Page 21 of Arseni
Her face reddens while he gestures to the mop bucket and goes on.“Honestly, things have been so busy here, I forgot what day it was.I’ve been scrubbing the floors since sunrise.”
“You’ve never cleaned a floor in your life,” she snaps with her lip curled.She only means it as an insult.No one here believes he’d ever use chores as an excuse.
“That’s because I always hadyou, my love.”A savage smile pulls one side of Nikita’s lips.“I have to tell you, Mila, now that I’m just a bachelor on my own, I see all the little things you did for me.I wish?—”
She cuts him off with a diamond-clad hand across his cheek, thesmackechoing in the vast foyer.When she bows up to him—her neck craned to look up—her eyes are crazed with so much hatred, I wonder how Nikita doesn’t flinch.He looksboredstaring into her eyes, but I imagine that’s so she can’t see the vengeful thoughts swirling.He would slit her throat and fuck the gap if he could.
Remember when I said Mila was destined to be a Pakhan’s wife?Guess whose dick she was on before Vitaly took over?The woman would blow the president if she felt he could give her more power than her husband.
“Don’t youeverbring up the past again.”Her voice holds so much anger, it quakes.
Nikita leans closer to her until she must feel his whisper on her nose.“Yes, Mrs.Petrov.”
With that, she steps back, her arms wrapping across her chest like she’s suddenly uncomfortable.She turns to me with a glare and looks me up and down.Her cherry lip curled, she shakes her head.“I’m so glad my brother isn’t friends with you anymore.”
I rear my head back, but Mila turns and marches out before I can respond.When the sound of the slamming door dissipates, I turn to Nikita.“What the fuck did I do?”
Nikita shakes his head in disgust and starts to lead me toward his office, his limp less pronounced.I wonder if he’s walking painfully on purpose just to avoid feeling weak.
“They don’t appreciate us.”He sighs.“To them, you’re nothing but Luka’s charity case.They aren’t capable of seeing your worth beyond that.Try not to read into what they say.”
I follow Nikita into his office and sit down in one of the plush, purple chairs.I’m always in a hurry to sit when I’m around him, mindful of his prideful tendencies, so I’m surprised when he continues to stand.
“I want to apologize for earlier.”He leans against his desk and taps the cane on the floor.“I should’ve told you what we were doing today, but I have this…” He twirls a hand.“Fear, I suppose.I don’t want our business with the Armenians to get back to Vitaly.They have history.”
Armenians?
My mind jumps over it.I don’t really give a shit what he was doing.
“You’re afraid I would rat you out?”
Nikita tips his head back and forth.
“Mr.Petrov, I?—”
“I don’t like the bond you have with Luka,” he says, his voice chilled.I half expect his breath to fog.“The whole family is a snake pit… I’m not saying you would everintentionallydo something, but I’m concerned that he’s capable of manipulating you.Despite what the new leadership might think, our work is very important for the Bratva.I can’t have anything compromising our efforts.”
I shake my head.“I have nothing to do with Luka.Trust me, I hate them as much as you do.”
“So you haven’t spoken to him recently?”Nikita asks with his head tilted.Despite his naive tone, I can see the test in his eyes.He knows.I don’t know how he knows, but he knows.
“He came to my house yesterday because he suspected I intimidated that engineer.The guy filed a restraining order against Vitaly… I meant to tell you sooner.”
“Which part?”Nikita’s tapping cane finally pauses.He scoots to sit on the desk and places the cane in his lap.
“The job I did with the engineer.Obviously, I messed up, and?—”
“I could not possibly care less about that.I know you do good work.Whatever happened is on Vitaly’s tame reputation, not on you.”
My eyebrows slowly pinch with confusion.
Nikita squeezes the bridge of his nose like I’m just not getting something.“I don’t want to control you, son.In the past, I’ve made mistakes, and it’s cost me the betrayal of more than one of my closest allies.I want you to understand that you’re not just a valued soldier.You’re a valued friend.But if we’re going to continue working together, I need to know you aren’t communicating with my rivals.”
I shift in the seat, taking a pause before answering.
“I won’t speak to Luka anymore.”
Nikita smiles, finally satisfied.“Thank you.Now, tell me about what happened with the engineer.Could he have IDed you?I’m not upset, but I’d like to make sure there’s reasonable doubt that you were the one who attacked him.There’s no sense in denying what the snakes can prove.”
