Sonata (Butcher and Violinist 2)

“Still, Misha’s buying the man clothes.”

“This is stupid. Misha can buy clothes for who he wants to. I care more about the Lion being in Paris.”

“Should we meet with Kazimir here?” Rafael asked.

“Maybe. Regardless, we need to figure out who the fuck the Mouse is? Kazimir’s a tricky bastard. If he thinks we’re his enemy, he’ll never come straight at us. He’ll use himself as the distraction, while right behind us, someone’s pointing a gun.” I gazed off into the horizon. “If we figure out who the Mouse is, and find out who the black guy is with Misha—”

“Let’s hope this black guy is the Mouse. It would make things easier.”

“Nothing is ever easy, when the Russians are at play.”

“We haven’t considered a simpler possibility,” Rafael said.

“What’s that?”

“Kazimir could just be in Paris on a romantic vacation.”

“Kazimir?” I snorted. “The Lion knows nothing of romance. He’s plotting right now. After this war, he’s probably still bloodthirsty. I won’t let him be a problem for us. We need to stay on this. No mistakes.”

I left Rafael and returned to Eden.

The days were getting thicker and thicker with tension. My life felt just like the moon, approaching its eclipse. There was a darkness moving forward, heading our way, and all I could do was try and stop the inevitable.

But what was the inevitable?

I’d made a lot of enemies in the hunt for Eden’s love. Celina had gone missing, along with Shalimar. And Kazimir had arrived in Paris and lounged a few blocks away, apparently on holiday.

No. The Lion doesn’t vacation, and he doesn’t fall in love.

If there was one thing, I knew about my enemies in these past years, I could never rest for too long, without preparing for a strike from the shadows.

I’ve got Eden now. Celina. Kazimir. They can all stand the fuck down. I won’t let them get between us.

When Eden finished her breakfast, she gave me a weak smile. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Rafael had news, but none of it related to your aunt.”

There was no need to update her on Kazimir. The Russians and that business would only scare her. I’d noticed it last night. While she tried to listen, I couldn’t ignore her body’s shiver, as I discussed the deadly side of my news.

I’ll have to shield her from some of this.

Pushing my agitation away from Kazimir’s visit, I gazed at Eden. “We should go on a field trip today.”

She formed those beautiful lips into a smile. “Where do you want to go?”

“Nice.”

Far away from Paris.

Her eyes brightened. “I would love to see where you’re from.”

“Good. I would like you to meet my family. See my old home.” I laid my hand over hers and held it. “You want to know about me, and I’m ready to show you.”

And you need to be far away from Paris, when the Lion is stalking around.

We left an hour later. Rafael came along.

Giorgio, and Louis remained in Paris to monitor Kazimir’s moves. So far, all they’d had to report; was that he’d dined with the black woman at a high-end restaurant.

Since then, the Lion had somehow rented out the Catacombs. It was Paris’s earlier burial grounds—a city of dead beneath the City of Lights. Over 6 million Parisians had been laid to rest down there. There were mysterious carvings among stacks and stacks of skulls, and femurs places in patterns. Some of the chambers included an underground chapel, where religious services held vestibules, filled with bones. While it was a fun, yet gory tourist attraction, many wouldn’t take their date down there.

Meanwhile, a guide had ushered Kazimir, and the black woman through the extensive subterranean network of tunnels and death. What had he been thinking? What woman would want to go down there?

“They went into the Catacombs, toured it, and left?” I asked.

Louis’s voice rode the phone line. “Yeah. Kazimir pulled his phone out and took a picture of her in front of the entrance.”

“Like a fucking tourist?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

I hung the phone up and turned my focus back to my voyage with Eden, to Nice. But it had been difficult as we flew to my hometown. I’d been uneasy about showing her my life, and Kazimir’s presence was making me more agitated.

Concentrate on Eden. All will be revealed, when needed. Everything will be okay.

But still, I wondered if I could protect Eden and the new feelings of love that was rising between us.

Too many enemies are near, and too many enemies are hidden.

Chapter 3

Nice the Beautiful

Eden

We flew into Nice days ago.

It was France’s second-largest city on the Mediterranean coast and located in the French Riviera.

Jean-Pierre led me off his private jet. “Welcome to Nice the Beautiful.”

“Is that the city’s nickname?”

“Yes. The Greeks founded the city in the 4th century BC. They named her Nice, to honor Nike—the goddess of victory.”