Page 26 of Used By the Merciless Bratva
“Yes. Her foster parents. Colleagues at work. Nothing stands out. Why do you ask?”
“See anything about her friend who recently got married?”
“No,” I answered. “A threat?”
“Not at all. She has a close friend. Been friends for years. She got married quite unexpectedly, and they’ve mostly shared correspondence since then. That friend is Marielle,” he explained, a hint of a smile brightening up his face.
“Your wife?” I asked, unable to keep the shock away from my voice.
He nodded.
“She heard me talking to my men about the Kyle Wolfe situation and asked if the daughter I was talking about was Katria. She wanted to meet her immediately, but I explained the risk involved in Katria’s movement before the marriage. Since then, she’s been jumping around the house; she can’t wait to see her on Saturday.”
“She can come see her. I owe her that much.”
“She understands, and she’s okay with spending some time with her after the wedding. And she has nothing against you, I told you. She knows you were looking out for me. It’s not like you accused her or continued treating her with suspicion. On the contrary, you’re one of her least disliked brothers.”
“Least disliked….”
“Oh, she doesn’t always like me, too,” he remarked, smiling.
She did that.
“She could come over before the wedding. As long as they don’t step out of her room, it’s fine. Seeing her friend could make her feel less furious; it might make her less likely to stab me,” I remarked.
“Marielle said she’s a force of nature,” he disclosed.
“Undiluted truth, I tell you,” I uttered, chuckling.
“The circumstances aren’t exactly endearing,” he mentioned, his hand landing on my shoulder in a pat, “for either of you. I’m proud of you, Danil.”
“Been hearing that a lot lately.”
“From who? Your dry cleaner?”
“Matvey.”
“Now, that’s remarkable,” he said, nodding. “Till Saturday, then.”
“Till Saturday,” I repeated as one of his men came out of the warehouse entrance door we stood beside.
I went to my car, and Eduard went into his.
It was just 11 p.m., and he was already heading to his estate—toward his wife. The same person who used to make late nights at work less appealing, as he had said.
As Luka steered the car away from the borders of Eduard’s warehouse, I wondered what it would feel like to rush home to my wife. If that was, by any miracle, possible.
Finding my feet planted back in reality, I asked Luka, “What’s the current situation with the factions snooping around Sivella Holdings?”
“They’re not relenting in their efforts, Boss. Especially the Orsinov faction. They’ve been asking more people about the company and Kat’s location.”
“They have no chance of knowing where she is,” I pointed out.
“Sure, Boss. But if they hold on to any loose ends to tie you to her sudden disappearance, it won’t be long before you figure it out. We’ve gotten rid of all loose ends, but we keep sweeping again to tighten things up,” he explained.
“Good. They can’t know she’s anywhere around me until after the wedding, at least. The Orsinov faction will do anything to have some leverage or power over us,” I told him. “And I don’t need to tell you that no harm can come near Katria. She’s under my protection now.”
“Of course, Boss,” he affirmed, glancing at me through the rear-view mirror with a brief smile.
