Andrei shakes his head. “It’s not just the Italian Mafia who need to be worried.” His tone is grim, but there’s a fire in my belly because this isn’t a problem as far as I’m concerned, but I understand the caution at the same time.
Leaning forward with my hands clasped, I grin at Andrei, clamping a hand down on his shoulder. “We are the Bratva. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Andrei looks me square in the eye. “Hey, there’s hardcore evidence against the Russians on those files as well, and according to my internal sources, the files can bring down big powers around the world—these include you, Ruslan. This isn’t the time for complacency.”
Rolling my tongue around in my mouth, I sigh. “Ah, Andrei. Can’t you see this is the biggest opportunity of all time for the Bratva?”
“Explain,” Andrei replies in a miffed tone. “Because I have the message from Kian right here in my phone.”
“What’s the message say?” I ask him as Andrei brings the phone up in front of our faces. Squinting, I take note of the foreign number.
“It’s from a burner phone, or from a calling card because I’ve never seen this set of numbers before,” Andrei adds.
“Has to be a calling card because these aren’t Chi-town area codes,” I remark with a mumble, scrutinizing the number.
“Don’t worry about the number. Look at the message.” Andrei draws the text message up closer.
KIAN:If you don’t want all your dirty little secrets exposed, I suggest you follow all my instructions to the letter. I have crucial files on all your key operations that will end you if they leak.
Studying the message, I sit upright. “That’s not the threat you think it is. It’s merely a business opportunity,” I advise my brothers. “Find this guy’s location and get those fucking files. We can use them to our advantage. Don’t you see?” Slapping Andrei, I see his face change as he slowly acknowledges what I’m telling him.
Picking my vodka back up, I sip with a smirk on my face, letting the burn fuel the anticipation of what’s to come. It’s so close to the surface, I can taste the glory of power. I return to scoping out the crowd for women I can take home to partake in birthday celebrations.
Andrei responds after thinking it through some. “Yes. You’re right. It can work. Let me work with our internal communications team to get it sorted out.”
As my eyes surf through the crowd, I nod. “That’s exactly the answer I want to hear. Once we get the Omerta files, we’re going to be impossible to stop.”
Mark chuckles as my eyes skim toward a group of women. My first inclination was to search out the girls from earlier, but they’ve long gone, probably spending their money elsewhere.
Oh well. If I’m hard up, I have their numbers.
I take a second to skim my eyes over to the woman who caught my attention a second earlier. Her emerald eyes captivate and hold my attention, as does her body, poured into a scarlet red dress and accentuating all her curves.
The swing of her long brown hair as she talks with her friends, and her dazzling smile, are extraordinary. And it’s not as if I haven’t had women before. I’m the head of the Chicago Bratva network, and if I want any woman in my bed, it’s easy enough to arrange.
This is different. I can’t pull my eyes away from the curve of her sumptuous mouth, even if I were to try.I want her.Preferably in my bed.
And I’m going to have her. Cracking my knuckles, I drown out my associates, watching as the mystery woman effortlessly glides to the dance floor, giggling with her friends, and I feel the breath leave my chest.
I don’t give a damn about the other women with her. She’s the standout of the group, and what’s even more enthralling about the buxom brunette is, she doesn’t know how divine she truly is. Men are discreetly craning their necks to watch her from the bar with their girlfriends too, and I’m surprised that I feel a territorial surge of rage bubbling up as they gawk at her.
Fuck off.She’s mine, pridurki. I’m the deadliest man in Chicago, and there’s no fucking way she’s going home with any of you.
“Yes, swing those hips. Soon they’ll be swinging to a different tune in my bed,” I murmur hotly under my breath, my cock rousing from its slumber and the buzz from the alcohol wearing off, replaced with carnal reactivity.
Her body isn’t stick-thin either. There’s plenty of her to hold and grab on to. Not like these stupid models who throw themselves at me as if they’ve lost their fucking minds.
Oh yes. I’m going to have this one. She’s going to be my celebration gift to myself.
Chapter Three - Fiona
“Wow!You were so right, Rachael. Dancing is so good for the soul, and I’ve almost forgotten about that plague called work,” I burst out, panting, not one bit upset that I’m a little hot and sweaty from being on the dance floor.
“See. I told you so!So much fucking fun, and I’m drunk off my ass in here because all the men are extremely hot,” Rachael concludes, her face as flushed as mine from dancing. Sophia and I cackle and, as a trio, we get more drinks at the bar and then find a corner of the club to sit down in to rest our weary legs.
“I love this DJ. He’s always pumping out good music,” Sophia yells out, pumping her fist and still bopping her head to the hardcore trance beats. She raises her hand to the DJ, and he waves back. If I ever want to go out and guarantee myself a good time, Sophia and Rachael are the women to do it with.
Settling in next to her, I grin as she sweeps her ginger hair back from her face. If you didn’t know her any better, people would find it strange to see this outgoing and bubbly girl, when day-to-day she’s eating people for breakfast in the courtroom.