Page 137 of The Enemy Protector
“When the job was done.”
“The job being my wife’s murder.”
He nods, the tears streaming down his face.
“What was the plan?”
“I was supposed to create the blind spot. Make sure the window was unlocked. Stay out of the way during my patrol. He had a guy. Professional. Said it would be quick. Clean. No witnesses.”
“Except you.”
“I was supposed to disappear after. New identity. New life.”
I almost laugh. “You really believed Yuri would let you live? After you betrayed me?”
The realization hits him. I see it in his eyes. He was always going to die. Yuri would have killed him the moment the job was done.
“How long?” I ask.
“What?”
“How long have you been on his payroll?”
“Two weeks. Since he approached me at my daughter’s school.” His voice breaks. “He said he’d hurt her if I didn’t help.”
I set the pliers down. “You should have come to me.”
“I was scared.”
“You should have been more scared of me than him.” I move back to the table. Pick up something else.
I turn back to him. “You betrayed me. You put my wife in danger. You let a killer into my home.”
I take my time. It's not something I do for performance. There's no one to perform for except Kirill, who has seen this before and doesn't need the theater.
Maybe a little for Nelson. I want him to know what happens if he fails in his duties.
“Can I?” Nelson says when Petrov stops screaming.
“Can you?” I ask.
That’s when I realize Nelson stayed because he’s furious. Pissed that someone hurt the woman he’s been tasked with keeping alive for over a year.
“As long as you understand she’s my wife and any man that puts a finger on her will lose that finger. And the hand. Then the arm. In that order.”
Nelson picks up the blade from the tray.
“She’s like my sister,” Nelson says, sliding his finger over the blade. “My family.”
I believe him. “Handle it.”
“No!” Petrov screams again. “I’ll never betray you again.”
“I don’t need a man that can’t use a weapon,” I reply, reaching for the package of wet wipes. I wipe my hands and toss it in the trash. “You don’t have any fingers, Petrov. Useless.”
He’s sobbing when I walk out of the room.
Kirill falls in step beside me. “Now what?”
