing agent.”

“Fuck, what didn’t he say…” Maksim grumbles, wiping his good hand down his face. “The man was talking a thousand miles per minute, trying to squirm his way out of what he knew was coming. His accent was so thick that I couldn’t understand half of it, but when he mentioned the bombs, I made sure we stopped walking, so that he could answer my questions nice and clearly. Fuck, that’s probably when he was able to slip out whatever he stuck in me.”