“But I'm not actually in negotiations with Harrington-Cole,” he says.
“You will be by end of day. I'll make a call. Jenny owes me a favor.” I smile as the plan comes together in my mind. “The Russians aren't afraid of guns, Dominic. They have plenty of their own. But they're very afraid of attention. Of anything thatmight bring federal investigators sniffing around. A high-profile international partnership does exactly that.”
Lochlan watches me. The heat of his gaze makes my skin tingle.
“So I just... call him?” Dominic asks, his voice edged with nerves. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes. Show him he can’t bully you like that. Be polite but firm that you're moving in a different direction with this partnership. If he pushes back, you mention that your new partners have very good relationships with customs officials. Let him read between the lines.”
A long pause follows. Then Dominic blows out a breath. “Jesus, Adriana. That's...”
“That's business. My business. And now it's protecting yours.” I drop my voice, softening it just a tiny bit. “You're under DiMicheli protection, Dominic. That hasn't changed. But the kind of protection I offer looks a little different than what my father provided. Less blood. More leverage.”
“Okay. Okay, I'll do it.”
“Call me right after. And Dominic? Thank you again for coming to us and letting us know about the situation. That's what family does. We are loyal.”
I click to end the call.
When I turn around, Vincenzo is standing at the end of the hallway, eyebrows knitted together. I walk over to him, a wide smile stretching across my face.
“Dominic is going to call Kozlov directly,” I say. “He's going to tell them he's not interested in their offer because he's entering a partnership with Harrington-Cole Logistics.”
“He’s what?” Vincenzo's eyebrows rise. “With the British company?”
Pride flares in my chest. “I'm going to make it happen. By the time the Russians look into it, there'll be a real deal on the table. They wanted to test the new leadership. Now they know whatthey're dealing with. Someone who can make their lives very complicated without firing a single shot.”
Vincenzo reaches his arms around me and hugs me tight. “Oh,bella mia, your father would be so proud,” he says. “That was brilliantly done.”
“Well, it's not over yet. I still need to make that call to their VP of Operations to make sure the Harrington-Cole angle is solid.”
“Of course,” he says. “But your approach was exactly right. And don’t worry, I'll handle the follow-up with Dominic. You make your calls. And then, for God's sake, go get some rest. You look exhausted.”
“Thanks, Zio. For everything you do.”
He smiles. That warm, familiar smile that reminds me of being a little girl, sitting on his knee while he told me stories about the old country. My God, I long for simpler times. But I am so grateful to have him by my side through all of this. He’s one of the best people I know.”
“Always,bella.Always.”
He heads back down the hallway, his phone already at his ear.
I stand there for a moment, letting the adrenaline settle. Lochlan walks over.
“That was impressive,” he says.
I smile. “Thank you. That was survival.”
“Call it whatever you want. It was fucking great.”
“You didn't try to help,” I say.
“Why would I? You didn't need help from anyone.”
“Yeah, but most men would have jumped in anyway. Taken the opportunity to put in their two cents.”
“How many times do I need to say it? I'm not most men.” He tilts his head slightly. “Besides, I couldn't have done that. I don't know any British logistics VPs or whatever you call them. My approach would have involved more of a... direct conversation.”
“You mean you’d have gone in there and busted some skulls.”
