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“So, what’s this about?” he asks, keeping his voice steady, though I wonder if he’s shitting his pants yet. He knows what we’re capable of.

I put the car in drive and head back to my house, needing more privacy.

“I’ll let you know once we’re back at my place. I don’t discuss business openly.”

“Yeah, I get it. I just want to make sure we’re okay. I have a lot of respect for your family and our relationship has benefited both of us.”

“It has. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

We make it to my house in silence, and as soon as I get out, he follows.

“This is a nice place you’ve got here.” He looks around the ivory brick home.

“It’s new. Just got it today.”

“Congratulations.”

“Mm-hmm.” I let him inside and the door bangs shut.

Stuffing his hands in his pants pockets, he shuffles a step just as I point him in the direction I want him in.

“Take a seat.” I gesture toward one of the stools around the kitchen island, choosing to stand over him instead. “I’ll cut to the chase. We need you to stop standing in the way of the permits the Russians need.”

He chuckles smugly. “Look, I said the same thing to Konstantin. What he’s asking for will take a lot of finesse, and for that, I require something more for my efforts.” He shrugs. “It’s not my fault he didn’t like the deal I proposed.”

“What deal?”

“It was simple. Three million, and a night with that girl. That’s all I wanted. When I even suggested it, one of his brothers almost killed me.”

He keeps talking but all I hear isgirl.

“What girl? What the hell are you talking about?”

His forehead creases with thick lines, showing his age, a good twenty years older than me. “Dinara, I think her name was. Pretty thing. You should?—”

But he never gets to finish that sentence. My hand’s around his throat, a gun pointed between his brows.

“You wanted to fuck Dinara?” I’m barely able to get the words out, heart racing, blood pumping in my brain, breathing like a madman.

He thinks he can touch her?

“I-I…uh, it was just a suggestion. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you knew her.” Fear pierces through his tone, his eyes filled with pure dread.

“A suggestion?!” I howl. “Did you fuckingtouchher?” I dig the muzzle in deeper. “Answer me!”

The grip of the butt strikes him in the jaw, and he groans in pain, blood spilling from his bottom lip.

“No, no!” He raises his hands in the air, while my other hand tightens around his throat. “I just saw her once a-and I liked her. I’m sorry! I’ll tell him I’ll accept the money. We’re good, okay? We’re good.”

“You’re a sick fuck, you know that?” I aim the gun back to his head. “You’ll never touch her. And after today, you won’t even have the pleasure of thinking about her. Do you understand what I’m saying, Elias?”

“Oh, fuck! Nonono! Please, please, please. Don’t do this, okay?” He clasps his hands in prayer. “I’m sick. I-I know. I shouldn’t have asked for that. It’s wrong. I’ll never?—”

Pop.

He falls to the floor instantly, blood pooling around his head, eyes staring at the ceiling.

The rage still floods my system. To think he thought he could have her… I spit at him, curling a fist, regretting that I didn’t torture him before I ended him. But I just couldn’t listen to him anymore.