I frowned, wondering if I was losing the ability to be honest with myself.
There’s no love happening between me and my husband.
Right?
19
MAKSIM
Carina texted that she was going to have lunch with Elena. It gave me the chance to continue this meeting with Nikolai and Alexei before heading home to have dinner with her. It didn’t matter how often I reminded myself that we had an arrangement. We couldn’t help but gravitate toward each other and want to spend time together—even in seemingly domestic ways like sharing meals. Before her, I’d eat whenever I found the spare time, too busy working. Now, I felt like I was finally understanding what people meant when they said a balance could be found between work and family. That had never applied before because my work was for and with the family. Carina was family, too, but it was different.
It was personal, like when we were together, the rest of the world ceased to matter as much.
Dean had some intel for me about the Garcias’ movements, and he was available to go over some new details before heading out to a warehouse to check on how much product was already moved.
“It’s kind of weird not having her here,” Dean said.
“Carina?” Nikolai asked.
He nodded.
“Why?” I asked wryly. “Because you still think she’s a spy?”
Alexei rolled his eyes. “Weallstruggled with whether she was a spy or not.”
Dean shook his head. “No. I mean it’s weird to see you without her. She’s been glued to your side for so long now.” He held his hands up in a truce-like manner. “I’m not saying that’s good. Or bad. Or anything.”
“It’s probably best that we don’t have her in on this specific discussion,” Nikolai said. “Since we’re planning to increase security and move things where we can in the event that the Cartel is no longer in our consideration for trade at all.”
“Yes. It’s probably best for now,” I agreed. If Carina were in on this talk, she’d need to pick a side. She’d stand with us. Yet, it’d be hard for her not to look out for the Cartel, too.
“Would she defend him?” Dean asked. He stacked his arms over his chest and raised his brows. “We’ve been here talking about preparing for the possibility that Arturo Garcia is compromised. Like that tip she got that he’s now working for a third-party that could damn well be Gregori. Would she protest and defend him against any accusations like that?”
I wanted to state that she wouldn’t dream of defying me like that. Yet, I knew how strongly she valued her past and the crime family she had come from. It wasn’t only a matter of power. It was family pride. It was her wanting to do right by her parents’ memories.
“She seems to be wary about him, and it sounds like she’s concerned whether the alliance set up with the trade agreement could be broken,” Alexei said.
“She’s not naïve,” I replied. “I think she’s been dreading how badly Arturo could be messing something up for the Cartel. And her opinion of him is already low enough that she anticipates him doing something stupid sooner or later.”
“And she’d stick with you? With us?” Nikolai asked. “If the Volkov and Garcia trade deal is over, she wouldn’t insist on leaving?”
No. No fucking way is she leaving me.
“They’re married,” Dean said.
“Contingent on the arrangement that the families stay allies,” Nikolai said.
“No.” I shook my head, not even willing to consider her leaving me. There was no expiration date on our being married. “She has likely been dreading how bad things are going with the Cartel leadership because she knows sheisstaying here, with me.” I hated to make her pick and choose, but it wasn’t my fault that Arturo wanted to fuck around. I respected that her past mattered to her. If anyone ever tried to convince me that I wasn’t a part of the Volkov Bratva, I would fight it too.
And if Arturo was trying to do something stupid, he’d pay for it.
Fuck around and find out.
That was where we were at now.
Trying to prepare for making Arturo cease being a concern.
“My marriage is not going to save Arturo Garcia from being punished for breaking our trade deal. Especially if he is trying to align with Gregori’s network.”
