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Speaking of…
Rush is here, while Rose is with Genius in another part of the old house. He has his feet up on the desk, so I cross to him, pick them up, and dump them on the floor.
Rush spills his whiskey as he quivers with outrage. “Dude!”
“It’s Nikolai.” I lean against the desk and take his drink, setting it on a coaster as I hand him a handkerchief for the spill. “Belucci’s not a forgiving man at the best of times, and I suspect his antiques mean more than some lives. Choose future enemies wisely.”
“Are you still pissed about New York?”
There’s something in his voice. “Do I need to be? You did the job I asked. You didn’t know he fenced things—”
“Not that. The girl I fucked. She complained to her father when I stood her up the next day to see you. I didn’t know he was affiliated with the FBI.”
I rub my face. “Fuck, Rush, I’m going to put a shock collar on your dick. Keep it out of women who might have connections.”
“Yeah, well, I thought…” He stops and leans back, looking at me.
“You thought what?”
Rush waves a hand. “You look like you’re going to do something dumb with Rose.”
“No, I’m not, and I can’t exactly get rid of her. She’s tenacious.”
“And you love her.”
I do, and he’s pissing me off. “Don’t you have a job to fucking do? Because I know a site that’ll deliver a shock cock ring, next day delivery. Extra small?”
Rush just laughs. “You talk like that to hide your soft and gooey center. You’re just as human as me. I mean, you’re a good guy under all that shit.”
I practicallygrowl.“No. I’m not.”
“You raised me, and I’m fucking great.”
Just then, Tony finds it time to join us. He doesn’t need to speak; he knows what’s going on, heard the call, helped with the plans.
“He’s taking Rose on this mission because Niko lost his balls to her. Can’t send her away, can’t—”
“Watch your fucking mouth, Rush,” I say, downing my drink. “And it’s Nikolai. Rose is safer with me.”
“This is you swinging the other way from when you sent her off. You’re really shit at working out love.”
This time, I raise my voice and slam my palm down on the wood. “Enough, Rush.”
He meets my gaze, pales, and drops his eyes. “Sorry, man. I like her, and I love you. You’re my only family; I don’t want to lose either of you. I say sit this out.”
What pisses me the fuck off is that I’d say the same thing to him, but he’s wrong about my gooey center, my humanity. What you see is what you get. I care for him and Rose, but that doesn’t change me.
“They won’t see me coming.”
It’s true. This plan is going to go off without a hitch, with Rose by my side.
“You know you could leave her here, Boss,” Tony offers.
I shoot him a nasty look, then one at the nodding Rush. Despite all her tenacity and insistence, I actuallycould.
I could drug her, lock her up, anything to stop her being a part of this. She’d forgive me after, but I’ve got a horrible feeling she’d blame herself, question herself. Rose wants to not just feed into the darker part, but to prove herself. She has nothing to prove, though, and I won’t be part of tearing her down. Not with everything she’s gone through, with everything that’s happened.
“You could stay, too, Nick—Nikolai.”
