“Poshel ty,” I snap, flipping him the bird. The bastard just grins.
Luka sighs, messing up his pretty-boy hair. “D,fokus, blyad’. No unnecessary carnage.”
“Define unnecessary,” I growl, itching to hurt something.
Erik snorts. Luka looks like he’s aged a decade in minutes.
“How’s the kid?” I ask, the question surprising even me. “Yulia.”
Luka’s face softens. “Good. Misses her scary Uncle D.”
My chest tightens. Fuck me sideways. I miss the little brat, too.
“Tell her…” I start, then clamp my mouth shut. What? That Uncle D’s wading through corpses? Chasing fucking shadows?
“I’ll tell her you’re thinking of her,” Luka says quietly.
I grunt, looking away. Fucking feelings. Making me soft.
“We’ll crack this wide open,” Erik says, oozing confidence like it’s his cologne. “I’m this close to nailing their underboss here in the Windy City.”
“How close?” Luka demands, all business again.
Erik’s smile is pure predator. “Close enough to count the hairs on his balls.”
A matching grin spreads across my face. Finally, some good fucking news in this shitstorm.
“Do it,” Luka orders. “Whatever it takes. But use your head, not just your fists.”
“Always do, boss,” Erik purrs, smooth as vodka.
I snort, leaning back in my chair. “Says the idiot who lost his bride.”
Erik’s smile falters for a split second. “Low blow, D. At least I’m not the one hiding a houseguest.”
My blood runs cold. “The fuck you talking about?”
Luka leans in, his face filling the screen. “Ah yes, the elusive Lucia di Fuoco. Shame she slipped through our fingers, eh, Erik?”
Erik shrugs, trying to play it cool. “She can’t hide forever. I’ll find her.”
“Better hurry,” I growl, glad to shift the focus. “Before she finds a real man.”
Luka chuckles. “Alright, you two. Enough measuring dicks. Erik, what’s this about ahouseguest?”
Fuck. My hand moves toward the laptop, ready to end this call.
Erik’s eyes gleam with mischief. “Oh, just a little birdie D’s been keeping—”
I slam the laptop shut, cutting off Luka mid-sentence. The room falls silent.
“What the fuck, Erik?” I snarl, standing up.
He twirls his knife, grinning. “Something to hide, big guy?”
I take a menacing step forward. “There’s nothing to hide,mudak. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut.”
“Sure, sure,” Erik smirks, standing up. “Your secret’s safe with me. For now.”
