Page 96 of City Of Thieves
“I wouldn’t read too much into that,” I say, grinding to a halt ten feet away. “It’s so fucking ugly, it adds fifty grand of value to everything else around it. Or it did…” I toss the package I’m carrying onto the floor and kick it toward him. It skims across the white tiles with force, only stopping when Konstantin crashes his foot down on it. “Oops,” I drawl. “I guess that’s a seven-million-dollar skid mark right there.”
His expression tightens, but he makes no move to pick it up.
“Did you know the first time I saw her was only three blocks from here?” The corners of his mouth twist when he notes my reaction. “She is beautiful now, but back then she was a soft peach waiting to be devoured. AndIwas the first man to sink my teeth into her.” He sighs with satisfaction. “Her eighteenth birthday… Oh, what a gift I gave to her.”
My black walls start closing in on me. One week ago, I would’ve surrendered to them already, but that’s exactly what he wants. Everything is a mind game to Konstantin, with made-up rules that only he can follow.
“Breaking and entering, first degree murder, destruction of personal property…” I click my tongue as I glance around the darkened atrium, where the moon is the only spotlight as it streams in through the glass-domed roof. “Are you going for a personal record?”
“Who says I have finished?” His smile is as sharp as his profile.
“Where’s Anastasia?”
“Safe.”
“Then we have a problem. No daughter. No deal.”
“There is no problem, Marchesi,” he says, holding his arms out expansively. “She will be brought here on my command when I am satisfied the terms of our agreement have been met.”
Liar.
I watch him glance over my shoulder to the men standing behind me. Moments later, a small wooden table is positioned between us, and two chairs placed either side.
I hold his gaze as the ‘Atonement’ is lifted onto the table. Using a pocketknife, he starts to slice the packaging open. Once the painting is exposed, he clicks his fingers impatiently, and a bottle ofStolichnayavodka is banged down on the table, along with two glasses.
“And this is the original this time?”
“Let’s find out, shall we?” Picking up the vodka and unscrewing the cap, I hold it over the painting with every intention of making the blue and red waves swim.
“Ay ay ay!” he shouts, his composure splitting like a fucking atom, revealing the avaricious monster underneath.
“Because that’s what you do with shit, isn’t it Belov?” I grit out. “Use it and discard it.”
“Put the bottle down!”
“You know damn well this painting is the original, so don’t play stupid games with me, and I won’t play stupid games with you.” With this, I slam the bottle back down on the table, and with it, my gun.No more charades.I didn’t come here to talk business. I came here to kill.
“You would be willing to destroy millions of dollars to prove a point?” he says angrily.
“Oh, you’ve just proved plenty,” I scoff. “Your reaction tells me your motives in life are as screwed as your ethics. Tatiana’s father sends his regards, by the way. He’s asked me to carve his initials into you when I have the chance. Good luck lasting a night with Santiago’s crew hot on your heels.”
Konstantin glares at me for a moment before his features melt back into his resting asshole face. “All men have their weaknesses, Marchesi. Theirpressure points... Crush them hard enough and they will dance to any tune you want them to. I do not fear anybody.”
I’ve had enough of this shit.
“Go on then; check it.”
His eyes narrow.
“Flip the fucking painting over and check it. That’s the reason you wanted it, right? For the letter?”
“How do you know about the letter?” he demands.
I tut at him in fake annoyance. “Here I was thinking you were the smart brother.”
He pauses. “It seems I may have underestimated you, Marchesi. I see now why your father chose to make you underboss…Pozdravlyayu.”
Congratulations.
