Page 170 of Begin Again, Part 2

"You sent people to watch my fiancée just to get my attention. So tell me what you want and make it quick!"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Andrei said as he poured himself a drink. He took a few sips and waved the glass at him to show him it wasn't laced with anything.

"I don't understand where all this hostility is coming from." Andrei stood up and paused in front of the massive French windows. They showcased a beautiful desert oasis during the day. But at night, there was just desolate darkness, pretty much like how Liam's heart had been over the past couple of weeks.

"I always liked you, Anderson. I even took bets on a few of your races. My money was always on you. But you—for some reason, you hate me. Why is that?" Like a whiny little child, Andrei demanded his attention from the window as he turned, fished out a pack of Marlboros, and pulled out a cigarette. One of his guards rushed to his side, to light it for him. He took a few puffs and blew out a massive cloud of nicotine.

Liam snorted in disgust. "Your brother fucking torched my depot and burned my trucks. I lost half a billion in revenue because of him, and you 'always liked me'?"

"I had nothing to do with that." Andrei held his hand over his heart, a solemn look on his face. "You know I was abroad, and when I found out what Aleksei did, I immediately came home to fix things."

"You call stalking my fiancée fixing things?"

"How else was I supposed to get your attention? Be glad it's me and not one of my partners keeping tabs on you." Andrei took another puff.

"Are you expecting a thank you?" Liam gritted his teeth.

Andrei ignored him as he crossed the room and sat down in the armchair across from him, throwing him a gentle smile when he spoke. "I ran after you like a little bitch for two weeks, Anderson. I was at the hospital daily, but your men kept turning me away."

"I'm sure you can appreciate their reasons."

"Here's the thing," Andrei said. "Aleksei told me you were close to signing over twenty percent of LUSSO to us when you attacked him."

"I attacked him?" Liam shook his head incredulously. Aleksei had a warped sense of reality. "He almost killed my son!"

"I didn't ask you here to rehash the past," Andrei said as he pushed the bloody envelope at him. Liam had tried so hard to ignore it since he sat down. But now, he had no choice but to confront the crimson stains as he wondered whose blood it was. His or Aleksei's?

"I want in!" Andrei announced. "My partners are eager to get to work. Two weeks is a long time to lose money. So let's bury the hatchet."

"Why would I give you a piece of LUSSO when your brother tried to kill me? What's in it for me?"

"You get to go on your honeymoon and live out your pedestrian life of marital bliss." Andrei smiled. "Congratulations, by the way. Your impending nuptials are the talk of the town."

"We would invite you, but—" Liam pointed at his side where he was shot.

"Now, let's talk business," Andrei said seriously. "I want that twenty percent."

Liam laughed, unable to believe his ears.

"What's so funny?" Andrei narrowed his eyes at him, his mouth hardening into a thin line.

"I thought you wanted me to drop the charges, so your brother can walk," he said.

"Why would I want that? I hate the idiot!" Andrei growled. "Do you know how much money we've lost because of his erratic actions?"

Liam had no clue, since he wasn't privy to their finances. But he'd sensed some strife between the twins and assumed it was a healthy brotherly rivalry, more so on Aleksei's part because, as the youngest, he had lived in Andrei's shadow all his life. But now, it seemed the healthy rivalry he'd imagined was way more than that.

Andrei seethed as he carried on with his rant. "I don't care if Leks doesn't make bail. Aero has decided not to intervene. We've distanced ourselves from the situation, and to be honest, he's safer inside. He's pissed off a lot of people, and they all want him dead, me included."

"He's your brother."

"There's no family when it comes to business, Anderson. He screwed up, and I'm here to clean up the mess."

Liam nodded, took the empty glass, and poured himself a shot. He raised it at Andrei and gulped it down. He should give him all of LUSSO to get the Ivanovs out of his life. But he'd be a fool to let them out of his sight. He had to keep them much closer than his other enemies. After all, they were far deadlier.

"You want twenty percent?" Liam said after a brief pause. "But here's the thing, I still don't see how it benefits me."

"You don't, do you?" Andrei smiled. "I had a nice life overseas. I didn't want to come back to this shithole. But, you see, our partners are angry because they lost a lot of money. And when people lose money, they do crazy things. I'd hate for your wedding day to turn into a massacre. But that's exactly what will happen if you don't give me what I want."

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