Page 30 of Scarlet Sins (Yegorov Bratva #2)

Chapter Twenty-Six

DEMYAN

Sergio’s doorbell rings. I wait, then ring again. There’s a camera, so I’m sure he knows I’m here.

But the man’s a showman, or is that snake oil salesman?

Finally, the door opens and a pretty brunette housemaid answers. She looks up at me, shock spreading, which says she might not have access to the camera feeds, but she knows exactly who I am.

As one who is known but keeps a low profile, I find it interesting. She’s clearly seen me before, but Sergio must talk about me because it’s an expression that says shit very loudly.

She managed a smile, smoothing her hands down over her black skirt of her uniform.

“Where’s Sergio? I know he knows I’m here.” I look around, heading to the drawing room. I’ve been here before and I’ve no interest in going deeper into the house.

She follows me. “Do you want Miss Augusto?”

“Why the fuck would I want Stefina?” I remind myself, while she’s not my favorite person, she’s just as manipulated by her father as I let myself be. The difference is she never stood a chance because Daddy controls everything. Daddy’s groomed her to be, well… her.

So I gentle my voice a little. “I’m here for Sergio, not Stefina. And time’s of the essence. Tell him I’ll wait for two minutes and no more.”

It’s a gamble putting that hard spin on it, but I need to re-establish my power to him. I’m the one with the power, not him. No matter what he thinks, he’ll be getting out of his deal with Rocco.

She does a clumsy curtsy, blushes, and whispers, “I’ll go and get Mr. Augusto.”

And she takes off.

He’s there in fifty seconds. He looks me up and down and smiles. “Are you here to finally right your horrible wrong?”

“And that would be?”

The smile slips a little. “Marry my Stefina. I’m not sure she’ll have you after you humiliated her, broke her heart. She loves you so much, Demyan, that I’m sure with some serious groveling from you, she’ll take you back.”

“Not here to grovel.”

His eyes narrow. “You need to,” he snaps. “You embarrassed her.”

“Stefina or you, Sergio?”

The man ignores my dig.

He doesn’t have his cigar, but he has a glass of whiskey and there’s no offer of a drink for me. I wouldn’t take it anyway. I’m not here to break bread or get poisoned. I’m here to lay things out.

“You ended your engagement and thought you could sneak off and marry your sidepiece because, what? You couldn’t keep it in your pants and knocked her up again?

Let her birth the bastard and pay her off, like we all do.

” He sips his drink. “You’re less of a man than I thought you were. Positively cunt whipped. ”

I fight not to curl my hand. I just remain passive and file the insult to Erin away. He’ll pay for it. Just not right now.

“I’m marrying Erin, yes.”

“She’s a slut, and you know it. Christ, man.

I offer you my perfect daughter and you turn her down?

I don’t give a shit who you fuck once you marry her.

She’s well trained. She’s a yes girl. She wanted the big wedding, that’s all, and your ego couldn’t take it, or was it the dowdy cunt’s ego that felt threatened? ”

My control snaps and I take a menacing step toward Sergio.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the printouts. Everything’s backed up but a man like Sergio finds paper more real, more threatening than digital, even though it’s the same.

He frowns and turns the pages, his face darkening.

“That, right there, is a copy of your little deals. Of your plans, you’ve been sneakily trying to put into place.

And not just with me. Pull one thread and others come loose.

You’re trying to fuck over a whole lot of people.

Teaming up with Rocco Federico. Taking Niko’s shit.

Not even thinking about the Chicago branch of the family or even those lined up for their share if they step aside. You’re fucking people over, Sergio.”

“And?” His voice is tight.

“And back the fuck off, or I’ll let others know and bring your entire world down.”

Sergio laughs. “And yours.”

“Not. Mine.”

“You don’t have the balls, Demyan. You won’t risk the wrath of Rocco.

He might be nothing in Chicago, but that’s only because he kept out of our business.

Until now. You won’t mess with such a powerhouse.

” He laughs. “No, you don’t have it in you to back up your threats.

You’re weak, Demyan. You know how I know?

You had the deal to become a real leader with me and Rocco, not just Chicago, but half the USA.

If you had balls, you’d have honored this marriage to Stefina because that little marriage would have furthered all your bratva connections. ”

I stare him down until he pales and takes a small step back. I don’t even think he notices. But he feels my power. And I’m betting a part of him feels diminished.

“Watch your fucking back, Sergio, or I’ll finish you.”

With that, I step past him and walk down the hall and out the door.

I don’t trust that heap of shit for a second.

No. Not one bit.

The only way forward is to take Sergio out before he retaliates. And this document gives me the green light, because no one in our world likes false pretenses. Which was the marriage.

He wasn’t going to share the spoils. He was going to kill me after the wedding and take all of my holdings and power. A double cross.

And now he’s going to be toast.

When I get home, Ilya’s waiting.

“What happened?” He hands me a drink. I take a deep swallow, then turn the glass as I fill him in on what went down at Sergio’s.

“Thank fuck the girls are away. I’ll alert their guards. Just in case Sergio was either stupid enough or smart enough to send someone after them.”

I narrow my eyes, heart squeezing tight. Real fear grips me. “That’d mean we have a spy.”

“No spy. I handpicked these men. Pavel runs checks on everyone. We have a system. Right now, fuck trust. I do trust them but?—”

“You’re not taking chances.” I look at him. “If there isn’t a spy, how would he find out? ”

“It’s still a commercial flight. Someone could be staking out. Even though we run better sweeps than the fucking CIA and DEA”—he has no love for the FBI and he has a plant there—“stakeouts can be hard to spot if they’re very, very good.”

“Chances?”

“Maybe less than one percent.”

I nod. “Let the guards know to up their ante on watching. If they want extra, we’ll fly them in tonight.”

He makes a call to Pavel. “He’ll get it done. What’s the plan?”

“We need to rally the men. Now.”

Ilya nods and starts texting.

I fill up our drinks. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll stake out Sergio’s house.”

“Not tonight.”

“One person.”

He sends another text.

“But,” I say, “tomorrow I want the full stakeout. We’ll wait for him to leave and with any luck, he’ll go straight to Rocco. He’s still in town, right?”

“Oh, yeah, unofficially.”

“Well, let’s hope he goes to Rocco to discuss how to deal with me. That way it’ll be the perfect opportunity to attack them both at once. Sergio thinks I’m weak and all bluster. I don’t think he’ll be expecting this.”

“I’m coming.”

“No fucking way.”

Ilya glares at me. And he switches to Russian. “This is my problem, too. And my place is with you, Demyan. You are my brother.” He thumps his chest to show our connection. “My place is in the fight.”

“As my brother, Ilya,” I say, “I’m not letting you.”

“You— ”

“I’m the boss. Your boss. And I refuse to let you risk further injury, my friend. The best help you can be is where I need you most.”

“And where’s that?”

“Here. Feeding me information.”

His mouth thins. He’s not happy. “Fine, I’ll respect that decision. But if anything happens to you, I’ll kill you myself.”

“A deal.” I pat his back.

“You don’t want to wait?”

“I don’t, and you don’t either, Ilya,” I say. “Besides, I want Rocco and Sergio dealt with now, before I marry Erin in two days.”

He raises his glass. “To a clean slate.”

I tap his glass with mine. “A new beginning.”

I hope.