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Unless you're my wife. With her, respect is given. Disrespect is earned.
I like my wife a lot.
I throw the mangled tongue and forceps into the bowl and take off the gloves, standing upright as I peer over at Rossi. “Call Lorenzo. See if he can get any shots of the vehicle they were in from any street cameras. Francesca, too. If someone's walking around my fucking turf claiming they know me, then it sounds like I need to meet the fucker.” I growl and look down at my blood-soaked sleeves. “I need to hit the shower before I go home to my wife.”
Rossi’s dark eyes bounce between me and the moaning man behind me. “And De Luca?”
Oh. Yeah. “Sasha?”
“Yeah?”
“Take care of that.”
“Okey, but… I don’t got my lucky icepick, Boss.”
I take a few steps forward, then I stop. “On second thought, Sash, take his balls. The idiot doesn’t need to reproduce. Drop him off at the nearest hospital. I want this Brodsky fuck to know we know.”
More pleading screams are heard behind me as I stride through the pitch-black portion of the basement and enter the room there that has a shower. Convenient, I know. But there's been too many timeswhere I've had to handle business here and go back up and host a few other meetings. The less blood you have on you, the more they pay attention to the words coming out of your mouth.
I hear Niko's footsteps behind me as I flip on the light switch, beginning to strip off my clothes and he closes the door behind us. “What is it?”
“Did you take a look at that information I sent you about that kid from the fight?”
I slip off my shoes and socks and go to turn on the shower, making sure the water is extra hot. Last thing I need is for Sabrina to even get a whiff of what I had to do down here. “Kane Burton. Syndicate's Bones Chapter.” I answer him coolly.
“That's not all. I did a little more digging, like one should when researching anyone in the Syn. He's an Ainsworth on his mother's side.”
I lock eyes with the bluest glaciers. “The fuck was an Ainsworth doing in New York.”
“The story? Business. Seems Jaxson Prescott is selling half of his shares of the company since Stephen Prescott is dead.”
I cock a brow. “The truth?”
He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. “The truth is, he looked a little too friendly with the missus before you and her guard showed up. I think he's here for something more…personal.”
Chills run down my spine, but my blood runs fucking hot. Steam from the shower is rolling along the ground and slowly rising. “Tail him. Get one of the best. Not you or Sasha - 'he'll recognize you. Get someone that blends a little too easily with their surroundings.”
I unfasten my pants and drop them, stepping out of them, and see Niko is still in the room. “Did you hear anything he said to her? The video showed him being pretty fucking brave. The little darkling,Raven. She was ready to go head-to-head with him, too.”
I saw that with my own eyes. From what Parker told me while Sabrina slept, that Kane guy was the one that dropped my wife off drunk as fuck, and she was never the same after. “Tail the fucker, Niko. I want to know everything he does. Find out where he's staying. I want to know what he eats for breakfast, to the time he shits. If he gets close to my wife again, you shoot without question. That's an order. And get my dear, old father-in-law. I need to be part of that shareholder meeting.”
He stands tall and gives me one nod then turns to go, and I step into scalding water with nothing but thoughts of my wife. Screw the shrimp scampi.
I want my wife for dinner.
“David, welcome.” I grin, pointing to the chair in front of my desk, not bothering to get up from my seat to greet him properly.
“Maksim.”
“You look a little nervous there, Dave. Can I call you Dave?” I don't wait for him to answer as he takes a seat. Niko and Sasha stand by the now-closed door of my office. “Glad you could make it.”
He clears his throat, which makes the loose skin connecting from the hollow of his throat to the bottom of his chin jiggle. He’s lost weight. Eyes are a bit sunken in. Red-faced, balding, sweaty. “To what do I owe the pleasure of being summoned?”
I bark out a laugh and point to him. “Summoned. Funny. You’re a funny guy, Dave.” Nobody else is laughing. I suck my teeth, run my tongue over them, then roll it over my lip, tucking it between my teeth and my lip before I look at the grotesque bastard. Arranged marriage makes sense for this fuckin guy. How he made a daughter as gorgeous as my wife simply does not make sense. Although, I suppose Tildy could be categorized as a MILF–ifI had eyes for other women. “I’d offer you a drink but, seems my wife doesn’t like the taste of alcohol on my breath. With that being said, David, I don’t have time to waste. I need to be home in time to have dinner with my wife. I need in at the PresCorp meeting, andyou” I point directly at him “are my way in.”
“I don’t have-”
“You do.” I interrupt. “Because that’s what’s written inourcontract, David.” I gesture between us. “The one you and I signed. Remember? You get me in with the Syndicate,” I point to him then myself. “I marry your daughter. I fulfilled my end. You… have.. not.”