GARIK: Men gone, deposited Rosalie off at home. She hit me—is definitely pissed.
I hide a smile.
ME: Where did she hit you?
GARIK: Right in the gut, low and hard. She’s pissed, man.
Yeah, not mad enough to leave when everybody was still there. It’s a lesson I hope she’s learned.
ME: Keep an eye on her place tonight.
GARIK: No problem
I slip the phone back into my pocket.
Ella glances over her shoulder. “Rosalie’s going to wonder where I am.”
“Rosalie knows exactly where you are,” I say calmly.
Ella’s eyes widen. “You told her?”
I shake my head. “She figured it out. She is not happy.”
The smile Ella flashes is full of warning. “You don’t know Rosalie when she’s not happy. This might actually be fun.” She turns back to the keyboard and starts rapidly typing.
I turn and stride out of the room and through the empty penthouse. I don’t have enough men I trust to be here with her, and she can’t leave anyway. My men control the elevators, and I trust my guy in the control room.
“Where are you off to?” she yells.
“Business,” I say, opening the door and then shutting it. It’s time to take care of Harold Fissure. Just as I reach the elevator, my phone buzzes and I lift it to my ear. “Sokolov.”
“Hey, it’s Percy.” The guy sounds like he’s yelling.
My breath heats. “I can hear you, Percy. You don’t need to bellow. Is Rosie okay?”
“She’s fine, but I arranged a meeting for you with Alexander Ivanov and Andre Vasiliev for tonight.”
I ride the elevator down and stride toward my motorcycle, my brain automatically calculating what I know of alliances within the organization. Those two men have the largest families and the most connections out of the entire local Bratva. “Are you setting me up, Percy?”
“Of course not. I could, but I’m not,” he says. “They know about your impromptu meeting today with lower-level members of the organization. They’re willing to meet with you and discuss coming on board.”
I straddle the bike. “Why?”
Percy coughs. “They haven’t been paid in a little while.”
I pause. “Are you kidding me?”
“I never joke about money, man,” Percy says. “They think you’ll be better at the helm so long as you stay out of prison. That’s their only hesitation.”
“I’m not returning to prison for any length of time. When do they want to meet?”
“Half an hour. Belle’s Diner, on the outskirts of San Jose.”
I glance at my watch. It’s now late enough that the diner should be closed. That makes sense.
“I have to be there,” Percy says. A door opens. “Hey, Garik,” he says.
“Percy,” Garik returns, his voice strong through the phone.
