Page 20 of Beautiful Sinner

He flashes me a dangerous smirk and then turns back to Viktor. “It was nice talking with you.”

Viktor shakes his hand. “You too. And I’ll consider the offer. It’s very tempting.”

“You should take it. This could help you win this war.”

What are they talking about? Without even realizing what my body is doing, I surge forward. “Hello.”

“Ah, Julia,” Viktor says, placing his hand on my back. “This is Connor Barry. He works for the Irish mob.”

“But I thought you hated the Irish.”

“He does but he’s desperate,” Connor says, laughing at his own joke.

Viktor tenses slightly. “Connor came to me with a proposition. We work together to take down Dante and Erik. I listened. He makes good points. We can put aside any animosity between our people and work together.”

“Why did you come here?” I ask Connor.

“Strange question,” Viktor comments.

“To make a deal with Viktor,” Connor says like I’m stupid.

“No I mean…” Shoot. I can’t ask more and not arouse Viktor’s suspicions. “Never mind.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Viktor says to Connor. I need to talk to Connor though. I need to know why he’s here all of a sudden. No Irish mobster has ever set foot inside my brother’s house. This can’t be a coincidence after we met in the club.

“I can walk him out,” I offer. Viktor gives me a confused frown. “I mean, if you and… Connor are going to be working together, I might as well get to know him, yes?”

“I guess,” Viktor says slowly. “We can walk him out together.”

I grit my teeth. I love my brother but he never lets me be alone with any man. It’s not me he doesn’t trust, I know that. But the fact that I never get my own privacy is stifling at times.

With no other choice, I follow Viktor and Connor to the front door.

“Pleasure working with you,” Connor says. “We could do good things together.” His eyes settle on me for a moment before he walks to his car.

“Wait,” I gasp. “He forgot something.” I rush out to Connor, leaving Viktor behind, confused.

Connor gives me a lazy smile. “Yes?”

“Why did you come here?”

“I told you -,”

“To make a deal with Viktor. Yes, I know. But after we met? Did you know who I really was?”

“Not at first. But when that fucking Italian said your name was Julia, I thought that was interesting. I could tell there was a secret between you two. I did some digging and found out you’re the sister of Viktor Smirnov. Who would have thunk? So, I had to come here and see for myself. And now I have.”

“Are you just using my brother to get to me?”

“No. I want to make a deal with him.”

I relax slightly, though there’s a part of me that feels like Connor is not being fully truthful; that he has other plans still in place.

“Does it bother you that I’m here?” he asks. “Afraid I’m going to tell your brother where I met you?”

That could put Matteo in danger. But Connor doesn’t know I have… something going on with Matteo. He can’t know.

“I could just spin it and make you look bad,” I tell him. “My brother trusts me more than anyone, except his wife. He will take my word over yours any day, so no, you can’t scare me.”