Page 10 of Precious Hazard

“Yes, well… The ownership wastemporarilytransferred from us to another firm for reasons I’m not willing to disclose to you. And therefore, this property should never have been put up for sale in the first place. I want to buy it back.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” I motion with my head toward the exit gate. “Now leave.”

“I have many connections in this city, DeVille. Many important people come to me when they need funding, and sometimes, in return, I accept the fulfillment of a favor instead of money. Several of my debtors have dealings with Cosa Nostra.”

I narrow my eyes at the slimy little asshole and take an aggressive step toward him. There’s virtually no way he can’t see just how much his words have pissed me off. “Are you fucking threatening me? Please, say you are so I can make my shitty day just a tiny bit better by snapping your miserable neck.”

Katrakis’s bodyguard draws his gun, but Nino gets ahold of the dickwipe’s wrist and twists the man’s arm. A gunshot pierces the air, and the bullet ends up somewhere in the dark. It’s immediately followed by a pained grunt when Nino throws the bodyguard to the ground and shoves his knee between the useless piece of shit’s shoulder blades. Before the guy even realizes what just happened to him, the barrel of Nino’s Desert Eagle kisses the back of his head.

Katrakis’s attention bounces between his incapacitated man and me. I haven’t even bothered to pull my own weapon.A single punch to his ugly mug would send him straight to la-la land.

“Get the fuck off my site, Katrakis!” I bark.

The bastard gives me a curt nod and heads toward his car. Nino releases the worthless guard, and the man trudges after his employer while Nino keeps him in his sight. Then, we both wait until their taillights disappear through the gate.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the cool head?” Nino grumbles while we make our way to our respective vehicles. “You know the Greeks have their claws in the city’s administration.”

“It’s almost three a.m., Nino. I’m fucking tired, hungry, and more than a little pissed off.”

“Mm-hmm. I take it the meeting with Drago’s sister didn’t go as planned?”

“No, it didn’t.”

“So you figured you’d vent some steam by dragging us into a dick-measuring contest with the Greek?”

“I didn’t drag us into anything. Katrakis and his goon showed up uninvited onourland. But yeah, I guess you’re right. I could have handled that better,” I admit. “See if you can dig up who’s behind the offshore company that sold us this lot.”

“I’ll try.”

“While you’re at it, locate Katrakis’s boneheaded son for me. His father might not be open to sharing how the land he had no intention of selling ended up on the auction block, but I bet that idiot put it up as collateral in one of his dumb schemes. Which means, whoever sold the deed has put us in this fucked-up position and they’ll need to be dealt with.”

“Sure. You know Stavros been seeing your future wife?”

I scoff. “Yeah, I read the file. She’ll have to end that immediately. Or I’ll end it for her.”

“Be careful. Katrakis might be a small fish, but he’s got teeth. The Syndicate is resourceful. We don’t want any entanglements with them. At least, no more than we’ve already gained, apparently.” He gives me a slight shove with his elbow. “So, how is she anyway? Popov’s sister?”

“Stubborn, reckless, and absolutely unreasonable.”

“But beautiful, yes? I’ve only seen her from afar, but”—he whistles—“she’s a babe. I wouldn’t mind doing her if you two don’t end—”

My fist flies as if of its own accord, slamming right into Nino’s face.

“What the fuck, man?” he groans, pressing his hand over his busted lip.

“Watch your damn mouth,” I growl, then take off at a clipped pace toward my car.

Yeah…What the fuckwas that?

Chapter 3

I’m going to be late for my shift. Again. And Saturdays are the busiest nights at Naos. I snatch my coat off the hanger in the foyer and rush outside.

“Drago was very clear in his instructions, Tara,” Iliya, one of my brother’s men, comments as I sprint past him on the driveway. “You should be taking one of the guys with you whenever you work the night shift. Especially while the boss man is away.”

“Then it’s a good thing you won’t be telling on me.” I wink, throw my purse and coat on the back seat of my beat-up car, and slide behind the wheel.

The straight shot from home to Naos generally takes a little over an hour, but not when I drive. To avoid heavy traffic, I tend to take a lot of side streets rather than main roads. Not tonight, though. I’m already fifteen minutes behind, so I hit the interstate.