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Diego had brought over thirty of his soldiers with him, prepared for a war if necessary. The women were being used as a bargaining chip for a war that I wanted no part of. Now I had no choice in the matter if I wanted to save Alexandra and Charlotte.
We were met by two of Grigori’s men at the warehouse door, their cold expressions not giving away anything other than disdain.
“We’re here to see Grigori,” I told them. When they acted like they didn’t understand, I half laughed. “My uvidim tvoyego bossa ili moi druz’ya vsadyat tebe pulyu v cherep. Tebe reshat’.”
We will see your boss or my friends will put a bullet in your skulls. It’s up to you.
The element of surprise was always helpful. One of the men glanced all the way down to my shoes, snorting then turning to his friend. I’d taken it upon myself to learn both Spanish and Russian, figuring both would come in handy one day.
“The infamous Mr. Stark. We shall see if the Pakhan will honor your request.” He disappeared behind the door, the other man staying.
Diego turned his head toward me, lifting a single eyebrow. “It would seem I’ve underestimated you.”
“That happens a lot.” My weapon remained in my pocket, the itch in my fingers something I hadn’t experienced before.
“Be careful with the Pakhan. He will test you,” Santiago advised.
I glanced in his direction, chuckling under my breath. “Then he will undoubtedly underestimate me as well.”
“I might be able to tolerate your presence, Stark.”
As the Russian returned, he studied the army of men behind us before ushering us inside. There was no talk of removing our weapons, no discussion on protocol. There was an understanding that this was sacred ground.
For now.
The Pakhan sat in a chair that likely dated back to the nineteen seventies. However, he seemed comfortable behind the desk, making the drab room his palace. He drummed his fingers on the metal desk, his gaze falling from one of Santiago’s four men allowed inside to the three I’d brought with me. Then to Santiago and finally leveling his angry gaze at me.
“What do I owe this unexpected pleasure to?” Grigori asked.
“I think we can cut to the chase,” Santiago told him. “You have something that belongs to me.”
Grigori scrubbed his jaw, acting as if he had no clue what the cartel leader was talking about. Then light penetrated his dark eyes. “Ah, yes. The lovely woman you’ve taken to over the past few months. What is her name? Char, I believe. She’s delightful.”
When Santiago bristled, I placed my hand on his forearm.
Santiago took a deep breath, cracking his neck. “We’re not here to play games. I have no issue hijacking your shipment if necessary.”
Grigori didn’t flinch, only his eyes registering the information.
“No, we aren’t. In addition, you also have something that belongs to me. We can do a fair trade,” I stated without any inflection in my voice.
I sensed Santiago was curious what the hell I was getting at.
“What could you possibly have to offer me?” Grigori snorted. “A club membership? I get my kinks easily and without paying for them, club owner.”
“You get your kinks from selling young women on the open market, Russian,” I retorted back. I sensed the tension was increasing.
Grigori laughed. “You do keep up with what’s happening in our beloved community.”
“Yes, and I have valuable information locked away corroborating my statement. That goes for Santiago’s illegal arms trades and pretty much every corrupt decision made by some of our sanctimonious state leaders.”
The flash of anger in Grigori’s eyes was paralleled by Santiago’s heavy breathing.
“You’ve come to make threats?” the Pakhan threw out.
“As I said, I’ve come to make a deal. The women for your freedom.”
Grigori glanced at Santiago, narrowing his eyes. Perhaps I’d stymied both men.
