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Pavel’s bony shoulders sank. “Thanks, boss. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve moved over six-hundred-thousand dollars worth of raw gold in less than a week,” Roman said. “No apologies are necessary. In fact, you can expect a substantial bonus when this is all over.”
Pavel nodded. “Thank you.”
Max saw him out and returned to the dining room. “I take it we’re moving?”
Roman nodded. “No choice now. I need to get to my father before Branka does. Matvey has the list of brigadiers?”
“He’s got it,” Max said. “He’s standing by.”
Roman exhaled. “Good.”
Matvey was the strongest of the men Roman had recruited. The other brigadiers respected him, would listen when he spoke of the promise — and profit — of a new bratva under Roman’s leadership.
He would begin making calls to them the moment Roman stepped inside the Brighton Beach house to confront his father.
By the time he left, they would have at least some of the brigadiers on their side.
“What about Lyon’s men?” Max asked.
“In position in the city. We’ll call them in when we leave for Brighton.”
Roman paced to the big window overlooking the city and lined up the pieces in his mind.
The loft, protected by Lyon’s men.
Mat, lining up support from the brigadiers, leaving Roman’s father with a smaller — and quite possibly nonexistent — army.
And the money from the gold — over ten million dollars in Roman’s offshore accounts, waiting to grease the wheels of his takeover.
It was time to make his move.
He thought of Ruby. He had to talk to her, to tell her the truth.
Tomorrow. After he’d put the pieces of his plan in motion.
She would hate him. Would probably never want to see him again.
But at least she would know.
31
RUBY
It was nearly two in the afternoon when Adam sauntered into Roastedcarrying a manila envelope. He’d barely stepped through the door when alarm bells rang in Ruby’s head.
She knew Adam, could read every facial expression, every movement, like a book.
He was gloating.
She didn’t know why, but she could tell from the way he swaggered into the coffee shop, chin raised, eyes hard and triumphant.
It shouldn’t have mattered — they were divorced, he held no power over her anymore — but her stomach twisted anyway.
Her heart sank further when she realized he was alone. Deon must have been in the squad car waiting, and while he’d never actively intervened between Ruby and Adam, he was at least a sympathetic last resort if things got really out of hand.
The crowd inside Roasted had thinned as they moved past brunch and Adam waited behind Ruby’s only customers, a couple of women swapping stories about their latest dating disasters.
