Page 107 of The Bratva King

“What?” I snap.

“Nothing.” He holds up his hands. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Say it or get out.”

“I’m just observing that you two seem... close.”

“Don’t.”

“We don’t know who she is,” he warns.

“You don’t know who she is.”

“You do?”

“I know enough. Her name doesn’t fucking matter.”

“I’m not judging. I’m cautioning.”

I give him a hard stare.

He sighs. “Fine. Let’s talk about the real problem right now. The casino.”

I exhale slowly, forcing myself to focus. “It’s them. The Italians. This wasn’t an accident.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“I know.”

“Nik, before you go on a revenge tour, let me investigate. It might be nothing. Shit happens in kitchens. Grease fires are common.”

“Not in my kitchen.”

“The timing is suspicious; I’ll give you that. But let me pull the footage. Let me talk to the staff. If it’s sabotage, we’ll know.”

Every instinct I have is screaming at me to act. Now. To go to their territory and burn something down. To make them feel what I’m feeling.

“With the opening date getting closer, they’re trying to push me,” I say. “They want me reactive. They want me to make a mistake.”

“Exactly. Which is why you need to let me handle the investigation first.” He leans forward. “You go in right now, guns blazing, and you’re doing what they want. You’ll look like the aggressor. You’ll give them what they need to justify escalating further.”

I hate that he’s right.

“Give me twenty-four hours to pull everything together. If it’s them, I’ll have proof. And then you can do whatever you want.”

“Fine,” I say.

“Maybe you should go home. I think there’s something there you can use to work through this frustration.”

“Fuck off.”

He laughs and walks back to the door. “For what it’s worth? I think she’s good for you.”

He leaves before I can tell him to fuck off again.

They made a mistake coming into my casino. Invading my territory. There will be payback.

But revenge isn’t what I’m thinking about. I’m thinking about going home and tying Gabby to my bed and fucking her until we’re both too weak to move.