Page 21 of Stolen Empire

The way they're looking at me makes me nervous.

I've had tougher conversations before, but never without an anchor waiting to come to my rescue.

Dimitri was there yesterday when one of his men threatened to get handsy, but I don’t know where he's at today or if he'd even risk coming to my aid in this situation.

He wants me to sell this, so I just have to stand here shaking.

The younger man takes a step toward me, and I can see the threat in his posture, the way his hands curl into fists.

But before he reaches me, another voice cuts through the room.

"Leave her alone."

I turn, and a man is standing in the doorway.

He's thin, with a narrow face and nervous eyes that dart around the room before settling on me.

Rodion.

I recognize him from the other day when Dimitri went through my bag.

It makes my shoulders loosen, and I know I'm going to break this man.

I can see his weakness just by looking at his appearance.

The younger man glances at Rodion, then back at me, and he spits on the floor before returning to his seat.

The tension in the room shifts, but it doesn't disappear.

Rodion crosses to the bar, standing close enough that I can smell the tobacco on his clothes.

"You're new," he says, his voice low.

"I am."

"What do you want?"

"Information," I say, keeping my tone casual.

"I've been betting on races, but I keep losing. I need an edge."

Our volume is low enough that no one can hear us, but there's no way I'm going to let him miss my intention here.

His eyes narrow as he reaches for a glass and the bottle of vodka.

"What do you mean, an edge?"

"I mean I need to know the odds before they're posted. I need to know which horses are favored, which ones are going to tank. I'm willing to pay for that information."

He studies me for a long moment, and I can see the wheels turning in his head.

He's weighing the risk, trying to decide whether I'm legitimate or this is a trap.

I hold his gaze, letting him see the desperation I'm faking, the hunger for easy money.

"That's not how this works," he says finally.

"You can't just walk in here and ask for insider information. People get killed for less."