Glazov (Born Bratva Book 1) by Suzanne Steele

Priceless, Yafon, priceless. Have you done what I asked you to do?”
    “Yes, sir, and from the looks of things, our timing is perfect.”
    Timing is everything in my line of work; it can mean the difference between life and death. It is necessary to read how circumstances will play out. If I didn’t move quickly, there was a chance my plan might be disrupted. I had too much banking on the success of what I had planned. I wasn’t about to let law enforcement come between my Ptichka and what I had in store for her.
    I had to admit I was shocked by her response when the suit offered her a way out. When you do what I do, there is nothing worse than a rat. I’d hate to have to kill the only woman I’ve ever loved. I would have to protect her from being put in a situation like this again. I had known, at some point, law enforcement would attempt to question her, but I hadn’t expected it to be this soon. It meant they were probably in the process of trying to execute a warrant. I was proud my little Ptichka had passed her first test in dealing with the FBI.

Kathleen
    I made my way into Glazov’s, dropping my briefcase and leaving a trail of clothing behind me.
    Every day, I was escorted home by Yafon, and today was no exception, even though my destination was Glazov’s house. I knew Glazov had his own reasons for his stalkerish behavior. I also understood it was for my own safety. I didn’t even want to think about the kind of enemies a man like Glazov probably had. No doubt, they were just as ruthless as he was.
    Glazov was smart enough to know the quickest way for an enemy to hurt him was to hurt me. I had no intentions of being at the mercy of one of his enemies.
    I began my ritual of running a bath. I needed to soak and let the water wash away all the stresses of the day. Meeting up with that agent had definitely caught me by surprise, and if I thought about it too much, it could be a source of anxiety I did not want to deal with. I didn’t plan on revealing what happened today to Glazov. It would only mean a rigorous interrogation that I didn’t feel like being subjected to. I wasn’t in the mood for his intensity right now.
    I had known all along that either law enforcement or one of his enemies would connect me to him. To be honest, I have to say I was relieved it was the FBI. God only knows what one of those thugs would put me through.
    I couldn’t imagine the horror of being at the mercy of someone who hated Glazov. I pushed the thoughts from my mind. This was the one thing I had spent a lifetime avoiding—trouble. It infuriated me that someone else had put me in this situation against my will. It was the definition of unfair personified. I didn’t ask for this shit, but that didn’t change the fact that I was in trouble, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
    Today, a man stood in my office and told me he could help me. He had offered me a way out. I thought about what my life would be like in Witness Protection. It was possible; I could do it. I had no family, no friends, no one who would miss me or wonder why I had disappeared. Even if I decided to go that route, it still left Robin at the mercy of a madman. As far as I knew, he might kill her out of rage towards me. I would be in Witness Protection and never know he did it, but I would always wonder. Even if I did decide to talk to the agent, what could I tell him? I didn’t know anything about Glazov’s business dealings. It wasn’t like we discussed who he tortured and killed over dinner every night.
    Ironically enough, the only person I had was Glazov. A cold-hearted killer was the only human being who exhibited any measure of love for me. Once again, it was clear to me in my mind’s eye that none of this made any sense. Anytime I tried to process a way out of this fucked-up situation, I never came up with any results. Much like being stuck in a maze, I was lost in a conundrum of chaos.
    I jumped when I heard the bathroom door