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“Yes. It is time for you to do a real job. Matvey should be back by now. Get him and gear up.”

“I’ll see you later?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Maybe. If you don’t fuck this up.”

5

CIRO

“No, it’s bullshit. I don’t believe this show will do this to me.”

“Look, man, I’m not trying to give you any spoilers here, but don’t get your hopes up. The ending of the show sucks.”

“Saying this is spoiler!”

“Yeah, I mean kinda. I just don’t want you to get your dreams smashed to pieces.”

“I appreciate your concern, bro,” Mat snickers, making a face. “But I do not believe this. The ending of show cannot be bad if I enjoy so much. I will still watch.”

“Prepare for disappointment!” I sigh, shaking my head.

“I cannot be disappointed by amazing show I’ve never seen before. It’s all new to me.”

“Ah, the wistful hopes of naive youth.”

“Speaking of hope, I hope this fucker shows up soon.”

We’re sitting in Matey’s car just before sunset out by the docks. It’s our first real mission. Not that I haven’t done this sort of thing before. Like, my entire life.

Coming up in the Diamante family syndicate meant I got the full regimen of mob training from grunt to Don. Matvey is more or less in the same boat, I’d wager. Even if he was pampered early on, growing up in a crime family makes it nearly impossible to avoid being put to work.

“I still can’t believe you’ve never watchedThe Donfather,” Mat continues our conversation, killing time.

“Uh, I grew up living that shit. I don’t need Hollywood telling me about how they think it is. And you’re one to talk, you haven’t even seenKillhard! And worse, because you basically have access to a pirated movie treasure trove.”

I keep meaning to get down to the bootleg shops near Bagrationovskaya Station. Maybe I can pick up a translation dictionary while I’m down there. Or they could make up words for things that have less syllables?

“Sure, and all the time in the world, right? Not all of us were playboy superstar mobsters.”

“Just because I lived in New York, you think I was some socialite rich boy?”

“Weren’t you?”

“Yeah, but fuck you anyway.”

“Always tempting me with good time…”

“Finally, you’re getting the hang of American humor!”

“Da, I must lower myself to your level so it is fair.”

“Asshole.”

“Zhopa.”

“Hang on, lemme get my translate app so I can understand your pathetic insults!”

“Shove it up your app. Look, cops are here.”