Page 117 of One For my Enemy

Lev arched a brow. “Baron?”

“Security,” Eric explained, rubbing his neck. “Hired some recently, considering the types of people I’m working with now.” He gave Lev a pointed look, adding, “When I don’t answer for a couple hours, Baron pays a visit.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll be happy to know he’s very devoted to the cause,” Lev said drily. “Hence me temporarily waking you.”

“Temporarily?”Eric echoed, balking. “Does that mean you’re going to—”

“Leave you here until such time, when and if it ever occurs, that I need you? Yes.”

“But—”

“No security you could hire is going to protect you from me,” Lev warned. “Or from Marya.”

To his credit, Eric sensed the threat enough to suppress a shudder. “Worked, though, didn’t it?”

“It did,” Lev confirmed, “only because I don’t feel like mopping up blood today. Call it self-care, if you will. But believe me,” he cautioned again, “I have no interest in interacting with you outside of what’s necessary.”

“What are you planning to do with me, then?” Eric demanded.

“Handle your business for you.” Lev shrugged. “You take too large a cut. A little less greed might have gone a long way.”

“I have tuition to pay.”

Lev scoffed. “Right. Sure. And this penthouse?”

“Takes money to make money,” Eric said. “Besides, this apartment has a doorman. Top of the line security. People come here to do business, they feel safe.”

“Noted,” Lev said. “But I don’t need you. Just your contacts.”

Unfortunately, Eric’s mouth twitched with something Lev wasn’t thrilled to see; disagreement. A spark of mutiny.

“Not true,” Eric noted. “Youdoneed me. You don’t really know what it’s like to work with criminals, do you?”

No, he didn’t. His brothers did (correction: his brotherswere,in fact, criminals, depending on who was asked), but for the most part, they’d kept him out of it. Lev had never actually met with any of his father’s dealers or clients on his own; had done very little, in fact, without oversight from Roman or Dimitri or both.

“You need me,” Eric deduced from Lev’s silence, and paused a moment before adding, “We could be partners.”

“No,” Lev said. “Rejected. I don’t respect you. Or like you.”

“Well, you can’t kill me,” Eric pointed out. “You need my help.”

“I need your cooperation,” Lev corrected, “but that I could get however I wanted.”

“Maybe you could,” Eric permitted, “but voluntarily would be easiest, don’t you think?”

Lev opened his mouth to answer but caught the sound of the door opening behind him, the man named Baron appearing in the door frame.

“Everything alright in here?” Baron asked, doubtful.

Eric glanced pointedly at Lev, who grimaced.

“Fine,” Lev muttered. “Not partners. But something reasonably close.”

Eric leaned in, dropping his voice. “I want more money.”

“No.”

“Then I’m not doing it.”

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