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Vlad frowns. "Nico say why he killed him?"
"Cassius was ranting, pacing, waving a gun. He underestimated little Nico, and honestly, so did we. I told him we were simpatico again, but he needed to get his ass out of town for a while. When he calls to confirm he's lying low, I'll transfer the ten million to him, with your permission."
"You don't have Cassius' body? I assume Sasha had no choice but to dispose of him."
"Yeah, he's dealing with it. I grabbed this for you. Thought you might like to have it."
He drops a blood-covered signet ring onto Vlad's outstretched hand. Cassius's ring that cut my lip when he punched me the first time. It feels like forever ago now. A different life. A differentme.
Vlad presses the ring into my palm.
"Spoils of war,lisichka. We win."
I slip it over my middle finger and raise it toward the ceiling. "Fuck yourself, Jack."
Vlad laughs. "Shouldn't you be pointing down? He's not up there." He speaks to David. "Send Nico the cash. He's got the finesse of a herd of elephants, but he did good."
"What are you gonna do now?" David asks.
Vlad grins. "I'm gonna deal with business,dyadya. But I need you by my side. Papa gave you a raw deal, and you deserve better. Whaddayasay?"
41
Two hours later…
Cassius
My phone has been ringing non-stop, but I can't shut it off. I'm waiting for David to call me again.
I know what's going on. Most of my acquaintances are chancers, just like me. They wouldn't be calling unless they had something to gain.
Trusov burned me. The fucking cunt. I knew he would piss his pants at the thought of tangling with the Kislev bratva, but it still stings. None of this would have happened if he hadn't sent Hektor to New York.
When my father was laying into my mother, she would scream at him. Tell him abusive bastards like him would get their just desserts. He used to hit me too, but he preferred to fuck with my head.
When I was eight, he upped and left, so I don't know if Mom's prophecy came true, but her constant nagging drove him away. She said they'd been happy before I came along, and as a young kid, that hurt me. When I grew up, I sure as hell made her show me some respect in the way my father taught me. Women learn better when they bruise.
I've done a lot of nasty shit and hurt many people. Deep inside, a tiny voice asks me whether karma is coming for me, too.
The phone rings again from a number I don't recognize. I answer it.
"Yes?"
"How's it going?" David asks.
"After what you told me, I don't dare walk down the fucking street. Ira and Vladimir are buddies now, I take it?"
"They're not fighting. The Trusov and Kislev bratvas have a price on your head. Nice to be wanted, isn't it?"
"Hilarious. Have you done it yet?"
"No. And I'm not going to."
Did he just say that?
"Care to elaborate? We've been through this already. You'll tell Vladimir I'm dead and give him my ring as proof. He'll drop his guard, and you encourage him and Morgana to leave the safety of the city. You point me in their direction. I kill them. The Kislev bratva is yours, and I return to Chicago."
"I'm not doing it." David's voice is resolute. "I was wrong about him. He's not a loose cannon, after all."
