Alexei could outwait the motherfuckerseverytime.
The tattooed assassin clenched his jaw, tendons standing out starkly in his neck. His next words sounded as if they were dragged out of him, which made Alexei think the order came from someone else, probably over comms. “>”
“Good,” Alexei said, switching to English so his team would know what was going on. “Now take ustohim.”
The guards moved into position, escorting them toward the front door of the villa. Alexei was aware of all the eyes on their little group, the attention making his skincrawl.
Out of the heat and into the fire,Alexeithought.
Or something like that. American phrases were the worstsometimes.
3
BulletproofYourSoul
The gaudinessof the interior hit them right in the face the moment they stepped inside. Rose-gold marble pillars stood on either side of the grand double-stairway that curved around a statue of a man holding a sword in a dramatic pose. A large, ridiculous, gold tree leaf covered the statue’s groin area. Alexei heard Madison cough discreetly to hide her laughter. The corner of his own mouth twitched a little but he kept his feelings offhisface.
The rest of the house wasn’t much better. Expensive area rugs laid over tiled floors muffled their footsteps as they walked through hallways. White walls were choked with expensive artwork, some by prominent artists, which told Alexei they were either forgeries or bought off the black market. He figured on the latter, considering each one was secured in an environmentally sealed plas-glass case against the hot and humid environment. The home’s environmentals worked hard to keep the place at a cooler temperature. Compared to outside, it was downright chilly in thevilla.
They took the stairs up to the second floor, sticking close together. They passed an empty den, several bedrooms, and two bathrooms on their walk down the long hallway. Alexei’s eyes roved over the area, making a mental note of exits and guards. The first thing they’d have to do upon leaving would be to get a gun. It looked like they would have to go the FPSG route. First Person Shooting Game was bastardized code among all branches of the military forif you found a weapon, it was yours. Most of the guards carried long guns that didn’t seem to be biolocked. That would make things easier when things wenttohell.
The tattooed assassin led them into a synthwood-paneled office that smelled heavily of cigars. The tobacco scent made Alexei’s nose twitch. Lung-scrubbers might exist in this day and age, but smoking was a habit he didn’t much care for. Too many bad memories of cruel people enjoying a smoke break for him to like any form ofsmoking.
A large desk faced away from a set of plas-glass windows overlooking the bay. The guards escorting them took up position around the office, creating a cramped atmosphere. Madison and Trevor separated and drifted off to the side to stand near a couple of them. If the guards thought they were a threat without guns, they didn’t show it, which was fine byAlexei.
He knew what his team wascapableof.
Christov Antonovich sat behind his desk, sucking at the end of a half-smoked Cuban cigar. As Alexei watched, he blew out a lungful of gray smoke that drifted between them, taking long seconds to disappear. He took the cigar out of his mouth and rubbed the smoldering end into an ashtray to put it out. The edge of the desktop glowed softly with minimized display windows, all information locked down. A bottle of good vodka and a pair of shot glasses resided close at hand onthedesk.
“So good of you to come down here to meet with me, Mr. Dvorkin,”Antonovichsaid.
Alexei tracked the assassin as the tattooed man placed himself to Antonovich’s right-hand side near the desk. “Where isRiley?”
“Businessfirst.”
“He is mybusiness.”
Antonovich reached for the vodka bottle and poured out two generous shots. The traditional toast before business was familiar to Alexei, but he wasn’t in the mood to play along. When Antonovich offered Alexei the second shot glass, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared the man down. Annoyance flashed across Antonovich’s eyes before he set the shot glass aside when it became apparent Alexei wasn’t receptive to theoffer.
“This isn’t the way to do business, Mr. Dvorkin,” Antonovichwarned.
“You kidnap our CFO and think we play nice?” Alexeishotback.
“It was an unfortunate misunderstanding. He got in the middle of a differentproblem.”
“Bullshit.”
“You can believe what you like, but I’m a businessman atheart.”
“You call me here for trade. Riley and other two for contact information. Wherearethey?”
Antonovich gestured sharply at one of his guards, who spoke into his comms in a low voice. Alexei’s sharp hearing could just make out the order of “Bringthem.”
“Why don’t you take a seat?” Antonovich said, waving at one of the three leather chairs in front ofthedesk.
Alexei ignored the offer. “Willstand.”
“These negotiations will take awhile.”
