Page 32 of Beguiled

“Maybe he should worry about the Armenians. They are easily persuaded. They go where the money and power goes. Besides, he doesn’t live here, barely here once every few weeks. Neither is Kirill, his travels taking him all over the world. You are.”

Was he suggesting Mikhail would try to use the Armenians against both the Bratva and the Irish?

“Is this your subtle way of telling me my life might be in jeopardy?”

His smile was followed by yet another lift of his glass. Was his hand shaking? “You are currently considered the man holding the keys of the Bratva. Even the other Russians are afraid of you. Although, you’re aware there’s another Bratva organization in town.”

I nodded. We’d been privy to a couple of skirmishes, the smaller group controlling Brighton Beach, an area of town filled with Russian immigrants. “A fascinating suggestion.”

“Nothing more than the musings of an old man. However, if the Armenian is elected, which could occur as early as in two weeks, one of the first items on his agenda will be leveling the playing field. Keep in mind they are not immune to their own alliances no matter how they are formed. And they enjoy eating their young to gain additional power.”

My thoughts immediately drifted to the beguiling Saige. A prickle in my mind stirred. Interesting.

“As I would do.” He wasn’t looking me in the eye or even in my direction. It would appear he was worried about his future. “Who was in the ring tonight?”

“In my world we call him a sleeper cell. He was in my employ for four years. Four years of treating him like a son. Then I learned he’d been stabbing me in the back, providing intel to the Armenians. His death will send a warning.”

He’d cared about the young man. Seeing the anguish on his face was another reminder that caring about anyone was a dangerous if not heartbreaking situation. While physical pain meant nothing to me, tolerable no matter the circumstances, emotional pain I had no desire to experience.

While I should feel anger that he’d dragged me into his shot across the bow, I understood why he’d wanted someone not in his employ to handle what had to be done.

“I’ll keep your forewarning in mind, Sean.”

What he had done was add credence to Dimitri’s concern about the man working at the hotel. Perhaps I’d need to have a conversation with David Petro.

“I expect you will, Stash. You’re an intelligent man.” He twisted in his seat, the moment of reverence with his loss shoved aside.

He knew enough about me to realize I’d keep his warning in the back of my mind in the upcoming days, weeks, or even months as I continued expanding the Bratva business. He was no fan of Dimitri, the feeling mutual, which was one reason that until Kazimir had been lured into New York with promises of additional power and wealth, the friendly connection hadn’t been considered.

While Dr. Vivian Hamilton, Kirill’s new wife had noble Irish blood running through her veins, she wanted nothing to do with her uncle’s regime. She’d made that clear on dozens of occasions. Only our mutual aspirations kept our tenuous alliance at an acceptable level.

“One last question. The card girl is different tonight. Who is she?”

He grinned. “Are you interested?”

“I don’t like change.”

“You don’t need to worry. Patrick handles the girls. I have nothing to do with them, but I trust his judgment. You can ask if you’re interested.”

“Maybe I will.”

Or maybe I’d check myself and determine if my intuitions were correct.

I headed to where I’d changed my clothes, the room secured by two of his men. I had no intention of volunteering my soldiers. In addition, announcing my extracurricular activities wasn’t anything I was interested in. The less anyone knew about me the better.

And the more intense the rumor regarding my capabilities grew.

With a single nod, the guards moved away. Once I had my weapon in my hand, I couldn’t care less about their security. I checked to ensure my Sig Sauer hadn’t been tampered with and proceeded to change clothes.

The corridor wasn’t filled with people, only a few allowed in the area especially when Sean made an appearance.

Every sound in the dark basement had been registered before, every room noted in my brain. I didn’t tolerate surprises, which was why I’d mentally created a drawing of the entire facility in the back of my mind. That was the reason I bristled as soon as a different noise was heard through the vent of the HVAC system. The room was connected to the one next door, another dressing room that was used by other entertainment.

Tonight that meant the card girl.

The thud wasn’t anything anyone would pay any attention to. But I did. Someone had been pushed into a wall. With my weapon in hand, I opened the door just a crack, ensuring there wasn’t anyone standing in wait. Times like this were when I was glad that I sat behind a desk ninety percent of the time. Even Sean’s most trusted men hadn’t been privy to my real identity.

I eased out the door, checking the corridor. There was no sign of anyone. I crept against the wall and once by the door, I took a few seconds to listen to what was happening.