Page 73 of Savage Reign

Tural’s smile is flat. “Times change. You’re not the only one with ambitions. Maybe I’ll get into the gun-running business myself. The Turks would work with me directly if I provided the same product. We can cut you out entirely.” He places his hands flat on the table, his rings catching the light. “I’m giving you the chance to stay in the game. Forty percent ensures our continued working relationship.”

I laugh in his face. As if the Turks would seriously consider cutting me out in favor of this asshole. I’ve built my reputation on reliability and supplying only the best weapons, something Tural will never achieve. He’s bluffing, but his threat is clear: pay up or lose access to the Turkish market through Azerbaijan. He thinks he has me cornered. What he doesn’t know is that Eva has spent the last few months developing alternative routes through Armenia as a backup plan. It’s more expensive, but every cent is worth avoiding this kind of extortion.

“And if I decline?” I say, leaning back in my chair, making it clear he doesn’t scare me in the least.

“I think you know. Perhaps my new Turkish friends would be interested in other aspects of your operation. Your casino project, for instance. Or that lovely new Syndicate wife of yours.”

The glass tumbler shatters against the wall before I even realize I’ve thrown it, fragments scattering across the floor. Eva’s hand moves toward her weapon, and Tural’s men do the same, tension crackling through the room.

My knuckles ache from clenching my fists, but it’s nothing compared to the fury boiling inside me. So much for keeping my temper in check. There’s no way I’m letting him think Sofiya is fair game.

I rise slowly, planting my fists on the table, dropping my voice to a lethal growl. “Let me make this crystal fucking clear for you. If you so much as mention my wife again, I’ll flay the skin from your bones and hang it as a warning to anyone stupid enough to follow your example.”

Tural’s face tightens, and he holds his palms up. “Give me a fucking break. You said yourself she’s a pawn. Listen, we have history, and that means something, but at the end of the day, I’m still running the risks here. I’ll honor the current terms until the end of the month, but after that, I need a forty-percent cut to keep things running smoothly.”

My fist slams into his throat, the blow sending him crashing back into the leather booth. He gasps, clutching at his neck as the air is ripped from his lungs.

His men leap into action, weapons drawn. Eva steps forward, brushing her long leather coat aside to reveal a bulletproof vest, a sidearm tucked into a shoulder holster, and extra magazines lined across her belt. Tural signals his men to stand down, and one by one, their bravado crumbles, and they lower their guns.

“Come on, Niko. It’s business. No need for this to turn ugly.”

“That,” I say quietly, adjusting my jacket, “was your only warning. Threaten me or my wife again, and there won’t be enough of you left for an open casket.”

No one says a word as we stride out of the club, but everything in me is coiled tight and won’t relax until Sofiya is in my arms.

The car door shuts behind us, and Eva exhales, running a hand through her hair as she settles in beside me.

“That was a shitshow,” she says bluntly. “You think Tural is trying to pull something?”

“He won’t get the chance. But I don’t like how he brought up Sofiya. That felt deliberate. Like he was baiting me.”

Her eyes narrow. “Yeah, it didn’t sit right with me either. You want me to start digging?”

I nod, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “Find out who he’s been talking to. If someone’s feeding him information about her, I want to know who and why.”

Eva leans back, crossing her arms as she studies me. “So... Sofiya, huh? You’re going all in on this marriage thing.”

I shoot her a warning look. “Careful, Eva.”

She smirks, unfazed. “I’m just saying. I’ve known you for a good part of my life, Niko, and I’ve never seen you like this.”

“Like what?”

She narrows her eyes in thought. “Like all touch-her-and-die and I’ll-burn-down-the-world-for-my-woman alpha male.”

“Jesus, you’ve been reading too many romance books.”

My jaw tightens as I shift in my seat. I hate being called out, especially when it’s true.

Sofiya’s gotten under my skin in a way I didn’t see coming. This feeling is dangerous. It’s a vulnerability I can’t afford. Caring about someone gives them power, and the last time I handed someone that power, I paid for it in blood.

Eva snorts. “Point taken, but you know… she looks at you the same way you look at her.”

“You’re meddling.”

“I’m meddling as your oldest friend, not your second-in-command.”

I fix her with a flat look. “Yeah, well, as a friend, you can kindly fuck off. As your pakhan, I’m sending you to Armenia tomorrow. I’m cutting ties with Tural, and I need you to secure a new deal to move our weapons into Turkey.”

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