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Danny didn’t say a word. He had been in this situation before and knew that talking was only going to make things worse. Nikolai might look calm, but that was all a mask. Beneath the handsome shell of a businessman was a ruthless mob boss who wouldn’t hesitate to inflict pain or worse.
“You’ll apologize to Kostya when you see him next and to Besian,” Nikolai ordered, still scratching away with his pen. “You’ll also pay for the broken nose and chipped tooth you caused.”
“Yes, sir,” Danny replied.
“Until further notice, you will not step foot into another Beciraj-controlled business, and you’ll forfeit two weeks of payroll.”
“Yes, sir.” Danny figured that was getting off cheap, all things considered.
“Tell me about the guns,” Nikolai commanded, setting aside his pen and finally looking up at him.
“Liam has the route mapped out to move our steel from Riga and Tallinn to various destinations in Africa and South America. I personally walked through the port facilities, the ships, and the storage. The parts of the operation I witnessed were run well. It’s a small operation, tight-knit like us,” Danny added.
“Small operations are easier to duplicate,” Nikolai remarked, finally giving Danny insight into what the boss was thinking. “The tracking devices you placed have been sending signals without interruption. Did anyone see you?”
Danny shook his head. “I was careful. I did exactly as Kostya instructed.”
“And were there any issues with our side?” Nikolai narrowed his eyes. “With Oleg?”
Danny had heard rumors that Nikolai was actually Mikhail Prokhorov’s bastard son which meant that Oleg, Mikhail’s legitimate son and the heir to the Prokhorov crime family, was Nikolai’s brother. Standing here now, he could see the resemblance between the two men. Oleg was closer to Danny’s age than Nikolai’s, but they had the same nose, the same eyes, and the same jaw.
“Oleg is serious about business. He doesn’t fuck about,” Danny said. “He knows the gun-running business inside and out. He seemed to trust Liam, but I sensed there were some reservations.”
“About?”
“About sharing too much of Oleg’s end of the business with Liam and us,” Danny explained. “I think this is Oleg’s only real piece of action, and he’s trying to impress his father and make his mark. He doesn’t want to share.”
“Understandable.” Nikolai leaned back in his chair and studied Danny for an unnervingly long moment. The boss glanced over at Ten and flicked his fingers. Book in hand, Ten left the private room to run some secret errand. Nikolai glanced back at Danny and said, “Now, tell me about this girl that caused all the trouble today.”
Danny swallowed hard, certain this was his one chance to get the boss on his side. He laid out the facts as he knew them and waited for the boss to speak.
“It’s a mess, Danny.” Nikolai scowled. “Setting aside the issue with the money the father owes to Besian and the fact that someone in that family caused extensive and expensive damage to a property Artyom owns, it’s too public.” The boss shook his head in distaste. “It’s not only the police digging into this family, but it’s arson investigators, CPS, the hospital where the mother worked, and probably multiple insurance companies as well. It’s too much heat, Danny.”
He had been expecting that response, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. “So, you won’t help us.”
“I didn’t say that.” Nikolai glanced at his watch and then exhaled loudly. He gathered up the papers and pen and rose from his seat. “I was merely stating my position.”
Ten returned with a small banged-up box from the kitchen. “Here.”
Danny accepted the box thrust into his hands. He was used to getting large sums of money in strange containers, but he wasn’t at all expecting what he found when he lifted a cardboard flap. Beets. Bruised and withered and too far gone to eat.
As a teenager, he had worked food prep at Samovar so he was familiar with the discarded vegetables and fruit that accumulated during a shift. Bewildered, he asked, “What am I supposed to do with these?”
“Well, I wouldn’t suggest using them for borscht,” Nikolai remarked dryly.
Ten chuckled and reached over to shift aside one of the fatter beets. He revealed a banded stack of cash sealed with plastic wrap and splashed with bright pink juice.
“That’s your payment for the work trip and a little extra to pay to help cover the costs of finding the answers you need.” Nikolai handed his paperwork to Ten and then grabbed his suit jacket off the back of a chair. “I realize you like this girl, but don’t forget that you have duties and loyalties to me.”
“I think I’ve proven where my loyalties lie,” Danny replied, annoyed that Nikolai would even suggest he didn’t.
“You have,” Nikolai agreed, “but sometimes, our hearts get into a battle with our heads. This dancer of yours—.”
“She’s not a dancer,” he interrupted gruffly. “She’s a good girl who got into a bad situation because of her father. I’m sure you understand how that goes.”
Danny heard Artyom’s sharp intake of breath behind him. Making any sort of comment about Nikolai’s wife Vivian was all but forbidden. Nikolai might tolerate a compliment, but bringing up her father was a big fucking mistake.
“Careful,” Nikolai warned, his voice low and soft. “You’re not wrong. We don’t choose our parents.” As he slipped into his jacket, the boss said, “I’ll back you in this, but you better toe the line, Danila.”
