He's quiet for a long moment, and I can see him thinking about how he can kill Artem. He thinks that'll solve the issue.
"Trust me, Saint. Please." I give him my submissive face. Wide-eyed. Trembling lip. I'm not above using what I have.
He stares at me. I can see him warring with himself. The enforcer who wants blood versus the Don who needs to be strategic.
Finally, he closes his eyes. Takes a breath. When he opens them, the rage is still there but controlled.
"Okay. We do it your way." He looks at Marcello. "Set up a meeting with Igor. We need to move fast."
"On it." Marcello heads for the door.
Saint pulls me against him. "You're sure about this?"
"No. But I'm sure I don't want to spend the rest of my life waiting for Artem to use that footage. This way, we at least have a chance."
"If this doesn't work?—"
"Then we'll figure something else out. Together." I look up at him. "Isn't that what you said? We're fucked up together?"
"Yeah." He kisses my forehead. "We are."
He holds me for a moment. Then pulls back.
"I need to call Igor. Set things up." He's already moving. "Stay here. Don't go anywhere without security. Artem might?—"
"I know." I sit back down. "I'll be here."
He leaves.
And I sit in his chair, in his office, in his house.
Thinking about Artem. About Igor. About the game we're about to play.
I'm terrified.
But I'm also alive.
And for the first time since I killed Alexei, I feel like I'm not just surviving.
I'm winning.
Later that night, Saint finds me still in his office.
"Igor agreed to meet. First thing tomorrow morning. Neutral territory." He sits on the edge of the desk. "He sounded surprised we wanted to talk."
"Good. That means Artem hasn't approached him yet." I knew as much. "Artem is prideful. He thinks he's smarter than us, than Igor." I snort. "He's about to be proven wrong."
"Or he has and Igor's playing both sides." Saint's always suspicious, and it's served him well, but it's also made him unduly cautious. "We need to be careful."
"We will be." I stand. "But we need to move fast. Artem gave us a day. We need Igor on our side before then."
"What if he says no? What if he doesn't want our backing?"
"He will." I move to Saint. "He wants power. It's in his grasp. He's not going to back down and just hand it over to Artem."
"And if he's an idiot?"
"Then we go with Marcello's plan. Give Artem what he wants and minimize damage." I touch Saint's face. "But I don't think Igor's an idiot. I think he's been waiting for someone to back him. To give him the support he needs to claim what's his."
