Page 45 of Deadly Devotion
My blood boiled at the sight of him. “You tried to kill me, killed my cousin, stole from me, and shot my woman,” I snarled, not lowering my gun. “You think we can just talk after that?”
Dimitri’s eyes darted in my direction, but he said nothing.
Adachi raised his hand placatingly. “I’m sorry about the woman. It wasn’t supposed to happen. And I’m sorry about your cousin. But we don’t have to have a war, Aleksandr. Neither of us wants that. We can both profit if we work together.”
Profit. Always about the money with him. I wanted to put a bullet in his skull for what he’d done, but he was right about one thing: a war would damage both our families. “Work together? Youstolefrom me,“ I hissed. “You stole millions of dollars from me.”
Adachi nodded slowly. “I have it on good authority you tortured my man into telling you where I’m storing the paintings and drugs. I assume you killed him once he gave you the information.” Waving his hand in the air dismissively, he continued. “That’s water under the bridge. I can be reasonable. I’ll return it all to you – every cent - if you agree to have me handle distribution.”
I sucked on my front teeth, weighing my options. The idea of putting a bullet between his eyes was still very appealing. “I might be willing to talk. We will discuss the distribution logistics when you return everything that belongs to me.” Adachi grinned widely, making my stomach turn. I will never like or trust this man, but having the Yakuza on my side is good for business.
“But first, we need to settle the score.”
Adachi’s smile faded in understanding. He turned to one of his men and motioned for him to step forward. The man looked terrified, glancing between Adachi and me. “Give me your gun,” Adachi ordered.
The man hesitated, then handed his gun to Adachi, who offered it to me. I took it, feeling the weight of the cold metal in my hand.
“This is the man that killed your cousin and shot the woman. Do what you need to do,” Adachi said, his voice steady. “But remember, this will settle the score.”
I aimed the gun at the man, who visibly trembled. The fear in his eyes was almost pitiable, but pity had no place here. This was about sending a message. I fired, the gunshot echoing through the night. The bullet hit the man square in the chest. His eyes widened in shock as a dark red circle appeared on his shirt.
I fired the gun again. This time, the bullet bore into his forehead, killing him instantly. The man crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Adachi didn’t flinch. He knew this was the price of our truce. “Now,” he said, “can we talk?”
I handed the gun back to him, my heart still pounding with anger and adrenaline. “We’ll talk,” I said coldly, “when you return my belongings. But there won’t be any negotiations if you cross me again.”
Adachi nodded with a vile smile, and I knew he understood. This was far from over, but we had a fragile peace for now. As we returned to our vehicles and drove away, I couldn’t help but think of Talia and Andrey, and the price theyhad paid. This was our world, where blood and betrayal were the currency, and trust was rare and precious.
Dimitri glanced at me as we drove back into the city. “You think Adachi will keep his word?”
I shook my head slightly. “Trust is a luxury we can’t afford. We’ll be ready for whatever comes next.”
As the city lights blurred past, I knew one thing for sure: in this game of power and survival, only the ruthless would emerge unscathed. And I will always be one of them.
Chapter 29
Aleksandr
The sun peeked over the horizon as I stood in Talia’s room, watching her sleep. She looked peaceful, her face relaxed, and momentarily, I could almost forget the chaos surrounding our lives. Gently, I reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Her eyelids fluttered, and then she opened her eyes, focusing on me with a sleepy, slightly confused expression.
“Aleksandr,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep. “What time is it?”
“Early,” I replied softly, sitting on the edge of the bed.
She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Cradling her stomach, she smiled softly. “I think the baby is awake, too.”
Taking my hand in hers, she placed my hand on her belly. Warm feelings filled me with the knowledge that she was carrying my baby. I visualized Talia as my wife for a moment but dismissed the thought as fast as it arrived. My lifestyle is too dangerous to allow ridiculous fantasies to invade my thoughts.
Pulling my hand away, I cleared my throat, glancing out the window. “I have some news,” I said, leaving the bed and sitting on the plush chair instead. “Vic was at the club last night but slipped out before we could grab him. Sandy will call when she sees him again.”
“Is Sandy alright? I need to speak with her,” she stated, reaching for the cell phone on her table.
“Sandy is fine. She has round-the-clock guards keeping her safe. My man Ivan is with her now.”
“I still want to speak with her,” Talia insisted, her cheeks flushed.
“Of course,” I assured her. “But before you do, I need you to get dressed. I’m taking you out for breakfast.”