Page 17 of Where the Wind Whispers

At this point, it was as good as done.

Stepping off into the small bathroom, Kaz shut the door as they worked out the semantics, stripping his hospital gown off before opening the duffel.

Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself. At least ten pounds lighter, he was paler than usual with heavy bags under his bloodshot and watery eyes—he looked like fucking death. Very carefully, he pulled at the edges of the bandage that covered his throat, gradually removing the thing to reveal the bruised and stitched together flesh beneath.

The wound looked worse with the purpling bruises and stitches, but the cut was rather clean—whatever sharpened blade Vasily had used had split open his skin without hindrance. Once it healed, it would scar, Kaz knew, but it wouldn’t be nearly as grisly as others he had seen.

Dressing fairly quickly, he was back in the room in no time, feeling moderately better and more like himself. The good doctor was just finishing his prescriptions for antibiotics and painkillers when Alfie returned, this time without Vera.

One look in his direction told him the man had something to share, but wouldn’t—not in present company.

With the doctor handing over his orders, then making his leave, Kaz looked at Rus. “Take Violet home.”

Violet, who hadn’t spoken much, didn’t look pleased by this. “Kaz, you’re not—”

“Business, Violet,” he said, knowing she would get his meaning. “I can’t stay in here forever.”

He would be a sitting target. Like she said, if her father had been able to get in here while Rus’ men were on the lookout around the hospital, he didn’t doubt for a second that Vasily would try.

It was time to go.

“Seems we have a lot to discuss, you and me,” Alfie said as Kaz eased himself into the backseat next to him. “When I agreed to do business with you, right, I thought I was picking the winning side. Was I wrong?”

That was the thing about men like Alfie—even men like Kaz. They only cared about the bottom line, their bottom line. He couldn’t blame the man, not when he was only now recovering from the attempt on his life.

Alfie’s business didn’t stop just because Kaz was in the hospital, and if a few of their mutual interests were hurting because of Kaz’s mistakes, then he was cutting into the man’s profits.

It just wasn’t good business.

“Minor setback,” Kaz said as he shifted in his seat. Even the feel of the seat belt crossing over his chest felt painful. “I’m taking care of it.”

“Taking care of it? Mate, you’ve been on your back for weeks now as that wanker has roamed free, and for what? Because you were indulging the bird you’ve shackled yourself to?”

Kaz frowned. He might not have been up for a physical battle with Alfie, but he wasn’t going to let him disrespect Violet.

“Oh, look at that—round the fucking bend you’ve gone. I don’t see how you get any business done with the way you fuck off into a rage anytime someone mentions your missus. What kind of business are you running, eh? You’ll be dead within the month with the way you’re going.” Alfie shook his head, running a hand over the slight beard he was growing. “Never mind the target on you, mate. You’ve created targets on all your loved ones too. How long, yeah, will it take before someone else realizes that the only thing they need to do to get you to make a reckless fucking decision is to put a hit out on your missus? How long?”

“Don’t you think I fucking know that, Alfie?”

He knew, but he had never wanted to admit that fact to himself. He couldn’t think straight when it came to Violet, and while that was good for them, it was now bleeding into the part of his life he wanted to keep her away from.

“I knew a man once,” Alfie went on as though Kaz hadn’t spoken. “Got bit by a spider or something like that—who gives a fuck? This spider, right, its venom started disintegrating the flesh of his hand to the point that it was a fucking ghastly sight. Now, stupid man that he was, he wanted to keep his hand—thought he could suck the venom out, but it was too late for that. He had two choices—cut off his fucking hand to save the rest of ‘em or die trying to stay whole. Which choice do you think he made?”

Kaz understood quite well what Alfie was really asking him. “It isn’t that simple, Alfie. I can’t just cut Violet off.”

Not now.

Not ever.

And definitely not when he knew she was carrying his child.

“The way I see it, mate, your focus is split three ways. Vasily. Violet. Alberto. That obviously hasn’t been working, or we wouldn’t be here now, yeah? As I see it, you need to say fuck it to two of the above and focus on the biggest threat.”

And the biggest threat was Vasily.

Truth be told, Alberto was more focused on Violet since he had left the wrangling of Kaz to his father. Which reminded him of what she had told him of her father’s visit. Even after all of this time, he wanted her to come home.

“Vasily,” Kaz interjected before Alfie could continue. “I need to finish what I started. Besides, Alberto won’t make a move against me if Violet is doing what he wants.”