Page 84 of Bride of Vengeance

"That's cheating," she murmurs.

"I would rather call it strategy." My phone buzzes. Boris again. "Yes?"

"Problem. Rodriguez is sniffing around. He already knows about Mariana’s meeting with Harrison and about tomorrow night."

"How?"

"Unknown. But he's for sure going to interfere. We need to act on him now."

I look at Mariana. "Your partner is becoming a liability."

She takes the phone. "Boris? It's Mariana. Don't hurt him."

"Mrs. Kozlov, he's compromising the operation—"

"I know. But there has to be another way. Do what you can to redirect him, give him false information, retain him."

"I’ll do it. But if he still shows up tomorrow—"

"I'll handle it."

She hangs up and immediately starts dialing.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Rodriguez. He needs to hear from me that I'm okay."

"That's dangerous—"

"It's necessary."

Rodriguez answers on the first ring. "Mariana? Jesus Christ, where are you?!"

"I'm safe, Rodriguez."

"Safe? You were in the building and you left alone, without protection, without telling me! Why did you come back with that criminal? Why didn't you tell me?—"

"It's part of the deal. I have to stay with him.”

“He is a killer! If he finds out, he is going to kill you!”

“No, he won’t. He saved my life. Multiple times. He wants me, and that makes him trust me."

"He's manipulating you. Stockholm syndrome, it's textbook—"

"Daniel." Using his first name stops him. "I need you to listen. Really listen. Tomorrow night, stay away from the Riverside warehouse."

Silence. Then: "How did you know I—"

"Because I know you. You're predictable when you're being protective."

"Mariana, whatever he's planning—"

"Harrison's planning it, not Mikhail."

"What are you talking about? Harrison's trying to save you!"

"Harrison's trying to use me. There are things you don't know, corruption that goes all the way to the top."