Page 139 of Ruins
We have a problem.
Maksim and Angelo stand at opposite ends of the table, voices low but sharp, their disagreement simmering just below the surface.
A heated debate.
A war of egos and tempers.
And it’s only a matter of time before it boils over.
“There’s no way Kaya isn’t part of this! His men tried to take your sister, then turned around and came for mine,” Maksim growls, his voice thick with frustration.
“Kaya wants to meet, and I think we should take it,” Angelo counters smoothly, too confidently.
Maksim scoffs. “It’s a trap, and you fucking know it.”
“Not if it’s on our turf.”
“He’s been after my territory for years. Now he comes for my family, and you want me to give him more access to my territory? Fuck no.” Maksim’s words drip with venom as his glare sharpens on Angelo.
“I’m telling you, I’m right about this.”
Maksim laughs, but it’s humorless, unhinged. “I’ve been doing this shit for almost adecadewhile you’ve been at the helm for—what? A fucking month?”
Angelo’s jaw ticks. His eyes go dark.
“Watch yourself, Korsakov,” he warns, voice low, dangerous.
“You’re overstepping, Amato,” Maksim fires back, stepping in close.
Tension crackles like a live wire between them.
I exhale sharply, stepping between them before this pissing contest turns into a bloodbath.
“We,” I say, my voice cutting, gesturing between Angelo and myself, “can set up a meeting with Kaya on our territory if necessary.” My eyes lock onto Maksim’s, unyielding. “You can utilize my men for intel on every enemy we have. Now cut the shit and get the fuck out of my building. I have work to do.”
Maksim clenches his jaw, nostrils flaring, but after a tense beat, he gives me a stiff nod and storms out, slamming the door behind him.
Silence settles for a moment.
I arch a brow at Angelo, unimpressed. “I leave for one moment, and you blow him the fuck up?”
Angelo shakes his head, unbothered. “Better we meet with Kaya without him anyway. He’s too hotheaded.”
I laugh. “Unlike you?”
Angelo smirks, chuckling. “Fair enough, brother.” He claps me on the back. “Dinner at Serenata’s tonight?”
Before I can answer, my phone rings.
One of the guards at my estate.
I answer immediately, my stomach tightening.
“Is she okay?”
Angelo watches me closely, the slightest crease forming between his brows.
The guard’s voice is clipped. “Sheknows, boss.”
