ANTON
“Anton, what’s going on?” Lev asks before he’s even through the door. When he walks in and sees Jessa unconscious, his eyes widen.
“She was hiding behind the bar during our meeting with Rodion.”
“Fuck,” Lev growls. “Did you know?”
“I figured it out.”
“And you didn’t get her out of there?”
“I thought it was important she stay,” I say vaguely.
Lev sighs and then gestures to the bed. “Do you still think that?”
“Just get Dr. Spegal in here,” I growl. “She was sick yesterday. I’m sure this is residual exhaustion, but I want to make sure it’s nothing serious.”
“It’s probably just shock,” Lev says dismissively.
“I didn’t ask for your medical opinion, sobrat. I want the doctor in here within the hour.”
He nods respectfully. “I’ll get on it.”
I know I should be downstairs talking to my men, preparing for the possible fallout of taking a major player off the board in such sudden and violent fashion. But I can’t bring myself to leave Jessa’s side.
“Anton…”
Yulian’s voice comes from behind me. I hear his frustration, but surely he’s not going to be stupid enough to question me about my preoccupation with Jessa right now. Surely not.
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know yet. She fainted.”
“Understandable. This isn’t her world.”
I turn to him. “Is there something you want to say, brother?”
“I was with Yaromir just now when he addressed the men who accompanied Rodion here.”
“And?”
He shakes his head. “They were pissed. And shocked. Obviously.”
“And did Yaromir bring them into line or not?” I’m really not in the mood to kill anyone else tonight, so hopefully Rodion’s incompetent nephew can do at least one thing right.
“Yaromir’s speech was reasonably convincing,” Yulian admits. “They’ll follow him for now.”
“Until they find a better option,” I say.
“Am I right in guessing that the better option is likely to be you?”
I nod. “I never do anything without a fucking reason, Yulian. Remember that.”
He sighs and runs a frustrated hand through this hair. “Why are you here?” he asks abruptly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you should have been down there observing Yaromir with the Ivanov men,” he says. “But instead, I find you here. With her.”