She pipes up as Hailey nears the elevator.

"Always a pleasure to have you, Mrs. Harper."

She gives Emillia a nod and an almost smile. Always been a friendly sort, though Hailey's not in a particularly good mood to appreciate that about her right now.

She heads up to the eighth floor, down to her room, and lets herself in, setting her suitcase and duffel by the couch before sitting down on the bed and staring out the window.

What the fuck.

Viggo predictably didn't budge, his goons are no better than last she saw them, her wife's in a coma, her car's lost in whatever garage Iosef took her to, and she's back at the Continental.

This is not where her life was supposed to go.

The bed warms consolingly beneath her.

She pats the bed softly and keeps staring out the window.

There's a soft knock at the door to her room.

Huh.

She gets up to look through the peephole. Who's coming to visit her at a time like this?

A familiar face smiles at her through the peephole, one hand raised in greeting.

Well she's a bit of a surprise. Honestly shouldn't be, though.

Hailey opens the door.

"Hello, stranger."

Ami smiles a slight grin, raising her other arm to offer a hug.

"Aww, I'd hope not."

She smiles and pulls Ami into both the suite and a hug, closing the door behind her.

"Been a bit. What brings you here?"

She winces, even as she squeezes Hailey in the embrace.

"I wish we didn't have to get into that yet, but we probably should."

She steps away after a moment.

"I'd love to be able to say it's just that I missed you, but it's bad news, I'm afraid: Viggo put a hit out on you."

She spits his name like a curse.

"Tried to hire me personally—the fucker."

Hailey groans. "Of course he did. Asshole. Oh and now you've probably been seen, which means it's only a matter of time before he realizes you're helping me, and then he'll be out to kill you, too."

She winces again.

"I've been hoping not, but probably."

"Hope you're not planning to go home anytime soon."

She grins ferociously and chuckles.

"Not before we take care of him, one way or another."

But she should probably move them away from this topic, for now.

"How are you doing, though? I only heard a little from Viggo, but… Violetta isn't here."

She leaves the implications unstated. Hailey wouldn't leave Violetta alone with Viggo's men after her. Not if she had any choice.

Her face falls.

She looks out the window.

"Hospital. Iosef beat her into a coma, because we wouldn't sell him Maya when he asked as a fucking stranger at the gas station."

Her face falls further.

"Fuck. I'm so sorry."

Her arms wrap protectively around Hailey, and she finds her fingers running through the girl's hair without any instruction from her mind.

"………"

She tries to find words of comfort for her friend, but fails, and just holds her there for a long moment.

She sighs raggedly and buries her face in Ami's shoulder, breath hitching a bit. "I'm gonna kill him, Ami, and anyone who tries to stop me. And if Vi doesn't make it, I'll kill my way through the entire Tarasov mob."

Fuck, it really is that bad, isn't it?

She strokes her hair and lets her sob into her chest.

"I know. I know you will, and I'll help you do it." Even if it destroys you.

Gods help her, she hopes it doesn't come to that.

"Entitled prick," she growls after some more sobbing. "Try to murder a woman just because she won't sell to you."

She keeps squeezing Ami. It's really good to have a friendly face here after all this.

Ami hums in agreement, squeezing back gently.

"A lot of jobs lately—most jobs, really—I avoid thinking about whether it's worth it."

She pauses for a moment, caught up in the feeling.

"But him? We're all better off without him."