“She is,” Jean-Pierre said. “Of course, she is. I wouldn’t hurt her, but can you give that answer for Eden?”
Jean-Pierre waited, but wasn’t pleased with the answer. “Give me the address of where she is, or let me talk to her.”
Let him talk to her, Kaz. What’s going on? Are you doing this to track him.
Jean-Pierre frowned. “You brought this shit to my doorstep.”
Kaz didn’t, psycho. We had nothing to do with it. I’m going to put a knot on your head before I escape.
“Careful, Kazimir. I’m close to Emily now. Be mindful of your tone with me.”
I would like to see you try it.
I glared at him.
Jean-Pierre’s hands shook. “You really have her?”
Kazimir must’ve hung up.
Jean-Pierre stared at the phone.
Rafael scowled. “That went well.”
Jean-Pierre continued to stare at the phone. “He said he has her.”
Rafael’s face brightened. “Did she get on the line?”
“No. He said, she was taking a shower.”
What? Taking a shower?
Louis shook his head. “Sounds like he was trying to track your phone.”
“No,” I had to speak up and end this.
Everyone turned my way, even the black woman with the afro.
I swallowed. “If Kazimir said he has her, then he does. He wouldn’t play that game right now.”
I think, he wouldn’t.
“Why?” Jean-Pierre asked. “Because you’re that important to him? Can the lion love?”
Silence bridged between us. Rage too. It radiated from both of us.
Just give me another moment alone with you , Jean-Pierre. I’ll see if you get out of the toilet bowl this time.
As if he heard me, Jean-Pierre hissed, “Kazimir started this.”
My gaze shifted to deadly. “He didn’t.”
“And you know this how? Are you a new member of the Bratva?”
Basically.
Rafael laughed.
Louis didn’t and looked at me. “Are you?”
This one is too smart. It’s always the quiet ones. In fact, I should’ve just been quiet myself.
I tapped my leg. “Am I what?”
“A member of the Bratva?” Louis asked.
I pressed my lips together.
Jean-Pierre studied me. “You think she is?”
“When we took her, Kazimir screamed mysh, over and over. It’s clear she has some fighting skills. Mysh, means mouse.” Louis shrugged. “She had you twisting and turning in the hallway, Jean-Pierre. And then there’s the ass whipping she gave you in the bathroom.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
Jean-Pierre frowned. “That wasn’t an ass whipping. That was me avoiding hitting her.”
“I’ve seen you avoid hitting many women, and not have your shirt torn and toilet water dripping all over you.”
A dark chuckle left Rafael. “How did that happen again?”
Jean-Pierre lied, “She broke one of the pipes behind the toilet.”
“She broke one of the pipes.”
“With what?”
“My head,” he muttered and studied me. “Mysh?”
Hey, you know what? Let’s stop talking. I liked it when you all were ignoring me.
I stirred.
I should’ve never opened my damn mouth.
Jean-Pierre tilted his head to the side. “Are you the Mouse?”
I stayed silent.
“How clever that would be, if you were?” Jean-Pierre knitted his fingers together. “You helped Kazimir kill Sasha?”
“Did you?” Louis growled as if that was a warning to open my mouth. While Jean-Pierre used kid gloves with me, Louis wouldn’t be as gentle, and patient.
I whispered, “That’s more credit than I deserve.”
“Explain.”
Don’t say too much.
“I shot, but.” I kept my voice low. “I simply shot a gun, next to other men who were shooting guns. And unfortunately…. Sasha was in front of our guns, but it’s not like I helped in a huge way.”
“Sasha had tried to kill Kazimir,” Jean-Pierre said. “What happened?”
I tapped my finger on my leg. “Sasha, couldn’t kill Kazimir, is the more important fact to that story .”
“And what other facts are important?”
“I can help you find Eden, and get her back safely.”
“Kazimir says he has her.”
“Even if he does, I can help with the exchange.”
“I don’t need your help.”
Rafael turned to Jean-Pierre. “How the hell are we going to do an exchange again?”
Jean-Pierre ignored him and watched me. “You helped kill Sasha. That makes sense. I had asked Kazimir about the Mouse in the bathhouse earlier, and his reaction had been odd. He looked like he was going to kill me. His reaction had come off more like a jealous man, than a boss worried about his trusty guard.”
That sounds like my baby.
I kept my mouth closed.
Louis nodded. “She’s the Mouse. This week has been crazy enough for me to believe it.”
Fuck.
“Now I see why Kazimir had a rocket launcher under his bed.” Jean-Pierre smiled. “She’s the Mouse. The Bratva likes fairytales and legends. I could see the Lion naming a woman he was taken with, trying his best to label something he didn’t understand.”
Jean-Pierre knows Kazimir better than I thought.
He studied me. “Are you as clever as a mouse?”
“As clever as anyone.”
“Why did Kazimir name you that?”
I gave him a sad smile. “It’s just a term of endearment. Nothing more.”
“No. He didn’t name the ballerina.”
Good.
Louis shrugged. “Maybe Kazimir called her, the ballerina.”