Chapter 25 Episode 25
1636 Words
But it’s a trick. He teases me, embarrasses me, and then truststhat I’ll run off and do as I’m told.
So far, it’s worked way too well.
“It sounds to me like you might be the one on the deadline,” Isay. My voice is shaky, but I press on. “What’s the matter? Isthe boss putting the pressure on you?”
Nikolai whips around, his gray eyes hard as steel. “Excuseme?”
“If you’re in trouble, I can help,” I say softly. “I thought youwere embezzling money for yourself, lining your own pockets.But if this man—Giorgio or George or whatever… if he’slaundering money through your business or forcing you to doanything, I can help. I’m trained to report this kind of thing tothe authorities. I can vouch for you.”
I’m not even finished speaking yet when Nikolai tips his headback and laughs.
It’s a deep, obnoxious laugh. Like I’ve just told the world’sfunniest joke.
I roll my eyes. “I’m serious.”
“Which is what makes this so funny. You actually think youcan save me.”
“If you’re in trouble, yeah, I—”
“You can’t save me, because I’m not in trouble.”
I sigh. “I know it might be embarrassing to admit you’re inover your head. But you can turn it around. We can get you outof this.”
Nikolai whips around the desk so fast that I don’t even havetime to step back before he’s in front of me. I have to crane myneck back to look at his face.
“I’m not part of anything I don’t want to be a part of,” hegrowls. “If I were you, accountant, I’d suggest you keep yourmouth shut about what you don’t know. Which as far as I cantell, is most things.”
Asshole. How does he make “accountant” sound like a slur?
I take a deep breath and steel myself, even though all I want todo is curl up in a little ball. “At least I’m not afraid to stand upto the people who want to control me,” I say, jabbing a fingerinto his chest. “If you think I’m going to sit idly by and let youturn me into an accessory for your crimes, you’re insane. Youmay be afraid of this Giorgos guy, but I’m not.”
“For f**k’s sake,” he hisses. “Ya ne boyus’ etogo zhalkogopodrazhatelya mafioznogo bossa. On boit·sya menya.”
I’m less surprised Nikolai has slipped seamlessly into Russianand more surprised by how much of it I understand.
I was almost fluent at one point, but my understanding startedslipping as soon as my dad died. I buried that with him when Iwas too young to know any better.
“I’m not afraid of that pathetic wannabe mafia boss. He isafraid of me.”
Mafia? Did I hear that right? Images of old school gangsterswith comically large guns and fedoras flood my mind.
What the hell is Nikolai tangled up in?
What the hell am I tangled up in?
Suddenly, Nikolai tips his head to the side and arches a brow,suspicious.
I almost answer in kind before I decide to lie. The less heknows I know, the better. “You’ll have to speak in English ifyou want me to understand you.”
I do my best to look annoyed even as my heart is thundering inmy chest. This is so much worse than a simple case ofembezzlement. If Nikolai is involved in some crime syndicateor the mafia, I could be in serious danger.
“I took two semesters of Spanish in high school,” I add, “so ifI’m ever lost in Mexico and looking for a bathroom, I’m set.Beyond that, it’s all a mystery to me.”
Nikolai frowns as he pushes his hair away from his forehead.A gold watch on his wrist catches the light. Underneath it, Isee the edges of a tattoo peeking out.
I don’t know if Nikolai is a rich businessman trying to playwith the bad boys or if he’s a crime boss in his own right.
But I don’t want to find out.
“A formal invitation and pastries?” Arslan says gleefully,settling into the seat across from me and grabbing an applefritter from the box on my desk. “How rare. I’m honored.”
“Don’t thank me. Bridget bought them.”
Bridget showed up with the pastries about ten minutes afterBelle left. “The accountant told me you wanted them,” shesaid when I looked at her blankly. “She said you trusted mytaste. Do you not like these? I just thought…”
I almost laughed. Belle read Bridget like a book. The womanhas been throwing herself at me since I hired her. I wonderedwhy she wasn’t breaking my door down to apologize forletting Giorgos in to see me, and now, I have my answer:because Belle diverted her attention.
“Well, I already had one asshole in my office today,” I tellArslan. “Why not add another?”
Arslan frowns, his temperament shifting in an instant. “Who?”
He sighs. “What is Giorgos thinking? The man is going to gethimself killed one of these days.”
“I told him as much when he called me last night.”
Arslan tosses me a worried look, just as I knew he would. “I’mall ears as soon as you’re ready to elaborate.”
“He as good as told me he’s having me followed,” I explain. “Itold him that if I catch any of his men tailing me, I’ll kill them.And him along with them. He should feel grateful I gave him awarning.”
“f**k. But the deal is still on?”
“As long as Xena isn’t too upset about me being out withBelle last night.”
Arslan blinks a few times before slowly dragging a hand downhis face. “I take one night off and the s**t hits the fan. Whatwere you doing out with the accountant last night?”
“Believe it or not, my intentions were pure.”
He snorts. “Of all the lies you’ve ever told, that might be theleast believable.”
“Her sister got involved with some shithead punk I hired at thehotel. It was my duty to make it right.”
“Oh yeah, totally. Because you’re so well-known for rightingyour wrongs.”
I arch a brow. “I’m all ears as soon as you’re ready toelaborate,” I drawl.
“I’m saying you don’t do a damn thing that doesn’t benefityou or the Bratva. And we love you for it,” he adds hastily.“It’s how you rebuilt your family name from the ground up.It’s why you’re the big man now. So color me shocked to hearyou were out doing acts of service last night.”
He isn’t wrong. If anyone asks me for a favor, I quote them aprice. But with Belle, I didn’t even hesitate to step in.
“She has our books. If I want her to help cover our tracks, Ican’t let her sister get date r***d by someone with mysignature on their paychecks. It doesn’t exactly foster feelingsof goodwill.”
“That’s what f*****g her is for,” he retorts. “That fosters a lotof goodwill.”
“And that’s why you’re single.”
He presses his hands to his chest like he’s wounded, butArslan has made it more than clear that he has no intentions ofsettling down. I’m not sure what kind of woman could handlehim, anyway.
“So did anything happen between the two of you that Xenaneeds to be worried about?”
I shake my head. “Almost. But Giorgos called and interrupted.That’s how I knew he was tailing me. He claimed someonehappened to see me and Belle in the club and informed him,but—”
“The man doesn’t have that kind of network. Not in this neckof the woods.”
“Exactly,” I say. “And I made it clear I didn’t buy his lie for asecond. But he showed up here today to make sure Bellewouldn’t be a problem.”
“And what did you say?”
“Do you want the full story or the summary?” I ask. “Actually,they’re both the same: I told him to go f**k himself.”
Arslan laughs. “And he took that well, I’m sure.”
“I don’t care how he takes it. I’m not going to be intimidatedby him and his sister. I’ll f**k whoever I want.”
“Meaning whoever I want,” I repeat.
“I’m not some schoolkid with a crush,” I snap. “Plus, she’sturning out to be more trouble than she’s worth. She wasstanding outside my door while Giorgos was here.”
“s**t. What did she hear?”
“Not nearly enough, since she came in after the meetingconvinced that I needed to be saved from Giorgos.”
“You’re kidding.” Arslan chuckles in disbelief.
“I wish I was.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. The room stillsmells like her. Like floral shampoo and clean skin. It’s like
she came in and marked me with her scent. “She would notgive it up, either. She was convinced I was afraid of thatridiculous little imp.”
“That ‘little imp’ is the one who is afraid. It’s why he showedup here,” Arslan offers. “He wouldn’t have come if he wasn’tworried the deal was falling apart. He has more to lose than wedo.”
“I know it. That’s what I told her.”
“What does that mean? How much have you told her?” It’s notlike Arslan to worry, but there is genuine concern on his face.
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