Page 155 of Emerald Malice

“Are you?” I ask, half-amused and half-annoyed. “Because you did entertain a meeting with Nikolai once.”

He waves away the fact. “I had to make sure you weren’t short-changing me. I am a businessman at the end of the day, Andrey. I have to know who is offering the better deal.”

Although his features remain inscrutable, Bujar’s mouth twitches under his dark beard.

“Good to know that your loyalties can be so easily swayed by the highest bidder, Luca.”

The Italian rolls his eyes. “I have no desire to become entangled in Rostov’s repulsive skin trade. Quite apart from having moral qualms about it, the constant body trail would be bad for business.”

“Has he tried to contact you again?”

Luca is busy primping his expensive Italian suit. “Not in over a year. And as I informed you all then, I told him to fuck the hell off. My answer will be no different if he makes another attempt.”

Luca has always been slippery, but despite Shura’s reservations about the man, I do trust him. He may treat the whole operation as a game, but he’s got as much skin in it as the rest of us.

“Ha! Rostov wouldn’t ever dare approach me,” Cevdet claims proudly. “He knows exactly where I stand on the skin trade. No family man would ever entertain scum like Rostov.”

Undoubtedly, he’s also thinking of all the Bakirtzis assets that are interlinked with the success of my Bratva. Like Luca, he’s as self-serving as they come.

But loyalty is loyalty, regardless of the motive.

“As for me, I’m not even on Rostov’s radar,” Bujar declares. “He doesn’t see me as a big player. Simply a cog in the wheel.”

“I doubt that, Bujar,” I murmur. “Nikolai has eyes everywhere. And he’s never turned down a free meal.”

Cevdet turns to me thoughtfully. “You think he’ll try to approach each of us?”

“His moves are getting harder and harder to predict,” I admit grudgingly. “He’s become a ghost in the last year. Which leads me to believe he’s planning something.”

I glance at Shura, who’s stationed by the window, his spine rigid as ever. But I know he’s analyzing everything we’ve discussed so far.

“I doubt Nikolai will approach any of you,” Shura says when I gesture for him to chime in. “Our alliance is too strong to pick apart now. Our investments run too deep and he knows that everyone here has his reasons for spurning what he has to offer.”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming,” Luca says. “You think he’s shoring up alliances?”

“He will if he’s smart. He has to match our strength,” I say. “Finding new friends is the only way he has a prayer of lasting.”

“Who does he have to turn to?” Cevdet scoffs before answering his own question. “No one of consequence. All the major players are sitting in this room.”

Luca and Bujar nod their agreement. But one glance at Shura tells me he’s the only one here who thinks the way I do.

Nikolai Rostov is not to be underestimated.

“Before we jump into the expansion, I have to clear up some rumors that have been circulating,” Cevdet blurts suddenly, turning his blue eyes on me.

I wave to give him the floor.

He waggles feathery brows in my direction. “Is our young pakhan going to be a father soon?”

This time, I take pains to avoid Shura’s face. I’ve made no public announcement, which means the eyes trained on my family are closer than I suspected. There’s no point in lying, though. Honesty begets honesty. Sooner or later, the truth will emerge. These men might as well hear it from my lips.

“Yes,” I say. “The rumors are true.”

Luca immediately declares a toast must be made and Bujar offers me a congratulatory nod. But Cevdet is impatient for more information.

“And am I correct in assuming that, if there had been a wedding, we would have received invitations?”

“Of course, Cevdet. There has been no wedding. Nor will there be.”

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