Page 131 of Only Fools Rush

“What if he just goes after Fallon instead?”

I snickered. “Fallon would rip him to pieces.”

He huffed a laugh. “Fine.” He extended his hand. “I’ll repay you.”

I took it. “Help me take Max down, and we’ll be even.”

Ryu placed his chin on top of my head. “Or pay us in loads of cash. That would be fine, too. Assuming, of course, you still have some left.”

“Fucker.” Konstantin grinned.

38

LEONA

Ifollowed after Zoya while Ryu and Obi discussed the drug stuff with Konstantin—sniffing out the rest of the Alacrán Cartel, wherever they were hiding, cleaning up the dirty supply. They could handle that, but I wanted to talk more with Zoya, especially before taking her to Fallon.

“Everything okay?” I peeked inside the bedroom I assumed was hers. She had a bag open on her bed, stuffing clothes inside.

Looking over her shoulder, she rolled her eyes. “Just fine. Packing a bag since I’m getting shipped off to strangers.”

I stepped inside, clicked the door shut behind me, and sighed. “I know this is difficult.”

“You don’t know me.”

I shrugged. “Well, kinda. Not really, but kinda.”

Zoya’s eyebrows knit together as she stared at me, like she was trying to place how she recognized me.

“I’m Leona Vero,” I told her. “We met once a long time ago.”

“I think I remember.” Her fingers moved across the fabric of the shirt she held. “Before my father died.”

“Before my father died, too.”

She eyed me for another few seconds before she stuffed the shirt in the bag. “So, what, you’re supposed to be like this badass rival of my brother’s?”

I snorted. “Maybe one day badass, but hopefully never rivals. I like your brother, and so do my men. I think we could be good partners to each other.”

She stalked from the bed over to a large vanity table, where she snagged a scrunchie she used to tie up her hair. She watched me in the mirror. “Are you Ryuji’s girlfriend?”

“Kind of.” I bit back a smile but wondered about the answer all the same.WasI Ryu’s girlfriend? Were they all my boyfriends? They basically were, but what did Ryu think about that? Girlfriend or fuck buddy? “Do you know Ryuji well?”

She shrugged, but a little pink colored her cheeks as she gathered makeup and products from the vanity, stuffing them into their own travel bag. “He’s been around our family since I was a little girl.”

Well, shit. Zoya had a crush on my boyfriend.

“Has he always been insufferable?” I teased.

She laughed. “Pretty much. He used to drive my father crazy. But he loved Ryu like a son. Ryu visited us often in Russia before we officially moved here.”

“When did your father die?”

“About five years ago,” she replied, taking the makeup bag, and tossing it to her bed. He’d died relatively young then, leaving the family to Konstantin. No wonder he was so protective of Zoya.

“I’m sorry.”

“What about yours?”