“The docks remain neutral territory,” I continue, pulling their attention back to the negotiations. “No family moves product through those channels without agreements from all parties.”
“Agreed.” Angeloff nods. “But what about enforcement? If someone violates the accords?”
“United response, shared consequences.”
Morozov swirls his vodka and asks, “What guarantee do we have that your recent... domestic troubles... won’t interfere with business operations?”
“My domestic situation is handled. My focus is where it needs to be.”
“Really? Word on the street is that Dmitri Kozlov is so obsessed with his mysterious wife that he’s forgotten how to run his organization.”
I start to stand, but Katya’s hand on my arm stops me. When I look at her, she gives me the slightest shake of her head.
“Gentlemen,” she begins, rising from the couch. “I can see that my presence is creating unnecessary tension in what should be a productive business discussion.”
“Mrs. Kozlov—” Angeloff begins.
“Please, let me finish. You seem to think my husband is weakened by his devotion to me. That protecting his family makes him less effective as a leader.”
She walks to the center of the room, where she can see all three men clearly. “That’s a massive misunderstanding of power dynamics. If a man can’t protect what’s his, he can’t protect anything. The fact that my husband eliminated an extraction team within hours should demonstrate his capabilities, not his weaknesses.”
“Furthermore,” she continues, “the idea that marriage makes a man soft suggests you’ve never been married to the right kind of woman. I assure you, I am very much the right kind.”
Morozov leans back in his chair. “And what kind is that?”
“The kind who understands that sometimes the most effective negotiations happen when everyone knows how far each party is willing to go to protect their interests.”
She reaches into her purse and pulls out the pistol I gave her, holding it casually at her side. She’s not threatening anyone, just making sure everyone can see it.
That gets my cock’s attention. This is the woman I've been waiting to see—dangerous, deadly, and completely mine. The combination of her beauty and capacity for violence is intoxicating.
“For instance, if someone were to suggest that my presence makes my husband vulnerable, I might take that as a challenge to prove otherwise. And I’ve discovered recently that I’m quite good at proving points.”
The silence that follows is deafening. Three of Moscow’s most dangerous crime bosses are staring at a woman who just threatened them with the confidence of someone who’s killed before.
Based on their faces, they believe her.
“I think,” Angeloff says carefully, “that we might have underestimated Mrs. Kozlov.”
“Most people do,” she replies as she returns the weapon to her purse. “It’s a useful miscalculation.”
She walks back to the couch and settles beside me as if nothing happened. “Now, where were we with the territorial agreements?”
The rest of the meeting proceeds without incident. The three men are subdued, respectful, and notably careful about how theyphrase their concerns. Whatever they thought they knew about Katya, she’s just redefined their understanding.
An hour later, after agreements have been reached and subtle threats exchanged, we’re finally alone in the elevator and heading back to the parking garage.
“You handled that well,” I tell her.
She blows out a breath and says, “I’m not sure threatening three crime bosses counts as good behavior.”
“In this business, threatening people who disrespect you is excellent behavior. It establishes boundaries and earns respect.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “I scared them, didn’t I?”
“Terrified them. Which is quite an achievement.”
“Good.” She leans against the elevator wall, looking satisfied. “They were testing both of us to see if we’d break under pressure.”
