Page 37 of Sinful Hearts

And he turned stupid real fucking quick.

I take a moment, rub my jaw, and wait for him to take back his words.

He only smirks, proud of himself.

Too sure that I won’t put a bullet between his eyes.

I stride to the corner bar.

Aleksy doesn’t take his eyes off me while I pour myself a glass of whiskey.

I raise the rim to my lips but don’t take a drink.

He taps his lips as I shrug and walk back toward him with the glass in my hand. “Emilio?—”

I smash the glass against his desk, and the whiskey splatters, soaking his paperwork. Drops of liquid hit him in the face.

“What the?—”

I stop him from finishing his sentence again as I race around the desk with a shard of glass in my hand and hold it against his throat.

He gasps for air and makes out a rasped, “Lev.”

I pin him against the chair with my free hand and dig the glass into his jugular. “I know you’re new to this boss thing, Aleksy, but I owe you no loyalty. You arenothingto me, and I do not fear you, boss or not. I suggest you watch your mouth when speaking to me.”

I toss the shard onto the desk and release him.

He hunches forward, inhaling deep breaths as I return to my place in front of his desk.

“Don’t worry.” I knock my knuckles against the desk. “I took care of your light work. Dr. Oswald is dead. You’re fucking welcome.”

He runs his finger along his throat, a faint glimpse of blood on his skin. “Putting your hands on me was a mistake.”

I pick up the Stalin bust—whichwhat the actual fuck?—from his desk, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it. I grin in satisfaction as it breaks.

“Was it?” I ask.

He shoves back his chair and stands. “I’m a Bratva boss. You’re merely a capo, barely above a soldier. Do you need me to educate you on ranks within our world?”

“I don’t give two fucks about rank or who you are.” I crack my neck. “Titles mean nothing to me. I only care about the safety of my wife.”

“Wife?” he huffs out. “You don’t care about Liliya.”

“It may be hard for a man as self-centered as you to understand, but when I said my vows to your sister, I vowed to protect her. It’s whatreal mendo—boss, capo, fucking peasant.” I pound my finger on his desk. “Don’t forget that.”

“You don’t want to cross me, Lastro.”

“I don’t care about you, Aleksy. But one thing I do care about is respect. Not for you since you don’t deserve it. But respect towardme. You speak to me like that again, I’ll cut out your fucking tongue and make your sister eat it for dinner.” I salute him. “Pleasure speaking to you today,brother-in-law.”

He doesn’t try to stop me as I leave.

Neither does Lev nor the men at his gate.

Maggie shakesher head when I walk into the kitchen. “Still nothing.”

This new wife will be the death of me.

I won’t die at the hands of a murderer.