“I’m sure,” I answer firmly.
“Okay,” she says with a smile. “But I think I’ll go in anyway and explain it to them.”
“If that’s what you want.” I pull out my wallet and pull out a couple of hundred-dollar bills. “In case you see anything you want on your walk.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she says, eyeing the money almost suspiciously.
“I haven’t been around for a while. Just take it. To make me feel better if nothing else.”
She laughs and accepts the money. I snag her wrist and pull her close to me so I can kiss her hard, my lips pressing up hungrily against hers.
If we’d been alone, we’d probably be fucking on the floor right now.
But we have a son now.
Things are different.
And I’m all right with that.
Esme leaves a few minutes later. The minute she’s out of the apartment, I grab my phone and call Maxim back. He picks up almost immediately.
“Boss.”
“What do you have for me?” I ask, jumping straight into it.
“Anton Yahontov,” Maxim says immediately. “He’s a brigadier working for Budimir. Too low ranking for us to consider a real threat, but he’s only a few miles away from you right now.”
I freeze. “What?”
“I thought he was tailing you for a while,” Maxim replies. “But not the case. He has a home in town.”
“That’s good to know.”
“It might be worth paying him a visit.”
“And why’s that?” I ask.
“Because my sources tell me he’s been in a few meetings with Budimir’s goons,” Maxim tells me. “He may not have sensitive information for us, but he might have something.”
I clench my fist. Finally, a fucking break in this brewing guerilla war. “Then I’ll stop by and say hello,” I reply darkly.
“Got it, boss,” Maxim replies. “And congrats on finding her, by the way.”
“How the fuck do you know that?” I demand.
He chuckles low. “It’s in your voice. You don’t sound half dead anymore.”
Cheeky motherfucker.
“Keep me posted,” I growl, fighting to keep a smirk off my face.
“Will do, boss,” Maxim answers. “I’ll drop you his location.”
The line goes dead and a couple of seconds later, my phone pings with a location alert.
I leave the apartment, jump in my car, and drive straight to the house.
It’s nestled in the deep suburbs of the town, but I’m not worried. I can be in and out with no one being the wiser.