Page 74 of The Arrangement

Tatiana not only looked surprised, but just a tad bit frightened as well. It was an honest threat, and one Viviana wasn’t afraid to carry out. The warning in her tone said it all. Tatiana wouldn’t be the first woman she laid out, and she probably wouldn’t be the last, either.

“Let’s be clear on this. Our fathers might be bad fucking men, but I bet there was one hell of a difference between mine and yours. You’re nothing more than a Bratva child. I’m a principessa of La Cosa Nostra and he raised me like one, too. He didn’t keep me coveted on a shelf and hiding in the dark. No, I was taught how to bat my lashes at the same time I learned how to wield a knife.”

Viviana took a measured step forward, making Tatiana draw back closer to the bar. “And did you know, Jersey … just a single slice on your pretty thigh at the right spot, depth, and length would have you bleeding out to the floor before anyone even had the time, thought, or care to call an ambulance? Because I sure do.”

“You would—”

“You’re not in Jersey anymore, honey,” Jen said quietly, her voice threatening. She’d come to stand behind Viviana, blocking the view of anyone behind them. “You’re in Brighton Beach. This is Anton’s territory, and this pretty thing here, she’s the only thing he gives a shit about now. She’s got one hell of a man backing her up, unlike you. My one and only suggestion is that you get off that barstool and leave, right now.”

Viviana tilted her head upwards, looking down on the blonde with revulsion when she murmured, “Don’t come back here, Tatiana. If you do, I won’t be so forgiving. And for the record, if you’re going to insult me, the least you could do is get it right.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s not the Russian whore, it’s the Russian’s whore.”

That snide smile crossed the woman’s red lips once more. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, Brooklyn. I said it right, you just haven’t figured it out yet.”

• • •

A finger tapped on Anton’s shoulder forcefully.

“Boss, we gotta problem. A big one.”

Anton tried to ignore Rory’s voice behind him as he continued to chat with Sergei. It wasn’t that he liked the man or wanted to converse with him because in all honesty, he didn’t, but a Pakhan was a Pakhan in the Bratva world and Anton had to be appropriately respectful or it’d lead to nowhere good.

“Boss.”

The word was all but hissed.

“Rory, shut up,” Anton warned quietly, not even glancing back, “and go find my girl.”

“You’re already shipping from Africa,” Sergei muttered, dropping his glass down to the table. “Diamonds aren’t any different, boy.”

Anton fought the urge to roll his eyes before he banged his head on the table repeatedly. It didn’t matter how many times the discussion was had, no one got the point. There were some things Anton simply didn’t want to put his hands into. Human trafficking was one, for obvious and moral reasons, and diamonds was another route he didn’t want to take.

Personally, he did pretty fucking good with his guns and narcotics in the trafficking department. A lot of the time, it kept him under a lower profile because he wasn’t so big of a fish on the fed’s lists.

“Boss,” Rory whispered again.

Anton sighed. “I said—”

“Diamonds,” Sergei repeated, tossing his arm over the back of the booth. “You’ve got good contacts over there, much better than I … we could work it out together, Anton. Nicoli would have been the first to jump on that ship.”

No, he wouldn’t have. There was a reason he wanted to stay away, after all. Anton wasn’t about to correct him.

“Okay, listen …” he said, leaning forward to grab the beer one of his waitresses had brought over, “I promised my girl no business tonight. I want to make good on that, so Monday I’ll get Ivan to set something up with just you and me. Neutral spots, no toes are being stomped on, and I get to go home tonight in lots of time to still save this evening from turning into a total shitfest. Sound like a plan?”

“But—”

“Boss!”

“Don’t your boys know when to back the fuck off?” Sergei growled, glaring up at the bull behind Anton. “Because that one needs a swift kick in the tee—”

“No, he doesn’t,” Anton interrupted darkly. “He just doesn’t answer to you. Now, I have to get going. Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to remind your daughter that she still isn’t welcomed anywhere near Brighton Beach.”

The sound that left Rory had Anton’s spine straightening. He tried like hell not to react to the younger man, but it was damned near impossible. With a tick of his chin, his lover’s bull was down near his shoulder, words whispering fast into his ear.

“Tatiana is here, Boss, and Vine went straight-up Brooklyn on her. I mean, girl spoke about slicing and dicing like she knew what she was saying, okay? Tati said some stuff, and I don’t really know because I didn’t get to her in time, but Jen said it wasn’t anything all too good. Something about her mom and you and the arrangement. Anyway, Viviana’s in the bathroom taking a breather, but the blonde is in the back alley having a smoke with Felix. So, your choice. Pick one.”