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Yasha sighs and leans back against the wall. “That’s a bad attempt at a lie. But you’re a good man, Ivan.”
I hear Cora’s voice.You are a good man, Ivan Pushkin.
“Why the hell does everyone keep saying that?” I mutter.
“But,” Yasha continues as if I hadn’t spoken, “you’re a good man who has too much weight on his shoulders. It turns you into an asshole.”
I snort in surprise. “Thanks, Yasha. How uplifting. I feel so much better.”
“You would feel better if you let yourself enjoy the pleasures of life every now and again. I mean, fuck,” he says, “it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you took a weekend off every once in a while to pile-drive some woman into the sheets. A random woman…or Cora…” I shoot him a warning glare and he holds up his hands. “I’m just saying, it wouldn’t kill you to have some fun.”
That’s all I was doing the night I met Cora.Having a little fun.I was trying to distract myself from the reality that I was going to have to marry a woman I could barely stand.
Funmight be the death of me. Ofallof us.
“Tell that to the man who held a gun to my head last night. Having a little fun almost got me killed.”
“I would, if he wasn’t already dead,” Yasha deadpans. “Or if I had any clue who the fuck he is.”
I snap my gaze to him. “You found something?”
“Yes. Er—no. It depends how you look at it. The man has no connection at all to the Sokolov Bratva.”
I frown. “That’s not possible.”
“He’s never even taken a stroll past their headquarters, as far as I could tell. Nothing.” Yasha shakes his head like he can’t believe it, either. “I was positive there would be something, but this guy came out of nowhere.”
After overhearing the two Sokolov guards talking at the restaurant, Yasha and I both assumed the Sokolovs were behind the attacks. It would make sense—my connection to Katerina and the fallout of our engagement. Plus, Konstantin made it clear at my party that he would still love for me to marry one of his pre-teen daughters. The sick fuck.
“The Sokolovs have the clearest motive.”
“Spoken as someone who wasn’t running interference between you and all the women at your party,” Yasha says with raised brows. “When you pulled Stefanos off of Cora and then followed her upstairs, I thought there would be a riot. Whether they saw it firsthand or not, people were whispering about Cora all night.”
Shit.
“I thought we were discreet.”
“You were the belle of the ball. There is no way to be discreet when all eyes are on you.”
That whole night, all I could think about was how much I didn’t want to be there. How much I didn’t want to get married to a woman my father chose. How much I wanted to be anywhere but that party.
And then Cora was there.
I drag a hand down my face. “It could be anyone from the party who saw Cora and I together. Someone who felt like I brushed them off, someone who wanted more time with me and didn’t get it.”
“Exactly. I’m thinking we conduct some unannounced drop-ins on our allies and see if anyone has heard anything.”
“Yes,” I agree. “Waiting for someone to attack Cora again so we can question them isn’t a plan. Fuck what my father says—she isn’t bait.”
Yasha wisely keeps his comments to himself. But I notice his mouth twitch into a smile. “Who should we visit first?”
“Let’s start on the outside and work our way in—someone who has a leg in both worlds. I want to talk to Rooster and Legs. Tonight.”
Now, Yasha can’t help himself. He grins. “You want to drop in on the owners of The Coop, tonight of all nights? How surprising. I can’t imagine why.”
I ignore him. “I want you to oversee security at The Coop. That way, you can be close if I find anything. Otherwise, I want your eyes on Cora the entire time.”
“Sure. Either my eyes or your eyes will be on Cora at all times tonight. I’ll make sure of it.”
