Page 23 of Dark Desires (Chicago Bratva #1)

ALEXEI

I ’m gazing down at the city from the windows of my office, drink in hand.

It’s a quiet night, but my head is anything but. I lean back in my chair, replaying the conversation I had with Luk earlier.

“Christian was at the Mancini place,” Luk had said. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s up to something.”

Christian de la Rosa showing up uninvited at the Mancini estate feels like the kind of chess move you don’t see coming until it’s too late.

If he’s trying to drive a wedge between the Ivanovs and the Mancinis, it’s a smart play. He’s banking on mistrust, on our alliances crumbling. And if he manages it? The war that’s been simmering will boil over, catching us on our back foot.

But there’s more to it. If Christian pulls the Mancinis to his side, then what does that mean for Isabella?

Is she even mine? Hell, I don’t know. Baby mama. That’s what Americans call it, right? I let out a dry chuckle, shaking my head.

No, she’s so much more than that. But what the hell do I call her? Lover? Mistress? No, that word sounds dirty and doesn’t fit her at all.

None of those options sit well with me.

My thoughts are interrupted by a soft chime from the speaker on my desk.

“Mr. Plushenko, an Agent Patterson is here to see you.”

I freeze for a moment, considering my options. Part of me wants to send her packing. But another part of me, the part that’s always curious, wants to know what the hell she’s doing here.

I drain the last of my whiskey.

“Send her in.”

The door opens and Agent Patterson strides in, all business, all authority.

“Agent Patterson. To what do I owe the pleasure? Or should I say, the inconvenience?”

She narrows her eyes. “I’m not here to play games, Plushenko. You know exactly why I’m here.”

“Enlighten me. I’ve had a long day, and, well, my mind’s a little foggy.” I gesture for her to sit. “And since I’m assuming this is a friendly visit, I won’t need to call my lawyer, correct? Or security…”

She doesn’t sit.

“I have questions,” she says. “And I think you have answers.”

“About?” I ask, my mind already racing through the possibilities. What does she want this time? Info on the engagement party shooting? The attack on the street?

I chuckle, gesturing to the whiskey decanter. “Care for a drink? You look like you could use one.”

“I’m not here for pleasantries.”

“Clearly,” I reply, setting the glass down. “Then let’s cut to the chase. What do you want?” A thought occurs to me. “You know, the last time we saw each other, I believe you were telling me and my brothers to keep a low profile. And now, here you are to, what, ask for my help?”

I step over to the whiskey and pour myself another drink.

“You sure you don’t want a little bit?” I wiggle the bottle a bit, the amber liquid inside sloshing around. “It’s good stuff. And my workday is over, so it’s time for me to unwind.”

“No.”

I sit on the edge of my desk, Agent Patterson finally easing into one of the chairs across from me. She’s more than a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, I can tell.

“I’m here to talk about De la Rosa.”

Another sip. “What about him?”

“I want to know everything you know about him.”

“Snappy dresser; I can tell you that much.”

Part of me wants to slip out my phone and get one of our lawyers here ASAP. But at the same time, this could be a good opportunity to squeeze a little info out of Agent Patterson.

“Enough with the bullshit,” she says. “I want actual info.”

I wag my finger. “Agent Patterson, I don’t know how you do things in the FBI, but in my world, it’s more than a little rude to make an unannounced visit and then get all bossy like this. Either give me a reason to talk, or you can turn around and head out the way you came in.”

I sip, letting my words hang in the air.

She narrows her eyes, and I can sense that she’s realizing that she’s not going to get anything without giving something.

“You familiar with the RICO Act?” she asks.

“I’m but a humble financial manager for my family’s small business. Such things are foreign to my ears.”

It’s horseshit, but who says I can’t have a little fun?

“I think you know what it is,” she says. “It means that if you’re part of a criminal organization, I get to pin your ass to the wall.”

“Good thing I don’t dabble in matters such as that. Can’t say the same for others in this city.”

She grins, leaning forward. “Do you know what my favorite Rihanna song is?”

I cock my head to the side in confusion.

“Rihanna? I’m more of a classic rock kind of guy.”

“ Love the Way You Lie ,” she says with a smirk. “And right now, it’s fitting.”

I laugh. “Glad I could provide you with a little amusement.”

She leans forward. “You’re going to provide me with more than that.”

“Is that so?”

“Uh-huh. See, I don’t like to show my hand before I play it, but I’m sure you’ve put together that I’m planning on bringing the RICO Act down hard on every last criminal organization in this city. That includes a certain Bratva.”

“Oh really? Which one?”

She snorts. “Cute. So, consider this a fair warning.” She gestures behind her. “You’ll see that I’m alone, don’t have any backup, and I’m here to make an offer.”

“Go on.”

“You help me put away the rest of the families, and maybe I’ll go easy on you when it’s the Ivanov family in the crosshairs.”

“You’ll go easy on me ? What about my family?”

“They’ll do time, of course. But if you work with me, I’ll see to it that it’s a short, comfortable stay.”

Anger boils inside of me. I want to tell her to fuck off in a couple of different languages. But I hold back. Pissing off a federal agent won’t earn me any favors.

“You must not understand me if you think that I’d turn on my family like that.”

“I know your history.”

“My history?”

She nods. “You’re an outsider, a half-brother. You joined them when their business proved too powerful for you to take on.”

I laugh. “And what, you think you’re going to exploit that or something? That you’ll come in here, whisper some poison into my ear about how they don’t respect me, don’t see me as one of them, blah-blah-blah. Is that it?”

“Sounds like you’ve already given this some thought.”

“But you haven’t. You want some help? I’ll give it to you—free of charge.”

“Go on…”

“The De la Rosa cartel is in town, making moves, causing trouble. You want an easy case, go after them.”

“And how do you know this? I thought you were but a humble financial planner.”

“What can I say? I love a good crime podcast every now and then. Anyway, we’re done here, Agent Patterson. Please leave me to my whiskey.”

She opens her mouth to say something else but appears to think better of it. Instead, she rises, taking out a business card and laying it on the desk.

“You should take this chance while you have it,” she says. “Pretty sure they don’t serve fancy whiskey in prison.”

“I wouldn’t know, and I never will.”

She snorts again, and then, she’s gone.

The click of the door shutting behind her reverberates through the room, sharp and final.

I lean back in my chair, staring at the business card she left on my desk like it’s a snake waiting to strike. My jaw clenches, and I reach for the whiskey, pouring a little more into the glass.

She got under my skin. I hate that.

For all my calm, my practiced indifference, Patterson managed to needle her way in with her smug, righteous attitude. I drain the glass in one go, the burn doing nothing to temper the irritation boiling inside me.

She’s good—too good—and the worst part is, I can’t just write her off. A woman like that doesn’t waste her time bluffing. Every word she said, every thinly veiled threat, was calculated and intentional.

I stare at the cityscape stretching out before me. Patterson is a problem I can’t ignore. But she’s not the biggest problem. Not by a long shot.

Isabella’s face flashes in my mind, unbidden but impossible to shake. Her fire, her vulnerability, her body.

And then I remember the words that flipped my entire world upside down: I’m pregnant.

What would I do if it came down to it? If I had to choose between my family—my blood, my brothers—and Isabella and my child?

My child.

The thought doesn’t sit neatly anywhere in my brain. It’s too big, too real.

I’ve never betrayed my family, never even entertained the thought. But Isabella and the baby—they’re something else entirely.

I set the glass down, my reflection in the window staring back at me. It’s like the whole world is pulling at me from different directions, and for the first time in my life, I don’t know which way to go.

I need to get my head on straight. Patterson’s threats are a distraction, nothing more, but if I don’t handle her carefully, she could become a much bigger issue. And Isabella… I shake my head, running a hand through my hair.

I reach for my phone and scroll through the contacts, hitting Luk’s name. He answers on the second ring.

“Evening, brother. Got a visit from a certain federal agent just now.”

“Alexei. You sound like you’ve been drinking. Please tell me that began after Patterson left.”

“Don’t start. We need to talk.”

There’s a pause on his end, and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. “About De la Rosa? Or something else?”

“Yeah. And about the Mancinis. Too much is happening, and it’s all connected. Christian, Patterson, the wedding. It’s a mess.”

“Alright, where do you want to meet?”

“My office,” I say, glancing at the empty whiskey glass. “Bring Lev. We’re going to need him for this.”

“On our way.”