Page 67 of Arseni
Something bangs in the conference room I’m standing by, drawing my eyes.The lieutenants are meeting with the Pakhan, so virtually every important person in the Bratva is in that room.Notice I’m waiting outside.
No… You said just to give the info to the detectives?
I go to reply, but bronze skin wrapped up in a yellow flowing package turns a corner down this hall.Lucia jerks to a stop when she sees me, big brown eyes going wide.I hope it’s from fear.
Going back to my phone, I stab out a text while she wanders this way.
The stalker is one of yours.Someone high up maybe, but young.Need you to look for someone who moved up the ranks quickly.
“They invite Luka to these things now, huh?He must besoimportant,” I drone to Lucia, lowering my phone to meet her glare.
“He is.And you are not.So what the hell are you doing here?”
Wow, that’s rude.
“Aww you learned how to curse.”I smile and raise my shoulders like I think she’s adorable.She isn’t.At all.
Her arms cross over her chest as her face pinches with a pissed off expression that makes her look like a shrew.I can just picture her stomping around her house, throwing out demands, her husband’s balls held tightly in her fist.
“Luka walked into an especially large doorknob,” she says with a snarky tone like she wants me to explain myself.As if I owe her anything.
“Hm.”
“Two of his ribs are broken.”
“Okay.”
This only pisses her off more.Her eyebrows nearly kiss.But she doesn’t say anything right away.She just stands there glaring at me like I couldn’t kill her if I wanted to.
“You don’t even care…” She shakes her head, her lip curled.“He could kick your ass, just so you know.”
“Oh, I know.”I nod, though I doubt it’s true.In a fair fight, sure.I like to play dirty.“Butyoucan’t.”
Her glare falls as her arms loosen.Her composure is only gone for a few moments, but in that time we both remember how we met.It makes me grin and her grimace.
Luka wanted to kill her.It was me who thought she could be of better use.
I should’ve listened to him.
“Why did you even come to our wedding?”she asks, trying to regain her composure.Her discomfort shows in the way she shifts her weight, her jaw flexing.It’s pathetic that she even tries to look brave.
“Because, Lucia… I needed to see the look on your face when you saw me again.”
Her lips part, and her hand flies toward my face, but I see it coming a mile away.I grip her wrist, holding it tightly when she tries to jerk away and savor the panic in her eyes.
It’s not because I’m a sadist.I like to have fun, but I just really,reallyhate this woman.
When the door to the conference room opens, I let her go.She stumbles backward and gingerly grabs her wrist like I hurt her, but I bet she just hates the feel of my hand on her.So do I.
I ignore Luka when he strides out, and for once, he does the same.He gives me a passing glance before taking his wife’s hand and leading her away.I wonder if she’ll tell him about our conversation.If she does, he really will kick my ass.
Nikita is one of the last to leave, only Vitaly—who doesnotgive me a passing glance—behind him.It’s petty, but I get the urge to flip him off as he walks away.
I look down at my last message from Hudson before putting my phone away.
I’m on it.
“Did you have a nice chat with the Columbian girl?”Nikita asks.Lucia is from Mexico, but I doubt he cares.There’s humor in his tone that makes me think the meeting went well.Which, for everyone else, means it went poorly.
