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He shrugged. “I’m just realizing that he ripped me off. He knew you didn’t give a fuck and made me put my money in anyway.”
I nursed a smile of mine and turned away from him.
“She’s settled in quite well, if I must say,” I interrupted the silence, and the grin on his face grew wider.
He knew.
I didn’t have to talk about her. What good was that when I had a functioning CCTV camera, a built-in security system, and a housekeeper always willing to keep me informed?
Anna Jerov kept me updated with her daily routines, including her feeding habits and the number of times she slept during the day and at night.
For a captive, she lived a rather interesting life. Before the break of dawn, she went on a two-hour run, taking laps around her room. She ate well and, as I’d observed, had an impressive diet plan. When she wasn’t running or eating, she would crawl into her bed and read old, boring books that Anna had supplied daily to her room.
I noted a few other things. She was freakishly tidy and organized and showered close to four times daily. Her habits were intriguing to watch, and as the days went by, I grew more fascinated by her irritation with being idle.
But a thought constantly plagued my mind.
For someone with a strong will like the detective, her sudden calm and compliance were red flags.
Dusting my fingers, I watched the buildings outside the window as the car neared the penthouse. She thought she was smart. Her surrender was nothing but pretense, and I knew better. The little detective was trying to deny me the pleasure of breaking her.
Well, we were just going to have to wait and see how long that ploy worked out for her.
The gates slid open, and the car rolled into the underground parking lot. The purring engine slowly died down, and I stepped out of the car. Arlo’s shoes clicked on the floorbehind me, and the second his door closed, my phone buzzed in my pocket. From behind me, he took out a suitcase.
When I took it out, the caller ID on the glowing screen made me swear under my breath in a different foreign language.
I swiped and placed the phone on my ear. “Dah.”
“It’s crazy how the younger ones in this generation behave,” came his gruff voice, with a cough. “My grandson is in Moscow, and he doesn’t give a fuck about his dying grandfather who’s contracted fucking STD from that old ho, Ulyan. He doesn’t care if I kick the bucket right now. But when there’s talk about inheritance, even the Yezhovs in the grave would have their ears up.”
With a sigh, I rubbed the spot between my eyes and walked to the elevator, Arlo beside me. He pressed the call button, and we got in when the doors opened.
“Grandpa....”
The doors closed, and Arlo leaned against the wall, busying himself with his phone.
“Egor.”
“You’re not dying, and you don’t have STDs. Does Ania know about Ulyan?”
He coughed again, and I heard the clink of a glass and liquid pouring. Knowing my grandfather, he was probably on his second glass of vodka. “Well, Icouldbe, and you would never know. And no, Ania has no idea. It should stay that way. When are you coming to visit?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“So, no visit then?”
“It’s…uncertain.”
“Ah.” He cleared his throat, and I could almost see his eyes crinkling with amusement as his old fingers gripped the crystal bottle. “We’re playing that card now, aren’t we?”
“The DFA, Grandpa. I planned to meet you at the upcoming fundraiser.”
I could hide or avoid the man, but not for long. Not when the annual Dreams for All event was approaching. It was almost tradition to have the Yezhovs attend—at least, what was left of us. It was important for the business to keep our faces shining in society, a subtle reminder of who the boss was. Marking absent was not an option. The consequences were dire.
The old man grumbled under his breath, “Suit yourself, then. Always trying to prove you’re a grown man, and I keep wondering how you can do that when you’ve got almost nothing to show for it. With that said, let’s talk about Darya, shall we?”
I gritted my teeth and clenched my jaw. The elevator dinged, and we stepped into the quiet hallway leading to the main room.
