Page 45 of Surprise Bratva Daddy
I let out a sigh of relief, even though I know Zane is disappointed by the news. It feels a bit selfish to be happy that Zane was denied the kill, but also, it might be a little selfish for him to be seeking it out. Maksim ending up behind bars again is a great thing for our future. It means that we can move on without having to experience anymore danger.
“You know, I think it’s better this way,” I say, stepping up to Zane and placing my hand on his shoulder.
“Better what way?” he asks with a furrowed brow.
“That Maksim is in jail,” I say, studying his confused expression. Why is he looking at me like that? Did he just tell me that Maksim was arrested?
Zane sighs, shaking his head as he picks up his coffee. He takes a sip. “He was arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm on a public street. Nothing more. He’ll be out on bail within forty-eight hours. We know where he is, and we’re prepared to take him out the moment he walks.”
My stomach sinks, and my legs feel weak. I knew there was a possibility of something like this happening, but knowing that it’s going to go down in less than two days makes me feel like throwing up. It’s not the morning sickness this time. It’s downright visceral fear.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say, looking into his deep blue eyes.
“And I won’t be,” he replies, putting his hand on my waist. “There’s too much at stake now for me to be directly involved in the hit. I’m going to put Kiro in charge of it and pray that nothing goes wrong. I just want you to understand and appreciate that I’m doing this for you.”
His words bring me comfort, but there is still the nagging worry in the back of my mind. Even if Kiro does kill Maksim, there will be more. There will always be more, and it will be like this until the day that Zane dies. He said it's a game of retaliation, and I believe that. It's all back and forth. Someone is going to be angry that he had Maksim killed and come after us.
Zane seems to read my mind because he places a hand on my cheek and runs his thumb over my skin gently. "Hey, look at me," he says softly. "Nothing bad is going to come from this. I can promise you that."
"How?" I ask, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"I'm going to hire an army. I'll have guards posted outside the house day and night. I'm going to keep you safe, Monroe. Maksim hasn't had time to build any reliable allies, so there's not much of a chance of retaliation. If the hit goes well, and I know it will because Kiro can handle it, then it's smooth sailing from here on out."
I hug him, burying my face in his chest. "Thank you, baby. I'm scared, but I know you'll do the right thing."
30
Zane
The most powerful feeling in the world is being able to call a hit on your worst enemy while playing minigolf in the backyard with your soon-to-be fiancée. We’re still at the safehouse, but this place is a lot more fun than the estate. It’s made to be entertaining for prolonged periods of time, when you’re forced to lay low and wait out conflicts.
At first, I really wanted to be a part of the hit. For half my life, I’ve been at odds with Maksim, and it felt anticlimactic to have someone else pull the trigger on him.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had graduated to a hire level of Bratva boss, with a wife and a child on the way, and more money in the bank than I could ever possibly spend. Why would I risk it all just to have the cheap thrill of killing someone?
It took a little bit of time and a lot of reflecting to come to that conclusion, and I might have acted like I already was ready to give up the kill in front of Monroe, but now it’s the truth. I’d rather be here with her, hitting a silly little white ball around the yard while Kiro and my men sit in a truck outside of the county jail, waiting for Maksim to be released.
Someone was supposed to pick him up, but without him there to call the shots, his weakly organized group isn’t terribly effective. In fact, we were able to intercept them and prevent them from reaching the jail in the first place. That’s how we knew that Maksim would soon be released.
Now, as I tap a golf ball into the hole at the end of a particularly difficult section of the course, the phone in my pocket buzzes.
I reach my hand into the pocket of my linen pants, pushing aside another little object that I have saved for the perfect time, and I pull out my phone. Kiro is calling me, and I know exactly why.
I answer the phone, putting it on speaker so that Monroe can hear.
"We have eyes on the target, sir," Kiro says, his voice clear and confident.
Monroe looks at me with wide eyes, her hands clutching the hem of her pink cotton dress. I wink at her, assuring her that everything is going to be okay. She's right here with me, and Kiro is miles away. We're getting all the action through the phone with none of the actual risk. All I have to do is give permission, and Maksim finally drops.
"Do it," I say, gripping the phone a little tighter.
"Affirmative," Kiro replies, and then the crack of a single shot rings out. I hear it echoing in the confines of the city, the deafening sound bouncing off brick buildings long after the bullet hits its target. It sounds so much real than bullets do in the movies, so much louder and less refined.
As the sound fades, it's replaced by dead silence. For a moment, my heart stops, but then I hear Kiro's voice come through again, loud and clear. "It's done, sir. One straight into the head, and we'd better get out of here before the police come."
Monroe puts a hand on her stomach and sighs. It's clear that she's relieved, and I understand her completely. I'm also relieved, more than I can express with words. I take her hand, squeezing it and smiling wildly. "Get going. We'll meet at my estate later. I have one more thing I need to do before leaving the safehouse."
"Affirmative, sir," Kiro says, and I can hear the pride in his voice.
