Page 13 of Deadly Offer

Chapter 6

21:47 glowed on the surveillance monitor as Reuben’s black Audi pulled into Dmitrii’s underground parking.

Nikon’s fingers tapped against his office desk, ticking in rhythm with his pulse. Three security feeds sprawled across the monitors before him. Two monitors showed weapons storage facilities he now had access to after the family had integrated their security systems last week. And one monitor fixed on the entrance to Dmitrii’s poker room—a live feed being transmitted by one of Nikon’s men positioned in a hidden unmarked van across the street from Dmitrii’s establishment.

On the screen, Reuben stepped out of his car, adjusting his tailored jacket before heading toward the entrance. Even through the grainy footage, his confidence showed in every step.

Nikon’s jaw clenched. He should focus on the weapons storage facilities where shipments had gone missing recently. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on Reuben until he disappeared through Dmitrii’s front door.

Behind Nikon, metal creaked on metal as the office door opened. Grigorii filled the doorframe. “I’ve been reviewing the shipping manifests.” Grigorii walked straight in and placed a thin folder on Nikon’s desk. “You’ll want to see this yourself.”

Nikon’s gaze flickered between the file and the monitor where Reuben had vanished. “What did you find?”

“Take a look.” Grigorii sat in the chair across from him, his scarred face grim. He opened the folder, revealing a series of surveillance photos. “Three different locations. Check the timestamps.”

The images showed their weapons caches, each photographed hours before being hit. Nikon spread them across his desk, his throat tightening as he saw the pattern. “They knew exactly when to move.”

“Someone’s feeding them more than just our shipment routes.” Grigorii’s finger struck once against the armrest. “First the whales start disappearing from your poker rooms, now this. Someone who knows everything about our operation is selling us out piece by piece.”

The security feed caught Nikon’s eye again. Still no sign of Reuben emerging. Twenty minutes had passed.

“Look at the pattern.” Grigorii leaned forward, his chair groaning under the shift in weight. “These weren’t random hits.”

“How many people had the schedules?” Nikon moved to the window overlooking the city. His reflection stared back, shadows under his eyes.

“That’s the problem.” Grigorii’s voice lowered. “Only family and the inner circle knew about all three locations.”

The word ‘family’ twisted in Nikon’s gut. He’d sent Reuben to gather intelligence on Dmitrii, but what if the danger was closer to home? What if he’d put Reuben at risk while the real threat was within their own ranks?

“We need to track every detail,” Nikon said. “The shipments, who had access, where it could have leaked.”

Grigorii’s nod reflected in the window. His gaze drifted to the security feed. “How long has your boy been in there with Dmitrii?”

Nikon turned from the window, muscles tight as he side-stepped the question. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“He’d better.” Grigorii’s scar pulled tight. “We’ve got to get information on our enemies now more than ever.” His finger tapped the surveillance photos. “Three separate facilities.Different crews, different schedules. Only overlap is timing with each hit within hours of a move.”

The monitor caught Nikon’s eye again. No movement at Dmitrii’s entrance. Ten minutes since Reuben’s last check-in. Everything was fine.Had to be fine.“That’s why we need whatever intel Reuben can get. If Dmitrii’s behind both the weapons and the casino hits...”

“You know,” Grigorii’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood, “if Dmitrii is behind the weapons leak, then sending Reuben in there alone...”

“He’s not alone.” The words came out sharper than intended. “I have men watching the building.”

“The same men who were watching our shipments?”

Nikon spread the photos across his desk, studying faces in the background, searching for anything familiar. A flash of movement on the monitor drew his attention once again. But it was just a valet parking a car.

“Andrey’s crew handled security for the second facility.” Grigorii’s voice was carefully neutral.

“You think our own brother—”

“I think we need to look at everyone. Even family.”

Grigorii’s gaze met Nikon’s. No need to say the name. Of their four brothers, only Andrey had become the wild card, his moves growing more erratic by the day.

The timestamp on the monitor showed another five minutes had passed.

“He’s been... more subdued lately.” Nikon kept his voice steady, professional. “Acting... differently, during meetings. Questioning decisions.”

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