We reconvene at the casino. The moment the door closes behind us in the private room, Santino’s careful composure cracks.
“That didn’t go well.”
Lorenzo drops into a chair and rubs his jaw. “What did you expect from someone like Kozlov? The man started this war. He’s not going to be the one to end it.”
“Then we need to go on the offensive.” Santino paces to the window, staring out at the glittering Vegas skyline. “He thinks he has the upper hand. We need to remind him what happens when you push the Andrettis too far.”
“The man only cares about power and money.”
“Then hit him where it hurts. His wallet.”
I step forward. “The construction company.”
Both men turn to look at me.
“It’s their biggest legitimate operation. They’re building a shopping center on the North side right now. Multi-million dollar deal.”
Lorenzo’s eyes sharpen with interest. “Go on.”
“We destroy the site. Make it impossible for them to fulfill the contract. Kozlov loses the deal, loses the money, loses face with his business partners.” I shrug. “It’s not as satisfying as putting a bullet in him, but it’ll hurt.”
A slow smile spreads across Lorenzo’s face. “I like it.”
He turns to Luca, who’s been listening from his spot against the wall, arms crossed and expression unreadable.
“Team up with Matteo. Destroy the building site. Make sure Kozlov loses that contract.”
Luca pushes off the wall. “Done.”
We leave Santino and Lorenzo to dissect the meeting’s finer points, making our way through the casino toward the exit.
“Tonight,” Luca says. “We can do it tonight.”
I don’t respond immediately. My mind is already somewhere else. On Sierra. The way she laughed when our lips accidentally met at the jewelry store. The warmth in her voice when she teases me. The way I’m less of an asshole when she’s around.
I’d rather be with her tonight than rigging explosives.
“Unless you have a problem with that?”
I shake my head. “No problem. I just... I was going to spend the evening with Sierra.”
Luca’s eyebrows climb toward his hairline. Then he laughs, clapping me on the shoulder.
“Jesus, Matteo. I can’t believe you’re actually going through with this.” He shakes his head, still grinning. “You’re a dedicated man, I’ll give you that. Agreeing to marry some rando just to get to Viktor.”
Some rando.
The words hit wrong. Like a punch to a bruise I didn’t know I had.
I force a grin, but my jaw aches from holding it.
Sierra isn’t some random woman. She stopped being that somewhere between her teasing me about drinking so many Cokes and the moment she saw Viktor outside her building and let me hold her hands. She turned to me for comfort.
No one looks at me like she does. Like I’m something other than a threat.
I don’t know what to do with that yet.
“Tomorrow night,” Luca concedes. “Enjoy getting to know the woman you’re stuck with.”
