THE FIXER

I want to kill him for saying her name.

I hold up a finger. “Don’t ever say that name to me again.”

Ravil plops down next to me. “Just one more time.”

My head seriously feels like it’s been split in half with a hatchet.

“Pavel is sitting on Sasha and Galina. What do you want to do with them?”

My lip lifts in a snarl at hearing her name again. My stomach lurches. What do I want to do with her? My first thought is to put them both in a tower on a remote island where they can never trick another man.

It could be a luxurious tower. Somehow, despite my pain, I still want her to be comfortable.

And safe.

Because on a remote island, all the sharks who want that money wouldn’t be able to find them.

But that isn’t my problem now. I honored Igor with my promise, and now his daughter is dead.

By her own choice. My obligation to protect her is over.

Why, then, do I still feel the urge?

I scrub a hand over my face. The stubble on my jaw scratches my palm. “Let them go. Tell them to never show themselves again to any of us. The responsibility for their actions is theirs alone. I wash my hands of it.” I meet Ravil’s gaze for the first time. “You should, too.”

He nods. “If that’s what you want.”

“It is.”

“I’ll call Pavel. What do you want me to tell Moscow?”

“Tell them… ” I rub my forehead. “Tell them Sasha’s dead.” I shrug. I have to protect her that much. They will probably still hunt down Galina, but this way if Sasha separates from her mother, she might live. “Don’t tell them we know any differently.”

“All right.” Ravil stands. “We cleaned the mess at the hotel.”

I stand, feeling like I weigh a million pounds. “Thanks.”

I stagger into my room. Being in the space I shared with Sasha hits me like a semi-truck. I want to throw everything she owned out the window. Instead, I grit my teeth and pack her shit up-as much as I can fit in the two suitcases she came here with, and then I toss them out of my room.

Nikolai, Dima and Oleg stare at me. “Will one of you bring those to her?” I mutter.

Nikolai’s brows lift. He must still be feeling sorry for me because he stands right up. “Yeah. I’ll bring them now. Clear this shit out of here.”

“Thanks.” I stomp back into my room and get in the shower.

That’s the end of it.

I’m over her now.

I’m over all women.

I will never, ever trust a single word that comes out of a woman’s mouth again.

Sasha

WE’RE NOT at the type of hotel with food service, but Pavel orders delivery of donuts and coffee. I think they’re mostly for himself, but he got a half dozen, and after eating, he tosses the bag onto the bed where my mother and I are still huddled.

He didn’t sleep in the bed. I’m not sure he slept at all, but he doesn’t look tired. He looks exactly the same. Indifferent. Casual. Lethal. So jaded for a man so young.

We spent the morning in silence. I’m too afraid to appeal to him again, like I’m afraid of using up my only chance to fix this.

Is it even fixable?

The dread in my gut tells me no, but I can’t accept that.

Pavel’s phone rings, and he answers it. “Yeah. Got it.” He stands. “Nikolai is bringing your shit, and I’m leaving. You’re on your own. Maxim says you can stay dead and keep your fortune, as long as neither of you ever show your faces to anyone in this cell again. Got it?”

I stand up. “No.”

He cocks his head, disbelief and scorn mingling on his expression. “No?”

Now that I know they don’t intend to kill my mother, I can finally move. Can finally function and make a choice. “I need to see Maxim and explain things. I don’t want to stay dead. I want to go back.”

“Sasha!” my mother barks. “What are you doing?” She also climbs off the bed, walking around behind me.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has made me believe she’s done everything for me. That she and I were on the same team, conspiring against the outside world. Against the men. Growing up, she made sure we were well taken care of, and she also made sure I knew it was through her efforts.

She showed me all her tricks. Explained why she needed me to be a good little girl and wait in my room while she seduced my father again and again, night after night. When I was older, why I should stop asking him to let me go to America for college. Why I needed to act more like her.

For whatever reason, I rebelled against my father, but I never rebelled against her. I guess she made it seem like she and I were in the same boat.

Now, for the first time in my life I take a stand against her. “It was my money, Mama.” The words sound awful to my ears, and my mother recoils, but it’s the truth. My father didn’t trust me with my inheritance, so he gave it to Maxim. Now my mother’s taken it from me.

And if I had to choose between being controlled by Maxim or my mom… I’d take Maxim any day.

“You told me Maxim and Ravil wanted to steal it, but you were the one who wanted to take it from me.”

My mother slaps me across the face, hard.

My eyes smart, and Maxim’s words come back to me, like a horrible taunt-a bitter reminder of what I’ve lost.

No one will ever slap your face again-this I promise you. Not if they want to live.