“She’s doing her best, I guess. We all are. But it’s tough with a baby. Charlie is doing his best to keep the atmosphere a chilled one, but I tell you, it’s not easy.”
“Are you girls getting along, okay?”
“As well as can be expected. We’re both headstrong women.”
“Don’t I know it? I’m not used to having wallflowers around me.”
“As if a wallflower would hack the kind of life you lead, Sir Maxim Mikhailov.”
“Hey, you could have ended up with a boring accountant,” I teased.
“And miss out on all the fun? No thanks,” she snorted.
“I promise thefunwill be over very soon.”
“It had better. If you think you’re going to get out of changing diapers and burping your son, you’ve got another thing coming. Grigoriy is a pussy compared to me when I’m pissed!”
“Don’t I know it!” I belly laughed.
“Pass me my clothes, please. I don’t want Stevens getting an eyeful.”
“It will be the last thing he ever sees; I can tell you that much. No one gets to eyeball my goddess’ perfect buns but me.”
Angel and I got dressed. We sat at the little table in the room and chatted for the rest of the hour we’d been allotted. It was so good talking to her face to face. I held her hand and comforted her when she became teary.
“It will be over soon, Angel and then we’ll start our life together. The three musketeers. You, me, and little Dasha.”
“Dasha?”
“Yes. It means gift sent from God.”
“Max. That’s beautiful.”
“He is, you know. You and Dasha are my gifts. I love you both so much.”
37
MAX
Ifelt invigorated after my short visit with Angel. I spent the weeks that followed focusing on the job at hand. I’d drawn Grigoriy in slowly and steadily with the plan Stevens and I had discussed. It took some fancy footwork, including a visit to Moscow before the thug took the bait. Finally, the culmination of my hard work and lying through my teeth was at hand.
I spent the evening prior to D-day at home, preparing myself mentally for what was to come when Grigoriy and his partners arrived in LA. I was too wired to sleep, so by the time 6 am rolled around I was on edge. What the hell, I’d sleep for a week once I was free of the mob and the DEA.
Stevens called.
“Good morning, Max. How are you doing?”
“Shitting bricks. Are you boys ready?”
“As ready as we’re ever going to be.”
“I’d like to say something to you, in case I don’t make it out of this thing with my sanity intact.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, it occurred to me last night when I couldn’t sleep, that I haven’t thanked you for helping me. I am painfully aware of the place this path I’m on could have taken me if it weren’t for your intervention.”
“Wow. This is a first. I don’t think anyone has ever thanked me before.”