Page 45 of Deadly Offer

“And yet they sent their star player right into my poker rooms.” Dmitrii’s voice remained pleasant, his face arranged in a benign smile for any onlookers. Only his eyes revealed the predator beneath. “Did you have fun at those games? Running back to Nikon with all the juicy details?”

“I’m not anybody’s errand boy.” The glass stem nearly bent under Reuben’s grip. He forced his fingers to relax.

“No?” Dmitrii glanced pointedly at Reuben’s cufflinks. “But Matveiboyslove to mark what’s theirs, don’t they?”

Reuben’s lips twitched upward. “Funny you’d admit I played you so easily. First me, now apparently Andrey. Maybe you’re just not as sharp as you think.”

A brief flash of anger crossed Dmitrii’s face before his mask of civility returned. “I wasn’t fooled. I knew what you were about the minute you walked in. Just like I’m starting to see what’s happening with Andrey.”

“And what’s that?”

“Too many coincidences.” Dmitrii’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s cut the crap, shall we? First, Andrey tells me where to find Matvei shipments, but when my guys show up? Nothing. Weird how his intel suddenly sucks, when he used to know everything about the Matvei business.”

Another waiter appeared, offering to refill their glasses. Reuben declined with a small shake of his head, unwilling to dull his senses even slightly. However, Dmitrii accepted, his fingers lingering on the waiter’s wrist just long enough to make the young man uncomfortable.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with Andrey,” Reuben said once they were alone again. “From what I hear, he’s been through a lot. Family exile takes a toll on a desperate man.”

“And what about loyal men? What stories do they tell?” Dmitrii’s gaze swept across the ballroom. “These rich folks, for instance. Do they have any idea where their money’s really going? Do they know whose name they’re getting into bed with?”

Dmitrii tilted his head, a serpentine smile playing across his features. “Matthew Capital Ventures.” He paused meaningfully. “Matthew... Matvei.” He gave a small shake of his head. “I have to say, using the anglicized version of Matvei is a little on the nose, don’t you think? Especially if you’re trying to keep their involvement a secret.”

The threat stretched across the narrow gap separating them.

Reuben kept his breathing steady, though his heartbeat sped up. One word from Dmitrii to the right person in here could unravel everything he had been trying to build the past few months.

“You’re mistaking discretion for deception. My investors know who they’re dealing with.” Reuben maintained the cool composure he’d perfected at the poker tables.

“For now.” Dmitrii’s smile widened, eyes glittering with malice. “But you know how fragile reputations can be.” His fingers traced the rim of his champagne glass, delicate but deliberate. “One whisper about what the Matvei family really does.” He sent a meaningful glance toward a senator’s wife chatting by the dessert table. “And these fine people would be running for the exits.”

“Cut to the chase, Dmitrii.” Reuben’s tone cooled by a fraction of a degree. “What do you want?”

“Same thing I wanted when we first met. You’re wasted with the Matvei crew.” Dmitrii casually leaned into Reuben’s personal space. “Come work for me. Be my money guy instead of Nikon’s pet. I’m offering a real partnership, not a leash.”

A genuine laugh escaped Reuben’s lips. “You can’t be serious. Word has already got around about how you’ve got Andrey serving drinks at your poker games like some flunky. Is that your idea of a partnership?”

Dmitrii’s eyes flashed with cruel satisfaction. “Oh, you’ve heard about that? Yes, themightyAndrey Matvei mixes quite a decent cocktail now. Should see him when he drops a glass. He even crawls under the table to clean it up.” He smoothed his tie with casual arrogance. “The man who once ran the streets now fights for tips from my poker players.”

Dmitrii flicked invisible dust from his sleeve cuffs, a gesture of dismissal. “And if you’re wondering, yes, he sleeps in the storage room behind the kitchen. That’s what happens whensomeone proves disloyal. Andrey turned on his own family. So why on earth would I trust him with anything important?” His voice hardened. “You, however. You’ve shown serious loyalty. To the wrong people, but still. I’d appreciate someone like that.”

“And if I say no?”

Dmitrii swirled the remaining champagne in his glass, studying it with the same intensity he’d just directed at Reuben. “Then I’ll have to protect what’s mine. Starting with all these fancy deals you’ve been setting up.” He gestured toward the mingling investors. “Venture capital is a fragile business. One bad deal, one rumor about shady connections, and all that confidence goes up in smoke.”

“You’re making threats now? Interesting approach.”

“I’m giving you options.” Dmitrii finished his champagne in a single swallow. “Plus a little heads-up out of sheer courtesy. Poor Andrey’s running out of usefulness. When that happens...” He made a dismissive flicking motion with his fingers.

The corner of Reuben’s mouth twitched downward for a fraction of a second. Not concern for Andrey himself—the man had pressed a gun to his head after all—but for what Andrey still meant to the Matvei family.

Exile or not, Andrey’s death would leave a wound in Nikon that might never heal. The empty chair at family meetings. The careful way no one mentioned his name.

Reuben stepped back, creating distance without appearing to retreat. “You’ve made your point. And I’ve made mine. I’m not trading what I have for whatever you’re selling.” Reuben maintained his pleasant smile for any observers, but his eyes turned to flint as he raised his champagne glass in a mockery of a toast.

“Your loss.” Dmitrii sighed theatrically before inclining his head in a mock bow, turning to leave. “Tell Nikon I said hello.”

Reuben watched him weave through the crowd, stopping to shake hands with investors who did not know they were greeting a viper. Only when Dmitrii disappeared through the ballroom doors did Reuben allow his shoulders to loosen slightly.

He returned to mingling, addressing investor questions and collecting commitments without revealing his anxiety.

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