As I come to a stop, I glance at Petkov, who gestures for us to take a seat.
I settle on the sofa, Raya sitting down beside me while Atanas positions himself across from us.
He gestures at the decanter. “Whiskey?”
I shake my head, then tip my head in my sister's direction. “Raya’s my underboss. If everything goes the way we hope, you’ll deal with her when I’m not available.”
Petkov nods, his eyes sharp as they shift to her before coming back to me. “Understood.”
A brief silence follows, then he leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs while loosely interlocking his fingers. “Let’s get right to the problem. Our trade routes are too close for comfort.”
“Close enough that the same brokers are being approached from both sides. It’s driving up the prices,” I say, watching the slight tightening around his eyes as he nods. “And demand for product is starting to drop,” I add, leaning forward as well and copying Petkov’s posture.
A faint crease forms between his brows. “I’ve had to redirect cargo a couple of times this year because of it.”
“Same on my side,” I reply, holding his gaze. “We’re costing each other money.”
“It can’t continue.” His eyes narrow slightly. “If it does, it will lead to fighting among the lower levels and eventually war between us.”
“It’s the reason I’m here in person. I’d rather make money than shed blood.”
Petkov’s features ease a little as he nods. “Then let's come up with a deal that works for both parties.” He shifts back slightly, one hand brushing over his jaw before settling on his thigh.
I glance between Raya and Petkov. “Anything moving into your regions gets handled through your network the moment it arrives, and the same if anything moves into my territories. Our men stay out of each other’s regions.”
He nods in agreement. “We each keep our existing contacts.”
“Yes. No parallel buyers, no secondary arrangements.”
Petkov’s eyes flick to Raya, and for a moment, there’s a flash of interest.
“There are areas where neither side has been consistent,” Raya mentions while pulling her phone out of her handbag to look at the notes she made. “I’ve worked closely with our hackerto prepare a list of ports, cities, and possible routes. We just need to decide who handles what.”
She’s worked her ass off the past six months to get all the information for this meeting. The list is the golden egg that’s going to seal the deal. Instead of me taking control of all those areas, I’m willing to share them with Petkov, which means more money in his pocket.
When Petkov lifts an impressed eyebrow at my sister, I feel a surge of pride.
Raya leans forward, her voice calm and steady. “I’ll sit with both sides and map out who’s moving what and through which ports and routes. I’ll also make sure nothing overlaps before we decide who gets which area on the list. It will be a fair split.”
Petkov’s full attention settles on my sister, his expression unreadable for a beat before shifting into something more focused. “You’d handle that directly?”
“Yes,” she answers without hesitation.
“We’re here for two weeks,” I say to bring his attention back to me. “The Cosa Nostra wants this alliance with you, so Raya will work with both sides to make sure nothing overlaps on the ground and holds once we leave.”
He stares at me for a moment before nodding. “This is a much better deal than I expected.” Relaxing slightly, one arm resting along the back of the couch, the corner of his mouth lifts. “What about margins?”
“Stay aligned with your market,” I reply. “No sudden changes.”
“And your pricing adjusts when product moves into my regions.” It’s not a question.
“Yes.” I keep my gaze locked with his. “And the same counts for you.”
“Volume stays in line with what the ground can carry,” he says.
“Of course. Too much movement creates attention neither of us needs,” I reply.
He shifts again, hard lines cutting into his features and a dangerous light igniting in his dark eyes. “I have a separate issue. Boris Pavlov.”
