SATISH
The snapshot of AnnaSophia and Maverick shaking hands beside the glimmering pool exploded in front of Satish’s disbelieving eyes. He scanned past them to a dark point at the back of the yard. In the pre-dawn quiet, he let his mind empty of contradictions and skepticism. His vision cleared. When he refocused on them, they stood next to each other like mannequins.
“What’s going on?” Gin backed up into his throat. “Are we sitting out here?”
“We’re finished,” AnnaSophia announced in Mère’s dismissive tone. “Maverick’s leaving. Alexandra and I are going to bed. I think you should go home.”
Alexandra ran to Maverick’s side and yanked his tee-shirt out of his waistband. “Let me see your back, dude. You look pretty good for someone just skinned alive.”
He pulled his shirt away from her. “You should pay more attention to your mom.”
“Ooooh, my God.” She made a noise Satish assumed was a laugh. “Not you too. She hexed you. Made you one of her Legion of the Besotted.”
Maverick made a face. “Whatever.”
“Not worth discussing,” AnnaSophia said, adding, “You and I do have an agreement.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He turned to Satish. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”
“Too bad.” Alexandra threw her arm out in front of him. “I’m ready for an orgasm.”
Satish stepped between them, removed her arm from the boy’s neck, and pressed her elbow to her side. Get out of here, Patel. AnnaSophia said leave. So cut and run. Now.
Even with his mother asleep in the guest room, home never looked so good. “Let’s go, Maverick.”
Alexandra stuck her lips out in a little-girl pout and stroked Maverick’s biceps. “Call me,” she said in the sultry whisper of a veteran hooker.
Maverick shook off her hand, stumbling when she shoved him backward. He pitched toward the pool, but Satish caught the back of his shirt and held on till he caught his balance.
AnnaSophia lurched across the few feet separating her from her daughter, pulled her into an embrace, looked over her head, and spoke to Satish. “You remember the security codes?”
“I’ll reset them as soon as Maverick leaves.” He motioned for the kid to return to the house. “Call me if—”
“If she needs a good fuck?” Alexandra drawled, limp in her mother’s arms.
Satish imagined dragging the brat to the edge of the pool. Toss her in. Let her tread water till she was too damned exhausted to spew more venom.
As if reading his fantasy, AnnaSophia shook her head. He hesitated. Maverick cleared his throat. They walked away. Walking away always worked with Mère.
Back in the garage, he leaned into Maverick’s pickup. “So Mrs. Romanov cut you a break.”
“Big-time break. She’s not filing charges.”
“What do you have to do?”
“She never said.” Maverick shook his head as if recently struck by lightning. “She didn’t have to spell it out. I’ll never do a damn thing that will ever hurt that lady.”
Satish extended his hand and received a firm handshake, held a minute longer than he expected. When Maverick released his grip, Satish took out his wallet and handed over an old business card with his cell number and email address. “Call me in the next week or so. Sooner, if you need … anything.”
A muscle knotted in the kid’s jaw, and his voice rasped. “Thanks.”
“Drive careful—lots of cops out tonight.”
Index finger to his forehead, Maverick saluted. “I’ll go the scenic route. The Chippies love bad-ass Bronco drivers.”
Satish didn’t believe much in leopards changing their spots or idiots developing wisdom.
Okay, he was cynical. In Maverick’s case, he hoped he was wrong.
He pushed the OPEN button on the garage door. Maverick looked both directions before he backed into the street. Satish stood in the driveway for a second, inhaled, and exhaled through his mouth. The pickup’s taillights faded into the dark.
No sign of the red Audi or anyone else who didn’t belong on the deserted street.
Seeing nothing should’ve soothed his edginess, but the gin still sloshed around in his brain. It wouldn’t surprise him if Alexandra had a whole stable of hot guys waiting their turn in her bedroom.
What would surprise him even less would be a stupid-ass act of defiance—Alexandra waiting until AnnaSophia fell asleep to slip out of the house. What better way to punish her mother than to run away?
He closed the garage door and reset the alarm. His mouth tasted like shit, but it had tasted worse on forty-eight-hour stakeouts drinking too much cold coffee and pissing it out too infrequently. He climbed behind the wheel of the Porsche, slid back the seat, and laid his head on the soft leather.
Maybe, just maybe, dawn would come without any more trouble from Alexandra Romanov.