Page 25 of Used By the Merciless Bratva
“Loans? You could have reached out to any of my brothers whose warehouses are closer to you. Why did you have to come to me? Loan-sharking isn’t geographically-sensitive; you know that.”
“Of course, I know it’s not. I have my sources, and they tell me loans and drugs are your specializations, while your brothers have others. That makes you my surest bet.”
“We all do the same business, sometimes together,” I hedged.
“I know,” he answered, chuckling. He sat up with his elbow on the desk. “You must have heard of the new casino these Singaporean guys opened uptown. It has a different underground casino where high rollers gamble higher stakes. Landed properties. Luxury cars. These guys are either too rich to care about the money or too stupid to know when to stop. And that’s where my business proposition comes in.”
“Offering them loans to gamble with?”
“Yes, but not just loans. They’re too desperate to think twice about interest rates. We can set it as high as we want. They’ll keep borrowing until they hit rock bottom in the games. But there’s more. They sometimes hold underground auctions. Guys who have won valuables often sell them at much lower prices just to get cash quickly. We buy them and sell them at market value outside. I’ve done my research and I have a foolproof plan. What’s left is the core—the money.”
I nodded, and he continued.
“Just weekends. Your men could handle things there; I know you have more than enough business to deal with everywhere else.”
“Gamblers make up a relatively high percentage of my loan-sharking clientele. I understand that they are easy. But I’m not positive about getting involved with the auction. It’ll amount to unwanted stress and risk; it’s not worth my resources.”
“We’ll be getting crazy turnovers on these properties, Danil,” he pointed out.
“Imagine getting a vintage car at this auction. The price would be ridiculously low, true. But extra expenses will come from moving the car, deactivating whatever tracking mechanism it’s equipped with, and possibly altering its appearance a bit. Then there is the high chance of not getting market-price offers because it’s not just a second-hand vehicle. What if it’s a paintingor any other niche item? Then I have to source buyers; I don’t do that.”
“You’re right. What do you say we go into the loan-sharking and just observe the auction landscape, then?” he asked, his fingers on his mustache.
“What do you get out of it?”
“A cut in the interest. 50%,” he revealed. “But there’s another major issue to discuss. Logistics. Moving millions of dollars isn’t regular fund traffic. It might not go smoothly if we don’t have some legal personnel on our side.”
“I have people for that. Consider it sorted,” I told him. “35%.”
“Let’s make it 45.”
“We won’t be sharing risks and input equally, Nikolai,” I clarified.
“40%,” he conceded.
“We have a deal. My men will get the paperwork across to you before the end of the day.”
“Perfect. We should have everything in place before the weekend. There’s no reason for us not to kickstart on Friday. By Saturday, they start putting it in their backup plans.”
“I’ll be there on Friday, being the first day. I might be there on Sunday, too. I’m getting married on Saturday.”
“You’re getting married?!” he exclaimed, his grin spreading. “One wouldn’t expect you to be so casual about it, though. Whoever was able to steal your heart and make you think of marriage must be so special. Congratulations. Bring out the freaking invite!”
“There will be no ceremony, just the marriage itself.”
“Oh, private as always. Send my greetings to your bride.”
The thought of Katria’s reaction to a client’s marriage greetings made me chuckle.
“Sure. Thanks.”
***
“One more thing, Danil,” Eduard uttered, making me turn toward him.
I was about to leave his warehouse on Thursday evening after working out the strategy I needed his input for.
“Have you done any checks on your soon-to-be bride?” he inquired. “Friends? Relatives?”
