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I shrug. “You could say we’re… friends.”
A smile grows across thePakhan’s face, revealing stained and missing teeth. I do my best to hide my revulsion as a whiff of his breath floats across the table, stinging my nostrils.
After studying me for a moment, he leans onto the table, interlacing his fingers. “Miss Gates, I have sympathy for your situation, and I thank you for sharing your perspective with me.”
Is he kidding? That wasn’t myperspective, it was facts. All facts.
Has this whole thing just been an anxiety-inducing waste of time?
Fuck these people. All of them.
I start to stand, but thePakhanwaves me back down. I obey, because what the hell else can I do?
“I will have Dimitri Yegorov compensate you for your trouble.”
Huh?
“I… I don’t think I understand,” I say slowly.
“He will make restitution. To you and the Alekseevs,” he says, like our conversation is over.
Not so fast.
“Um, sir, I did not come here for money. I don’t want Dimitri’s money.”
He is perplexed. “Excuse me? Miss Gates, that is my decision—”
I cut him off. Probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. “I refuse to be monetarily compensated,” I say, my chin up.
His eyes narrow and his head shifts back on his neck, like he’s never had anyone, much less a woman, disagree with him.
Which is probably true.
“What is it you want, then?” he asks, amused.
Asshole.
I shrug. “It’s pretty simple. I want blood.”
His eyes widen, and he stifles a laugh. “Blood?” he says, smiling. “Miss Gates, do I need to remind you that Dimitri is worth more to this organization than you are?”
And there we have it. I’ll never be worth as much as a man in this world.
I grip the arms of my chair and repeat in my head the guys’ lecture on keeping my cool.
I will not lose my shit, I will not lose my shit…
I am not ready to give up. “How is Dimitri of value to anyone? All I hear about is what a drain he is,” I say calmly.
So far, so good. I’m under control. All is right with the world. We’re just discussing whether someone has the right to live or die. I’m pushing my luck but carefully. Very carefully.
ThePakhandrums his fingers, clearly tiring of me. “What you don’t know, Miss Gates, is that Dimitri’s father was an honorable man. That sort of respect is afforded to family members in our world. Even though his father is no longer with us, Dimitri is protected, to a degree. Additionally, he runs several businesses—”
“I don’t care,” I say, finally snapping. It was inevitable. “I’ll kill him myself. Try and stop me.”
I get to my feet. ThePakhanmight not be done with our conversation, but I sure am. What a waste of fucking time.
He sighs. “Very well, Miss Gates. You have been warned. We have our ways of doing things, and I suggest you try to understand that. You can leave now. Please send in the Alekseev brothers,” he says, waving me out the door.
