Page 88 of The Bratva King

“Nothing.”

“Nik.”

“What?”

“You look...” He tilts his head, studying me. “Different.”

I move past him toward the stage area. “I look the same as I always look.”

“No, you don’t.” He’s following me now. “You look... relaxed. Did you get laid?”

I don’t answer.

“You got laid.” He sounds delighted. “Who is she? Wait, don’t tell me. It’s the dealer, isn’t it? Gabby. You slept with Gabby.”

“Drop it.”

“You did!” He laughs. “Holy shit. You actually did it. How was it?”

I turn and give him a look that would make most men shut up immediately.

Pasha is not most men.

“That good, huh?” He grins. “I’m happy for you. Genuinely. You deserve something good in your life.”

I’m about to tell him to fuck off when Frank approaches with a clipboard. “Mr. Sokolov, we’ve got the final inspection scheduled for Friday. Electrical, plumbing, structural—everything.”

“Good.”

“There’s one issue,” Frank says. “The delivery scheduled for tomorrow. The kitchen equipment. The truck that was supposed to bring it got rerouted.”

I look at him. “Rerouted where?”

“Don’t know yet. The supplier says there was a mix-up with the order.”

“There wasn’t a mix-up.”

Frank nods. “That’s what I thought, too.”

“Find out who authorized the reroute. I want a name.”

“On it, boss.”

He walks away as I calculate the delay. We can work around it. Kitchen equipment is easy. But it’s annoying. Just like it’s meant to be.

“Italians?” Pasha asks quietly.

“Probably.”

We move through the rest of the property. I check in with the crew working on the spa, the pools, and the high-limit rooms. Everything is moving, but there are small delays everywhere. A shipment that didn’t arrive. A permit that’s taking longer than it should. An inspector who suddenly needs to see documentation we’ve already provided.

By the time we’re back in the main lobby, I’m ready to put a bullet in something.

“There was an issue yesterday,” I say.

Pasha stops and grins. “You getting laid?”

I ignore him.