Page 42 of Den of Thieves

Nikolai snorted. “Nice speech, Thor. But I’m tired of standing on the sidelines holding a fucking tablet. I deserve more. So did Alvin.”

Venchi looked at Nikolai.

“I may have been wrong about you, Posh Spice. For once, I don’t see the pampered cousin of the King. I see a man willing to fight for what is right.”

“Enough with the nicknames.” He rolled his eyes.

“Russians have nicknamed each other for centuries. It is our thing. This between us is what the ancients would call a verisimile societatem. An unlikely pair.” Venchi clarified when his words were met with a blank look.

Nikolai studied him for a beat. “Why are you here instead of with the women?”

“The boss thinks I am a distraction.”

“To Karina? Didn’t she break your nose a few months ago?”

“Wha-no! Well, yes. But that was a simple misunderstanding.” Venchi said, rubbing the bumpy bridge of his nose.

“So if not Karina…” Nikolai’s eyes bulged. “You actually slept with AK?!”

“Who told you?” Venchi gasped.

“You, idiota!” Nikolai slapped wildly in his direction.

“Ah, stop hitting me. You’re the only one that knows!”

Nikolai shook his head, trying to tamper his frustrations. His hands itched to slap the dumb giant some more.

What people saw in his crazy cousins, he would never know. He assumed most people would go after the Kovalyovs for their power and money, but men and women of all paths were keen on falling head over heels in love with them. It was as if their common sense and will to live went out the window as soon as they made eye contact with Vladimir or Aksana.

“If you think Vladimir doesn’t know, then you are a bigger fool than I thought you were.”

“Do you think Dimitri knows?” Venchi checked behind them to see if they were being followed.

“If he knew, you’d be dead. Why would you do anything so stupid?!”

Venchi jutted out his chin. “We have a connection.”

“What you have is lust masquerading as love. No matter how many prescriptions you buy, you will never see how one sided this is.”

“We are in love.” Venchi protested half-heartedly.

“Oh yeah, when was the last time you saw AK?”

“A few weeks, but that means nothing. We are playing the game of cat and mouse.”

“Ha! If that were true, you’d be at the compound keeping the women safe. Aksana would have demanded it.”

Venchi’s eyebrows drew together as he processed Nikolai’s words. Nikolai felt bad for the man. Getting out of Aksana’s web was easier said than done.

“Look, I know my cousin. She’s impulsive, but she will always run back to Dimitri. Speaking of, you need to watch your back. Vladimir’s Number 2 isn’t just a man he plucked from the inner city because they were childhood neighbors.

“Dimitri is from one of the worst ghettos in Moscow. He still runs Kapotnya to this day. He helped many people get out of that hellhole. People that will be forever loyal. Once he finds out—and he will find out—you will need to get the hell out of Russia.”

“Posh Spice, I appreciate your concern, but what Aksana and I have is real. She’s done with Dimitri for good.”

The tires on the Range Rover screeched in protest and Venchi held onto the ‘oh-shit’ handle as Nikolai pulled out of traffic and stopped on the side of the highway. The glare Nikolai fixed at him had the taller man cowering against the passenger door.

“Stop fucking saying that! Fucking giant!” He let out a frustrated grunt. “Listen to what I am saying. Every man, every hookup, AK’s ever had ended up dead. Do you understand what I am saying?”

---