I grab the vodka bottle, half planning on throwing it across the room. How the hell is Daniil able to simultaneously show so much concern and be so blasé about Blair’s safety?
Is he just showing concern because he knows that I’d fucking kill him otherwise, or is he actually worried? It’s not like Daniil has a long, storied history of putting Blair’s needs before his own.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I call Alexei. He’s an asshole, but he’s resourceful and owes me a favor. Or six.
“Kak?”he grunts. There’s muffled music in the background, and I hazard a guess that he’s already at one of his clubs and setting up for the night. I wait for a moment, then hear a slamming door and the music fades away entirely.
“Any chance I can steal Lev for the night?” His cousin typically lingers around him, doing whatever he needs. Whenever I need something from Alexei, it’s Lev he makes poke throughand delete hours of surveillance footage or give me a hand in cleaning up bloody messes.
“Maybe,” he hums. “Depends on what you need him for. I was counting on him for some additional security tonight, so it’ll cost you.”
Of course it will. Alexei doesn’t like to trade in cash, but the favors that he calls in can be fucking expensive. That’s why I like to make sure that he always owes me more than I owe him.
He needs inconvenient bodies to disappear from one of his clubs? He calls me. He needs to have people removed with more subtlety than his typical security can handle? I can do that.
But my favors are just as costly.
“I need him to watch a place tonight. Just watch and stop anyone who shouldn’t be there from getting inside.”
“You want him to house-sit?”
“No. I just need to make sure a couple people are safe. He doesn’t need to talk to them, and if he can make sure they don’t see him, even better.”
I might not agree with the finer details of it, but Daniil was right that Blair doesn’t need to know the exact details of what’s going on. If there’s a way to keep her from worrying about someone coming to kill her, then I need to find a way to make that happen.
He lets out a heavy sigh before he relents. “Fine, but we’re even after this, alright?”
“No. But this can count for two. It’ll get you closer.”
“Fine. Text me the address and time, and he’ll be there.” He blows out a frustrated breath, and I put the vodka away withregret. “I don’t suppose you’re free to help out at Virgo tonight, are you?”
“Something interesting happening?”
Nearly all of Alexei’s businesses are aboveboard and totally legit. The only exception is Virgo, an unlicensed strip club that manages to stay open almost entirely because of bribes. It’s nothing but a front for the Bratva’s money laundering.
It reeks of cheap booze, attracts the kind of clientele that know how to mind their own business, and employs the kind of dancers that will put up with a lot as long as they’re getting paid under the table.
It’s also the kind of place that’s perfect if you’re meeting with someone and know it’ll probably end in bloodshed. Alexei doesn’t care whenever it needs to be closed for cleaning, and we can keep messy negotiations out of the legitimate clubs.
It’s a win-win.
But when there’re meetings, it’s always smart to have a couple guys on hand to make sure everyone there knows exactly what did and did not happen inside the back rooms.
“Krutikov has some sort of business and requested the room.”
I freeze, free hand flexing to keep myself from forming a fist. “Tell me you don’t meanDaniilKrutikov.” I would beg him if I thought it would make a difference.
“Is there a different one?” He sounds genuinely confused, but it bounces off me as I grow numb to everything but my rage.
No wonder Daniil didn’t want to tell me where the meeting is. He’s already planned on it ending with someone needing tosee Doc, and if I’d known, I would have worked harder to put a stop to it.
I’m going to kill him.
Chapter 5
Andrei
The Krutikovs' front door is as black as my mood. I glare at it as I take a deep breath, doing everything I can to rein in my temper. The sound of Niko’s laughter rings through the wood, and there’s no point in storming in and scaring him.
