Page 73 of Velvet Chains
Sorry I wasn’t able to fly back with you…
I scowl at the screen. What the fuck am I apologizing for? I hit delete again, my frustration mounting.
Chert. Why is this so fucking hard!
Don’t wait up, won’t make it home tonight. Got things to handle.
I hit send before I can second-guess myself, then stare at the screen, waiting for her response. The minutes tick by, the “read” receipt mocking me with each passing second.
She’s leaving me on read? What the fuck?
Hell, it’s not like I need to tell her not to wait up.
I see the typing bubble appear, three little dots that have my heart racing. But then they disappear and still no response.
And now she’s offline.
“Urg!” I grunt, tossing my phone onto the table.
The door to the dingy back room swings open, and Misha strolls in, his eyebrows raised. “Everything alright, boss?
I scowl, running a hand through my hair. “Fine. Just fucking peachy.”
Misha reaches into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and his trusty knife. He flips the blade open, the metal glinting in the dim light of the warehouse office. The room is sparse, just a few metal chairs and a battered desk, but it serves its purpose.
He takes a seat, the chair creaking under his weight. “Is this about your ladylove?” he asks, a smirk tugging at his lips.
I glare at him, my jaw clenching. “She’s not my fucking ladylove.”
I find myself reaching for my phone again, my thoughts drifting back to Laura. I wonder what she’s doing, if she’s thinking about me the way I can’t seem to stop thinking about her.
Yob tvoyu mat’, stop it.
Misha chuckles, lighting up a cigarette. “Could’ve fooled me, boss. You’ve been checking your phone every five seconds like a lovesick puppy.”
I’m about to retort when Ksenia strides in, her heels tapping against the concrete floor. “If you two are done gossiping like schoolgirls, don’t waste my time.”
I lean back in my chair, grateful for the change in topic. “How’s the old man?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
Ksenia sighs, running a hand through her hair. “Not dead, but he’s been acting weird.”
I frown. “Weird how?”
“Like he’s a real grandfather all of a sudden,” she says. “He’s been spending a lot of time with Eli, teaching her chess and telling her stories about the old days.”
I mull that over, a strange feeling settling in my chest.
“The old man’s going soft,” I sneer.
Misha clears his throat, bringing me back to the topic at hand. “Speaking of soft,” he says, his tone turning serious. “Dave’s still in the freezer, naked as the day he was born.”
I nod, my mind already racing with the possibilities. “Good. Let him stew for a bit longer. I want him to understand the pain, to feel it in his bones.”
Ksenia arches a brow. “And then what? You’re just going to let him go?”
I scoff. “Fuck no. But I want him broken before I end him. I want him to spill every last secret he has, to give up every person he’s ever worked with.”
Misha grins, a manic twist of his lips that promises violence. “And then we’ll make an example of him. Show everyone what happens when you cross the Bratva.”
