Page 101 of Silent Ties

“Well maybe that’s his fucking problem,” Isolde replies.

No wonder this girl gets along with Ren. There are not many who speak to a Zimin like that.

“How about you explain who the fuck he is,” I suggest.

She speaks slowly like I’m dumb. “The father of Daisy Montgomery’s baby.”

I’m annoyed at how little I know about Daisy. She’s an open secret between us, but my wife continues to stay tight-lipped. “Okay?”

Light-colored eyebrows lift. “Hardin Davison belongs to Marissa.”

Marissa keeps a lot of people. She’s worse than a jailer in Rikers with the way she polices her territory.

But Isolde means something else. “They’ve been fucking for years.”

I glance toward Dima. His face remains blank, but his lips press tightly together, working it out.

Everyone is acting like Daisy committed war crimes, but in reality. . .

“Are you saying all of this, her debt, Russet trying to help, it’s cause she got knocked up by Marissa’s side piece?”

Isolde makes a face. “Marissa don’t act like he’s her side piece. Not that she has a heart, but you know.”

“She’s jealous.” A bitter laugh bursts from my chest. “So what, she gets knocked up by Davison and Marissa makes her life hell?”

“Look all we could figure out was Marissa is pissed at this Daisy because she fucked around with her guy. Told Daisy she owed her retribution. That’s where your girl stepped in, and tried to help her out. Now, as far as I’m aware—”she holds up her hands and starts to walk backward—“that’s all Ren’s got for you.”

In other words, I can fuck off now.

She ambles away, unhurried and unbotheredat turning her back to Dmitri Zimin. His beanie-clad head rocks back and forth as he contemplates the situation.

“Who the fuck is she?” I ask.

“Triggerman,” he replies. “And a fucking good one.”

And now I know why he respects her.

“What is all this bullshit?”

Dima pulls out a cigarette. “Marissa’s always been a vengeful little shit.”

“That’s also how you describe Elijah.” Which isn’t an inaccurate statement. “But all of this, what the fuck is the endgame?”

“Well, see that’s Marissa’s problem. She’s not focused enough on the endgame.”

“She almost took over the harbor operations,” I remind.

Dima takes a drag. “And then she started all these little games. The thing about her is there are sparks of good ideas, but they don’t ever get pulled off.”

“She took out her own husband.”

“She’s lost a chunk of her suppliers to this Ghost,” Dima reminds. “She starts the game but never finishes it.”

“And what about this game?” Why not just kill the cheating bastard like she did with her husband?

Dima takes another leisurely drag of tobacco. “Your grandfather had a saying. It’s okay to be vindictive so long as it’s good for business.”

“This the same guy who blew up five people’s heads in one go?”