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The breeze was warm on my skin and bird chirps echoed across the quiet neighborhood. Quiet but peaceful, and spacious. It was a beautiful warm Colorado autumn day. I could breathe here. This lovely suburb just outside of Denver, had been the best place to start afresh. To turn over a new leaf and leave the past behind.
I got into the car, and the tires rolled past the trimmed lawn with a faint whine. I adjusted the rearview mirror and gripped the steering wheel.
I could never get enough of the clear blue sky, the sight of the snow-covered mountain peaks, the evergreen trees, and the foothills.
I could relax becausehewas all in the past.
Chapter 11 - Alexei
“Haven’t had a good fuck, have you?”
His jaw ticked.
“I think Russia has finer women,” he said, and his steel ring clinked against the glass. He made a sweep across with an arm, gesturing to the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass window behind me. “This city comes with a lot of hype I’m yet to see.”
Crystal blue eyes. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Arrogance. One look at him confirmed his Varkov DNA.
The corner of my lips lifted. He hadn’t had a good fuck.
I blew out a puff of smoke through my nostrils and crossed one leg over the other. Rafail came to New York three nights ago for business but had not ceased fire on expressing his distaste for some displays of the contemporary Western culture he’d seen. He was never going to admit it but, the more he talked, the more it sounded like he preferred the beds and pillows in Moscow.
“Later tonight, we’ll change your mind,” I said.
He sipped from his glass, eyeing me surreptitiously. “What’s your plan?”
“Bars or clubs, whichever you prefer.” I exhaled white smoky rings. “Big tits, asses.”
His eyes sparked. “I prefer them smaller, fucking quiet, and not touchy.” I heard the low growl at the back of his throat.
Dissatisfaction.
Whoever he must have been with angered the hell out of him. It might have been a miracle if he hadn’t blown her brains out.
Between the bosses, Rafail had his reputation and was respected for knowing how to keep his shit together. It was an art most of us didn’t give a fuck about. He knew how to remain cool, calm, and composed, like an icicle, even after he rammeda knife through a heart or fired a gun. Whether he was happy or angry, the same stoic expression remained.
Nothing ever moved him. He never wore his heart on his sleeves. So, if he got pissed, then something really ticked him off.
I scoffed and bent my head back, staring at the ceiling. Silence dripped between us before I said, “I’m here for whatever you need,” I spared him a glance. “And I’ll make sure they don’t touch.”
That was another thing with Rafail: his domineering nature was part of the reason he’d been left alone to oversee theBratvabusiness in Russia. He was a control shark in the business—one of the best leaders we had—and, like we had heard, a completely untamed monster in the bedroom. Do. Not. Touch.
Whatever that meant.
“Good.” He dropped the glass on the desk and moved his chair forward. He adjusted the fur coat around his shoulders and straightened the ends of his hair below his neck. It was only the middle of fall, but he was known for his statement-coat. “Back to business. Vlad’s thinking of appointing me around here.”
I quirked a brow. “New York?”
“Queens, specifically,” he nodded. “Something about expanding. However, in my opinion, we already have enough hands on deck as it is. I’m not a fan of over-crowding.”
“Bullshit.” I took my eyes off the ceiling and put out the stub in the glass dish. “You, my friend, are one of the best leaders we have. You’ve got the people, the resources...,”the traditions and morals,“… and the brain for this. You are one the smartest and fastest men I know. Having you here can never be bad for business. You are a fucking asset. Fuck overcrowding. No one really gives a shit as long as we get the work done.”
“I give a shit.”
“Well, I don't.” I never did. “You are more than welcome here.”
The tiniest twitch of his lips caught my eye. In milliseconds, it was gone. “Well… before he decides on that, we must take care of a certain ‘Brown’ problem. Vlad is asking questions. Why the fuck is he still breathing?”
Putting an elbow up on the armrest, I pressed my thumb on my forehead. I sighed. “Shit. He was nothing but a tiny pest, blocking trucks and burning warehouses, years ago. I warned him. Shot his brother in the back of the head and had the body thrown in the dumpster.”
