Page 46 of Beautiful Deception

Her shoulders slump as she nods. “Yes. I will treat your staff accordingly. I’ll treat them how they treat me.”

“No. You’ll treat them with respect.”

“But what if they don’t respect me? Your little maid sure doesn’t.”

“Inessa is just doing her job. Now, let’s drop this. I’m getting tired of it. Since I don’t want you getting hurt again, Inessa, I’m going to have Mrs. Green clean this up. The bathrooms need tending to.”

With a nod, I hurry away, even though I can feel Natasha glaring a hole into my back until I round the corner.

Viktor

I’m not surprised when Erik Koslov walks into my gentleman’s club. I did just steal one of his gun shipments a few days ago. Finn has been proving to be an efficient worker. I’ve already made a couple million dollars from the guns. This war is making me richer than ever.

Erik would be an intimidating man to most people but he’s not to me.

“Viktor,” he snaps, storming over to my booth. My two guards stationed by my table block Erik’s path.

“Search him and then let him sit down.”

They find a gun on Erik, then let him on through. Erik doesn’t stop glaring at me even as he sits down. Even when I order him a drink. Even when that drink arrives.

“Not happy with me, I take it?” I say, sipping my old fashioned.

“You keep stealing my guns. I’m out money because of you.”

“That’s how it works in a war.”

He runs his hand down his face. “Viktor, we were once friends.”

“No. We were once allies. And then you went and fucked me over. There’s a difference there.”

“I didn’t fuck you over.”

“You chose that fucking Italian over me. You let him marry Nadia. I could have married her. It didn’t matter to me if she wasn’t a virgin any longer. I could have married her. We would have been allies.”

“And then we would have been at war with Dante Moretti,” he says. “I saw an opportunity to make amends with Dante. To become allies with him. It was a smart plan. You have to agree with that.”

I don’t say a word.

“But you’re right. You did get fucked when Elena fell in love with Aiden. I should have made her marry you.”

“I didn’t want a woman who was so unwilling to marry me. She loved that fucking hitman and there was no denying it. But my pride was hurt. She never should have fallen in love with him in the first place. We should have kept her safe.”

Erik nods. “I agree. And I tried to get you married to her. I tried to keep my promise. I really did. But it all blew up in my face when she fell for him. I couldn’t have predicted that.”

“I know you couldn’t. And I know you tried, Erik. I know you did. I don’t hate you for that.”

“Then why this war? It’s been going on nearly a year now. Let’s make another truce. Let’s be allies again.”

I only take a sip of my drink.

“I heard you sent your sister away,” he says. “You could bring her back home if this war was done. If we were allied again.”

“You make a good point, Erik. You really do. But my pride was hurt when you started working with Dante Moretti. When you chose him over your own Bratva brother. Now, I’m going to make you pay for that.”

“By working with Finn Murphy? He’s a mad man.”

“He’s angry with his brother for falling in love with Elena. He wants to hurt Aiden. I’m fine giving him that since I want Aiden to hurt too. He stole the woman I was going to marry. I want Dante to hurt for the same reason.”

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