Page 20 of Vengeance

Really, like everything I’d done back then, I’d been vying for Viper’s attention. He’d taken one look at me and said to both Wyan and Phae, “She can wear what she wants. I can fight.”

So could I. And I’m sure Hudson hasn’t forgotten that the first and only time we met, all of us ended up spending a night in jail for Hudson thinking he was allowed to cop a feel as the birthday boy. But maybe that’s the point for him. Hudson always did like to live on the wild side. It’s a wonder he’s still alive.

“We’re keeping up with each other,” I reply.

“How about you ditch him for the night and take a spin with a seasoned man like me? I bet—”

This time, the shot into the cushion between his legs comes from my gun.

Again, he laughs even as his security looks at both me and Viper on more heightened alert. I put my gun away and pick back up my drink.

“Only another crazy fucker could deal with a crazy fucker like him,” he says raucously. Then he looks at Viper and says, “Please tell me she’s the client. It would make this birthday boy’s night.”

“She is,” Viper says as he discreetly trades his empty glass for mine and downs it.

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Hudson says.

I frown and say, “I have a feeling that I’m going to be shooting more bullets at you during this partnership.”

Hudson only laughs and sniffs a line of coke passed his way. Then he says, “Have your boyfriend send me over the drop-off specifics. In the meantime, get drunk. Get high. Have a good time.”

That’s something we won’t be doing. With the deal concluded, more than ever, I’m aware of how much I want to get out this dress. Not even so Viper can fuck me, though there’s definitely going to be plenty of that tonight. But simply because I find most clothes like this too tight and irritating during my pregnancy.

Viper immediately begins to get up to leave, but I pat his thigh and tell him to wait so I can go to the bathroom.

The fact that Viper lets me go alone confirms to me that he’s got men all over the place to watch in case anything happens. I’m in the middle of washing my hands when Nadia Vorobev herself walks into the bathroom.

“I know you didn’t kill my father-in-law. Alik doesn’t think you did either,” she says promptly in fluent American English.

I don’t know what she’s getting at or why she’s talking to me, but I don’t sense a threat from her, so I say, “That’s nice. But it’s your brother-in-law that needs convincing.”

“He won’t be convinced.” Nadia shakes her head and says, “Dele…”

I narrow my eyes at her.

“How do you know that name?”

Without breaking eye contact with me, she says, “We met once. When we were teens. You won’t remember. I didn’t look like this.”

I look into her green eyes, wondering where I could have ever met her before but nothing comes to me. I met so many people as a teenager both directly and in passing. There’s no telling.

“That doesn’t matter right now, though,” Nadia says. “What matters is that there are things happening that have nothing and everything to do with you.” She hands me a piece of paper and adds, “Alik and I will try to help you as much as we can. He wants the alliance. Without the marriage. But our hands are tied. Me and my husband’s help probably means little to you in the grand scheme of this war, but if you need anything we’ll do what we can to help.”

I glance at the paper she gave me. It has her phone number on it.

“Wouldn’t this be seen as a betrayal to your boss? To your family?”

Nadia huffs and says, “Not when they betrayed you first.”

There’s a story there, but it’s not relevant to me or my business. It’s definitely domestic infighting that has little to do with me save for the fact that I’m a convenient scapegoat for someone who doesn’t want to be found in their family.

So I simply nod and am about to walk out the bathroom when I hear a ruckus coming from outside.

Nadia and I exchange a look before going outside and finding the raised platform in the center of the room in chaos. Hudson is sitting down, holding his nose and between his eyes, blood pouring between his fingers as his team tries to pry his hands away to get a good look, while Viper sits right where I left him holding the bloody god damn heavy metal abstract art centerpiece that was on the table next me earlier.

Hudson must have said something to really piss Viper off, because Viper doesn’t look angry when I approach him. He’s sipping his alcohol with an unhinged, self-satisfied smile that’s more dangerous than one of his glares could ever be.

“You god damn, fucking bastard,” Hudson manages despite the fact that his face is currently smashed in. “Fucking take everything so fucking seriously. I fucking swear.”