Page 39 of Pink

Lev sat and so did Andino.

“I have conditions,” he said after a beat of silence.

Across the table, the man in a suit that seemed tailored to fit his form perfectly in every way arched a brow and chuckled. He didn’t look away from the watch on his wrist—a Rolex, Lev knew. The rather large face and emblem on the item gave the brand away easily enough. He bet that watch cost an easy few grand, not to mention the suit the man wore.

“It’s not a … democracy … when you work for me,” Andino said, finally glancing up with a devilish grin. “You don’t get a vote or a say on very much. You get an order, and you follow it. That’s how it works.”

“How often do you approach people to work with you—like you did for me, I mean? “

Andino drew in a careful breath before replying calmly, “For me, not with. No one works with me. It’s not that kind of employment, Lev.”

Right.

He wouldn’t soon forget it.

“My main question remains the same.”

And unanswered, he added silently.

Andino shook his head and lifted one shoulder to shrug. “Rarely. Associates usually come from the inside of my business, you understand? Someone vouched for by someone else. It’s what’s acceptable in this life of ours. The standard for made men. Not that I expect you to understand much about that. I’m not looking for someone like me, however. I’m not fond of that—I like to pick my men. Makes a difference.”

“Does it?”

“Yes, I tend to want to kill them less when I choose someone to be on my books.”

Well, then …

Lev appreciated his honesty. At the same time, he still had conditions. He had to now. Things had changed since Andino approached him.

“What does that mean?” Lev asked. “To be … on the books.”

“Paid,” Andino replied simply.

“Legally?”

A dark laugh answered him back.

Lev figured that said everything.

It was also problem number one. He figured before this conversation went any further with Andino, he needed to just lay his entire situation out on the table. That way, the man across from him knew where Lev stood, and they could either move forward or not.

Pulling out his phone, Lev unlocked the device and turned the screen around for Andino to see the new picture that took up the entire background.

Arely.

And her big smile.

“My daughter,” Lev said.

It still wasn’t official.

It didn’t matter to him.

He knew.

“I just got custody of her two days ago—cops showed up at my door. Guess her mom figured I couldn’t be a dad and didn’t think to tell me. Not sure what good it did. She didn’t want to be a mom either, apparently. So, to keep her, I need a few things. Like a stable job that pays the fucking bills but also isn’t going to get me thrown in jail.”

Andino cleared his throat, his gaze never moving from the screen. “Can’t promise that. Nature of the business, you know?”