Page 83 of Silent Ties

He’s a mercenary. A triggerman. Even before I married people began whispering his name.

“I haven’t heard anything,” I answer honestly.

Gloria’s beady eyes harden.

“If the Zimin’s hired him I wouldn’t know.” It’s a truth told in the hopes it’ll placate her. But it feels wrong to divulge even the smallest of tidbits.

“He’s taking out suppliers throughout the city and you haven’t heard shit?”

“Max doesn’t talk business in front of me.” Thank God.

In a hard voice, Gloria demands, “Get me the information.”

“No.” I stand up, no longer bothering to cower in front of her.

Gloria cusses under her breath. “You don’t know what you’re doing, girl.”

“You placed me in this position,” I remind her. They placed me beside Max. They shouldn’t be surprised when I begin to act like his wife.

“And Daisy?” she sneers.

“You didn’t keep your word last time. You’ll never keep your word.”

Something crosses her face, but I don’t have time to read it.

“So that’s it? Little Daisy left to fend for herself?”

“Daisy’s debt is paid. Tell Marissa to let her go and thencome back to me.” I issue the challenge, knowing it won’t matter. Marissa is still pissed at Daisy.

Maybe I should ask Max for help.

“Wearing fancy clothes doesn’t make you shit, Russet.”

“Says the woman desperate enough to track me down for intel on a triggerman who calls himself the Ghost.”

I’m sick of the dramatics. I’m sick of Marissa’s scare tactics.

Gloria straightens her spine, her eyes glinting. If she were holding a knife I’d expect the stab. She even goes so far as to lift her hand.

“Yelena Zimin was the last person to slap me.” Her smirk doesn’t last when I press on. “Max told her if it happened again she’d get a bullet in the back of her head. What the fuck do you think he’d do to you?”

I take some liberties with the story, but it works. Gloria backs off, steam coming out of her ears.

“You spread your legs for a guy in a penthouse and suddenly you believe you’re not a whore.”

“I’m Russet Zimin and if you’re done I’d like to see the doctor now.”

We stare at one another, the air thick with tension. Gloria wants to strangle me, but I know her fury is coming from somewhere else. Whatever’s going on with the Ghost, it’s eating at Marissa and her crew.

Gloria leaves without another word.

I don’t collapse back on the examination table. If I do, I might not be able to get back up. I exit the room, not caring to keep up the farce of seeing the doctor.

Sergei walks me to the car and because Pavel is so damn nice he stops at the same coffee shop where I met Gloria right after marrying Max.

It’s not like I can say anything, so I make my way inside.But I don’t process what treats are in the display case as I stand in line to order.

While I wait for my caramel macchiato my eyes wander. We missed the morning rush, and a few of the tables are left worse for wear. A stray newspaper remains on one of them and a picture catches my eye.