I was confident in my skills. Some might even say arrogant. But even I knew the numbers game was so far from our fucking favor that we were walking into a death trap.
“We need allies,” he said confidently, as if he’d already been planning how to get them. “It is apparent. Talk to Makarov.”
“An alliance with the Russians?”
We were good friends, but friendship was one thing and alliances were another. An alliance meant the Russians wereinon this with us. Our successes were tied to theirs, and so were our failures. We’d be responsible to one another.
My friendship with Kostya had been the only real friendship I’d ever known, outside of my brothers, and even still, it was easy. We never asked for things without repaying them. Wenever helped without the assumption it would be returned. He knew what he got from me, and I knew what I got from him.
If things went wrong, it would be my fault for dragging him in. It could impact the future of the Bratva for generations to come.
“I’m not sure,” I murmured.
“You must make a commitment sometime, Ryuji.” Obi sighed through the phone. That muscle in his jawhadto be flaring like it always did when he was annoyed. I rolled my eyes. “This is strategy. We need help, so do they.”
Kostya listened beside me. Didhewant to get into this with us? The Bratva was well-established, and our syndicate was a baby in comparison. We were fighting an uphill battle against one of the most powerful Italian families in this hemisphere. If we lost, I could disappear, and get out of here easily, but he couldn’t. He had an entire organization to report to.
“An alliance,” Kostya said as he rubbed his chin. Like Obi said, he was at a disadvantage, and so were we. We’d already come to one another’s aid with the stunt we pulled at Club Thunder. If we allied, we could put up a true fight against the Italians. “It’s not a bad idea.”
Volpe might want to take out two birds with one stone, but for us and for Kostya, we could do the exact same thing.
“It is mutually beneficial,” Obi said. I could hear him typing on his computer in the background. “If I had known you were going to meet with Makarov, I would have proposed this earlier.”
“Well, we were a little distracted at the penthouse earlier, weren’t we?” He’d been the first to hightail it out of the living room and disappear, followed shortly by the bodyguard. “By the way, are they done yet?”
It had been hours, but if it were me, I’d take my time. I’d draw as many orgasms out of her as I possibly could.
He hesitated before responding, voice corded with tension. “I believe they are asleep.”
I released a sigh of relief. At least it was safe to go home now.
“Focus on the matters at hand, Ryu,” Obi added. “Business is pressing.”
“Fine.” I glanced in the direction of my childhood friend, who raised an eyebrow. “Alliance?”
“Duh,” was all he said.
I huffed a laugh. “Great. We’ll talk terms after things settle. Territory, revenue, collaboration, et cetera. That good with you, Kostya?”
He nodded before directing his brother, Kolya, to put out the word. War with the South Americans. War with the Italians, both the Vero/Volpe Family and the Tommaso Family. Alliance with the Shadows.
“Good,” Obi replied. “We’ll talk about it tonight and include this development as we form our next plan of attack. Hopefully Leona will be feeling better.”
“All right,” I said with another sigh. “I’ll clean up here at Kostya’s and then be back to the penthouse.”
“Make good choices,” Obi deadpanned.
“Never,” I said sweetly before hanging up.
I slipped my phone in my pocket before walking over to the South American’s body. I pulled my knife free from his neck.
My businesses were at stake. My future. Everything I’d worked so hard for was now suddenly in the crosshairs of two very large, very powerful criminal organizations in what was shaping up to be a long, drawn-out fight.
But I wasn’t about to sit quietly and let them take us out.
“Let’s send a message, Kostya,” I said, an idea taking shape in my mind. We needed to show that the Shadows and the Russians were official partners. And that we were not going to let them fuck with us.
It was our turn to go on the offensive.
