Page 101 of Pink

Marco followed soon after, albeit with less attitude and a whole lot of indifference. It was only once the two men were seated that Marco looked Lev’s way again.

“Is he not good enough to sit with us?”

That time, Lev spoke up before Andino could, replying, “I can’t be bothered to lower myself to your level even if it is just to sit at a table together. Keep it in mind.”

Marco’s cheek twitched at that comment.

Lev simply smiled back.

To the left, Jensen made a disgusted noise as he looked Lev over. “What on earth she could possibly want with you, I don’t know. You’re glorified muscle. A pawn in a game you probably don’t even know how to play.”

Andino snapped his fingers twice, drawing all eyes back to him when he said, “Speak to my man one more time, and I will have him remove your tongue before you leave this place. Is that clear, Jensen? The only reason you’re even here today is I afforded that respect to Marco because of our previous business dealings and nothing more. You are a pissant I could have crushed with one phone call—understand that.”

Clearly tired of the back and forth between the men, Marco folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. Appearing more relaxed, and perhaps even ready to talk as that’s what this entire meeting was supposed to be about, he said to Andino, “And yet you showed me no respect when you slid into my business by having your man spy on my meeting, Marcello. How am I supposed to respond to that? I mean, I know how you would respond. Is that what you wanted for me to do?”

“When you come into my city to do business,” Andino replied, the arrogance dripping off his every word, “you forfeit your right to privacy when there is even the slightest possibility it might affect my organization or our dealings here. This isn’t the first time I’ve made that clear to men far larger than you, Marco.”

“Right, right. How silly of me to think I could come to New York and simply talk to a potential business partner without you having something to say about it, hmm?”

“Are you trying to say something, or …?” Andino trailed off, waving a hand at the man across from him. “Because all I heard in that is, I do what I want. And no, you don’t when you’re on my territory. If I haven’t made that clear yet, New York is mine, and I decide what does or does not happen here. Including you, your business, and that stupid fuck right there,” he added, pointing at Jensen but still staring at Marco. “Who, by the way, is nothing but clout to add to your resume. We both know it. Why did you want this meeting?”

“I was going to ask you to back off and let us resume our dealings without input, and also discuss the little issue of your man being involved with—”

Andino barked out a laugh, straightening in his chair at the same time. “Like hell. Something else we could have done over the fucking phone, Marco.”

“How is my involvement with Gigi an issue?” Lev asked.

Because that was the important thing he heard. Whether or not his boss did, well that didn’t matter to him.

“Lev,” Andino murmured over his shoulder, shooting him a look.

“No, that’s something I want to hear, boss.”

He spoke to Andino but didn’t look away from a grinning Jensen. Two more seconds of that and Lev would rip the expression right from the man’s fucking face.

“Keep getting in my way,” Jensen told him, “and you and the rest of yours will find out exactly why.”

Lev took one step forward.

Andino stood from the table faster than Lev could blink, and a palm met his chest hard. Under his breath, his boss said, “Quite enough … he’s worthless and trying to get a reaction. Nothing more. He can’t do shit.” Then, Andino turned back to the table with the same disinterested expression from before as he told Marco, “Safely assume all business between you and I has … reached its inevitable end. Also know you’re no longer welcome to do any dealings in this city. Should I find out you are doing business here, I will have your body dropped into the harbor with cement in your pockets so that nothing will bring you back to the surface. Even the fish need to be fed, after all. Are we clear?”

Marco tipped his chin up, gaze drifting between Andino and Lev before he finally replied, “I can’t say that we are, no. You’re ending business for what, your man there? Or because you don’t like that I do business elsewhere? Foolishness.”

“Wrong answer, Marco.”

“So be it. Say hello to your wife for me, Andino. I didn’t get that invitation in the mail, unfortunately. I have been keeping up, however.”

Andino didn’t reply.

Marco didn’t seem to mind.

The silence between the four men remained throughout the time it took for Marco and Jensen to stand from the table, and then remove their presence from the restaurant altogether. Even then, the only thing Andino said to Lev was, “Take the rest of the day off. Go get your kid and … do something. Get your mind off this shit. They’re not important.”

Lev was still staring at the door. “Do you really believe that?”

“I have to. Until they give me a reason otherwise.”

Right.