Page 38 of Bloody Savage God
I nod, feeling frustration bubble up inside of me. Because I was set up to start this conflict and I’d run into the trap like a headless chicken.
“Except I already made a move.”
That confession has Mia putting the rest of her cinnamon roll down on the counter. “You made a move against the Russians?”
“Well, against Mikhail, more specifically, though I figure his father won’t see the difference.”
“Yeah,” Mia agrees. “Adrik Tsepov isn’t known for his forgiveness.” Sarcasm drips from her words, making my frustration grow.
Her brown eyes meet mine. “How can I help?”
Chapter Thirteen
Gianna
“Youdidwhat?”Mia’svoice has a slight hysteric pitch to it that I can’t really blame her for.
“I kidnapped him, tortured him, realized who he is, fucked him, and now he’s tied up in the basement.” I summarize.
“Which is where you keep your sex dungeon?” Mia asks, trying to keep her expression neutral and failing royally.
“Precisely.”
“And now you need me to help you figure out a way to keep Mikhail from telling his father what you did to him so you can focus on weeding out whoactuallykilled your father while simultaneously trying to avoid getting yourself offed in the process.”
I nod. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” The admission hurts slightly. I’ve been running a successful business for years and also navigated the many differentsoldatithat operate our games and businesses in Toronto. Still, I need someone with a clear head to tell me if I’m overlooking anything.
It’s like I’m in free-fall without a safety net somehow. Like a little girl.
Like the useless woman my uncle thinks I am.
“Can’t you just blackmail him with the whole masochist thing?” Mia asks.
“That was my plan, but the problem is, there are no witnesses. At least none that the Russians would care about. He wore a mask at the club and it’s not like anyone knows what went down after I took him. So it’s a mine against his word situation.” I ponder the option. “Of course, the threat might work anyway. Male egos are fragile, but he’s not an idiot. Perhaps it’s enough that he won’t gain anything in a war between our families. It’ll just add a shit ton of problems to his plate.”
“And you fucked his brains out, so he might just be in the mood to do you a favor,” Mia adds helpfully, a sly grin on her lips.
“And that,” I agree, giving in to some of her amusement despite the weight on my chest.
“All right, I mean it’s that or killing him and making the body disappear.” Mia’s assessment of the situation matches mine completely, but I’m surprised to hear her say it so casually. So matter-of-fact.
“Killing him would be my other option, yes. It would take the risk of him talking out of the equation, but it would also mean hell would rain down on me if Adrik Tsepov ever finds out.”
“There are ways to ensure he wouldn’t link it to you.” Now my bestie’s face is hard, and I know she’s speaking from experience. There was a reason we felt compelled towards each other when we met, and this is probably it.
“I’ve considered getting rid of his body, but there is something else.”
Mia looks at me expectantly, but something is holding me back from saying out loud what I’m thinking. Eric knows Mikhail was here. He would know I’m responsible if the Bratva heir disappears, and if there is any chance that he may not be as loyal as I think he is, I’d be screwed because once word would reach Mikhail’s father, even if it’s just rumors, he’d start a never ending witch hunt and go after me with a ferocity I can’t afford right now.
I shrug. “There is another complication that I don’t want to risk.”
Mia gives me a sideways look, but she doesn’t press, which is a huge show of trust that I never expected her to show.
“Okay, so setting him free like a birdie it is. Do you want to do it right now, or do you want to go over the stuff with your family first?”
“He probably shouldn’t see your face.” No point in roping Mia into this whole mess even further than I already did, but Mia just shrugs.
“I doubt my family can get in any deeper shit with the Russians than we already are.” Her tone suggests she doesn’t care, but the tightening of the muscles in her cheeks tell me otherwise.
