Page 91 of Bound Bride
"I want Maxim brought to the house," I say to Ethan an hour later as we finally leave the club. "Send people to pick him up. No excuses."
"On it," Ethan replies. "This is fucked."
"Beyond fucked," I agree as we reach the car. "Rose's sister?" I pause, one hand on the roof. "Something really fucking weird is going on."
"Do you want Mathew as well?"
Mathew. The ever-present brother. "No. I just want Maxim. If anyone knows what is going on, it should be him."
"Alright—shit, hold on." Ethan suddenly lifts his phone to his ear and starts grunting as he listens to whoever is rapidly talking his ear off. "You've got to be kidding me. We'll be right there."
My stomach tightens once more and I groan, contemplating where I last left my antacids. "What is it?"
"General Zangier." Ethan stares at me over the roof of the car. "That tail we put on him? Just stopped him from boarding a plane to Cuba."
"Cuba? Why the fuck was he running?"
"Wanna go find out?"
I should, but getting home to help Rose with her sister is also a priority.
God knows what happened to that poor girl to end up in that state.
Normally, I wouldn't care.
Thousands of people enter that kind of state every day, and I make money off of it, but Beatie is important to Rose.
I've seen that in her eyes every single time she's talked about her.
I eye Ethan and squint. “You need to go and rest.”
“Fuck that,” Ethan snorts. “I’m fine. I’m drugged up. I’m stitched up. I’m fine, boss.”
"Fuck. I need to get home but… okay, we'll deal with Zangier first. That cunt was running, and I want to know why."
Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at the hotel where Ethan's team escorted a furious General Zangier.
His yells carry down the hall as we stride toward the door leading into the small side room, where the general paces between green chairs and an overturned table.
Pacing that stops the moment he sees me.
"Konstantin."
"I have very little time to stand here and listen to whatever excuse you have been building since you were dragged off that plane, so I will ask you one time and I want you to tell me the truth."
"Boss—" He starts to speak but shrinks back as I slowly stalk forward.
"I know you lied about Rose and Calvin. I know you attacked them and set them up. I know you tried to kiss mywife, not as some cover or test, but because you are a fucking scumbag!" Every word forces itself past my clenched teeth, laced in fury and hatred as I stalk toward him. "Tell me why."
"What? Are you crazy? I come to you with information and you believe… you believe some asshole—who wasn't even born in Russia, I might add. I'm trying to protect you, Konstantin. Unlike all the other snakes around you, I am trying to protect you!"
I give him one chance and he lies.
My fist slams into the side of his head and he stumbles back with a grunt, tripping over the leg of one of those chairs and falling to the ground.
I haul him back up with one hand firmly planted in his shirt and punch him again.
And again.
