Page 56 of Baby for the Bratva

Javell closes his eyes, holding up a weathered hand decorated with gold rings. “Pleasure first, business after. Cheers.”

I take my glass and hold it up, but Stella declines the drink. Not the best move, considering that Javell is easily offended, but she doesn’t have experience with making deals like this. I’ll give her a pass.

Javell doesn’t say anything about it, but his eyes shift over to Stella for a moment. “Cheers to another beautiful summer.”

I agree with him more than he realizes, raising my glass and glancing over at Stella. She’s the most beautiful thing about this summer, and I still can’t believe she’s sitting next to me while I make a huge business deal.

Having a woman who’s completely outside the Bratva tolerate the danger and high illegality of my work is rare. Impossible, even, but here she is.

And she looks like a dream come true.

The wine is incredible too, but it’s a mere accent to Stella’s splendor. I almost feel jealous that anyone else gets to look at her.

Maybe I should’ve left her on the boat after all.

“So, you have a deal to make,” Javell says, setting his glass down. He’s usually not this quick to get into business, so he must be curious about what I have to say.

I put my glass down and clasp my hands together. “Yes, I do. Excellent wine, by the way. You really have a taste for perfection.”

He flashes an artificially bright smile. “You flatter me.”

“I’m just buttering you up for the deal I’m about to propose,” I admit.

“Which is?”

I lean forward, rubbing my hands together. I haven’t had long to think about this, but I’m good at making changes at short notice. I just have to make it seem like I’m not in some kind of dire trouble, and Javell will gladly accept the discounted offer for extra cocaine.

“I got a good deal on this stuff,” I begin, maintaining eye contact with him. “It would be a shame to charge you so much for it, so I’m willing to give you a discounted price if you take double.”

His eyes widen so much they look like they’re about to pop out onto the table. “Double? You think this country runs on coke or something?”

I shrug. “You’ll be able to distribute it. I’m giving it to you for twenty-five percent less.”

He laughs. “If you got such a good deal, you should be giving me the regular amount for that much less. Don’t play games.”

“I’m not, and I can’t do that. I want you to take more.”

“Why? Something wrong with the shipment?”

I shake my head. “There’s nothing wrong with it. We’ve been working together for a long time, and I’d like you to take more. You’ve grown, I’ve grown, and it’s time to increase the amount.”

“Jamaica hasn’t grown, though. They’re not making babies like they used to,” he replies, grabbing his wine. “This is highly unusual.”

“It’s a natural progression of business. Like I said, I’ll give you a discount on the extra.”

He takes a sip of his wine and shakes a finger at me. “No, you’re up to something. There’s something wrong with this shit, isn’t there?”

“Not a damn thing.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Unload it, have your boys check it, and don’t buy it until you know it’s good. How about that?” I propose, leaning back on the couch with a satisfied smile. He’s not going to be able to turn down this offer. I can already see that he wants it, especially for such a good discount.

He plays with the tuft of hair on his chin, studying me closely. The silence between us is heavy, but I can see him moving toward a positive decision, even as he pretends to be doubtful.

His eyes are a dead giveaway.

Big pupils. Big interest.

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