Page 80 of Silent Ties

Olga’s presence isn’t missed. I sent Russ a list of trusted candidates. She hired the first person she interviewed. I knew she was being too easy, but that’s her personality. Easygoing when she’s comfortable.

She gets along with Jane. The woman arrives a couple of hours after I leave, cleans, and prepares food. Russ plans the meals and finalizes the grocery list.

Jane knows her place. She doesn’t spy and works with Russ to maintain the house. They get along, meaning Russ isn’t constantly grated by her presence. And she leaves in the early evening, rather than waiting for me to get home.

Russ is in bed when I push back the duvet.

“Who is that?” I ask, annoyed.

“Huh?” She doesn’t look up from her phone.

“That better not be who I think it is.”

Elijah’s still a wanker, smirking every time he asks how my wife is doing.

I did get revenge, though. Apparently one day he showed up with a dog.

“He doesn’t even have a dog,” I told Russet.

She bit her lip. “I think he borrowed it from the downstairs neighbor.”

I have no need to figure out how he managed to pull that off. But last week we dropped in at his loft. The moment he opened the door, a giant brown and black fluff ball rammed into him.

“What the fuck is this?” Hair floated in the air.

“He’s a Bernese mountain dog,” Russet said fondly, petting the puppy.

Elijah sighed. “Why’s he in my apartment?”

“He’s yours brother.” I patted his shoulder, smiling. “Since we know you’re so fond of dogs.”

I’m not pressed to admit it, but adopting a dog isn’t a bad date to have. Especially when you give it to your shit-stirring older brother.

The only hitch is he continues to send Russet photos of the dog. Hearts practically float from her eyes when she gets a new one.

And he’s not the only bane of my existence.

Roma decided if Elijah gets to be friends with Russet than so will he. They’re constantly texting, and worse, Russ laughs it off when I ask her to block him.

“Look at this cat’s toe beans.”

I have no idea what that means but she’s smiling when she shows me a picture of a cat’s paw.

Roma’s love for animal pictures and memes calls for an intervention. Russet eats it up every time, shooting him back videos of zoo animals and a famous baby hippo.

Her phone lights up again, Elijah’s name flashing.

I lift my torso off the pillows. “I told you to block him.”

She keeps her phone out of my reach, rolling over.

“Why are you texting him?” I growl, pulling her back to my chest.

“Relax, it’s our group chat.”

“Your what?” Since when is she in a group chat with my two brothers? Why the fuck am I not included?

She taps away at the phone.