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The name has my chest seizing and blood rushing to my head. I suck in a sharp breath, unwilling to believe it but knowing without a doubt that coincidences like that don’t exist. Nico insists we all head into the living room to receive our guest.
When he finally arrives, my heart skips several beats at the sight of him. I haven’t seen him in a month but he’s entirely unchanged. Still that same man with the unflinching aura and piercing brown eyes. Eyes that zero in on me as soon as he appears.
I swallow softly, unsure what could possibly be going on.
But I do know one thing for sure. Things are about to change.
CHAPTER 8
Ivan
In my world, favors and secrets are a means of trade. Negotiations and deals are made with friends and foes alike. I’m especially a master when it comes to getting people to owe me. It’s how I’ve been able to amass so much power. Because there’s not a lot of people I wouldn’t give a favor if they approached me.
Some people refer to that as me having no loyalty. I don’t agree. I do have some loyalty, it’s just that it’s to myself first and foremost. There’s nothing I won’t do to possess what I want. A fact the Italians are going to understand in a couple of minutes.
They’ve been expecting me. As the Pakhan likes to remind me often, it’s rude to drop in unannounced to another man’s house. Which is why I sent word ahead to the Don, Nicolas Ramirez, that we had an urgent matter to discuss. I’m not here for a fight. I even added a white flag at the end of my message to make that clear.
The atmosphere in the house when I walk in, though, makes it obvious they disregarded that. My men stand behind me, four of my most trusted guards, ready to get me out of here should things turn south. Which if I’m being honest, it can so easily.
But then my eyes find amber ones and nothing else matters. Lucia’s still as beautiful as that first night I saw her. She stands in the living room same as everyone else, looking on at the scene with confusion. She quickly drops my gaze, eyes down on the floor.
I feel a little bad that I’m catching her so off guard but I couldn’t think of any of other way.
“Volkov,” Nicolas Ramirez states. “To what do we owe the pleasure.”
He knows why I’m here. I might not have had the chance to say it yet, but it’s clear that he’s aware exactly what I want. Still, I stand at ease, my eyes meeting the Don’s blue ones.
“Sorry to bother you in the middle of breakfast, Ramirez. But we have an urgent matter to discuss.”
“If you had something to discuss, the polite thing to do would have been to wait for me to grant you permission of an audience.”
I smile at that. He’s much younger than me, but he’s got balls. Which is admirable. I’ve always liked him.
“I already apologized, didn’t I? I simply figured this couldn’t wait any longer.”
“What do you want?” he grits out.
My eyes travel across the room. I pause when I meet Lucia’s eyes once more. She still looks surprised, maybe a little worried. My gaze also pauses on the man standing in the corner. Adrian Rossi. There’s no mistaking the gun he has clenched in his hand or the murder in his eyes.
This situation could turn volatile pretty quickly.
“Why don’t we sit?” I ask calmly. “Mrs. Ramirez, it’s nice to meet you. If you don’t mind, I have something to say that concerns your entire family.”
Nico’s wife nods slowly before looking at her husband. They communicate silently, trading a few glances back and forth before Aurora Ramirez finally speaks up.
“Of course. You’re already here. We might as well hear you out.”
I lower myself into a single sofa. Vlad stands behind me and we wait for Ramirez and the Maranzano sisters to sit as well. Lucia sits next to her sister. Nico sits opposite me.
“Now that we’re all seated, I’ll start by saying that I’m sure we’re all aware that most agreements and negotiations in our world are built on promises. Promises and pacts that can’t be broken.”
“The only promises I’ve had with the Bratva involves a business deal that’s been going well so far,” Nico states.
“Of course. I myself was responsible for overseeing that deal and ensuring its success over the past few months,” I say easily. “But that’s not the deal I’m here to talk about. You all know Sebastian, the late Don’s second-in-command?”
“He’s dead,” Nico says dryly.
“Yes, I’m aware. It’s quite unfortunate, really, that he planned that coup against you. But haven’t you wondered where he got the funds to hire all those men he made use of? Certainly not from a member of an outfit, that would have been an outright betrayal. So where do you think he got it, Don?”
