“What are you planning,” Ivan asks, falling onto the chair with a plate of food.
“I’m forging an alliance with the Italian Mafia.”
I push off the chair to grab some food. I love Chinese food, and this place is fabulous. I take a few bites, and then I grab the cold soda.
“What for? We don’t need them,” Ivan huffs, shaking his head.
I look at him, rub my temple, and nod. That’s why he’s only my right-hand man, for doing the Bratva’s unspeakable work.
“We do need the alliance, and I’m going to talk to him,” I say, taking a drink.
“Da, I’m coming with you,” Ivan says, looking at me.
“I want all of you to come with me, but I don’t want any of you to interrupt my negotiations. I want this to go down airtight,” I tell them, looking at each one.
“Da,” Anatoly hums, nodding.
“Got it,” Czar says, shoving more food into his mouth.
“Da,” Ivan says, looking at me.
“I’m going to my office to review the file, and I want you to keep on digging up more information on Conti,” I say looking at Anatoly.
“Da,” Anatoly says, typing on the keyboard.
“I’ll work on the Brigadier's numbers,” Czar says, grabbing his laptop.
“Ivan, get the Soldiers ready for the meeting with Conti.”
“Da,” Ivan says, lifting his chin.
I walk to my office because I want to learn everything about Conti and Valentina. I don’t want surprises; in fact, I detest surprises.
I place the plate and my drink on the desk and turn on my PC. I click on the files, review everything about Conti, and then review Valentina’s file, taking my time. I want to know everything about her.
As I review her file, I chuckle when I see amusing incidents that happened at the boarding school. The school emailed through details of each incident to Conti.
Valentina didn’t take any shit from the girls that were bullying her. She took care of the problem. I love her photos at the boarding school because Conti did not take many, like two orthree. But it pleases me to learn that no men are or have been in her life. Awesome, she has an accounting degree.
The next day.
“Hurry, she’s at the shopping mall, and I want to talk to her.”
“Da, but the cars are moving slowly; it’s rush hour.”
“I don’t give a fuck, figure it out,” I hiss, looking at Ivan.
“Da.”
“You’re so damn crazy,” Czar sighs, shaking his head.
“I don’t think it’s a great idea that we all continue going on these errands together without Soldiers,” Anatoly says.
“Da, so keep your ass in the SUV, and I’ll go inside alone.”
“Nyet, I’m going with you,” Ivan hisses, shaking his head.
Ivan figures it out, and we arrive at the shopping mall. He pulls into the parking garage. It takes me a few minutes to track Valentina.
