Page 43 of Untouchable Queen
LUCIAN
Across the table from me, Saturo Takumi looks perfectly at ease as he laces his fingers and rests his forearms on the table. “We have a rare opportunity because you have the port and I have the means of transportation to move the product across the East River without having to cross paths with the authorities. If we do it at night, no one will ever know.”
“And how do you intend to manage payment if you’ll be the middleman without the buyer coming to pick up his product?” I ask, an alarm bell ringing in the back of my mind as Tatiana’s words of warning make me question every step along the way. It’s a shady deal, to be sure, but that’s business in our world. You can’t move product unless you’re ready to work with shady people.
“He will be there too, but he insists you be there personally to accept the money.”
“And why would he insist on that?” I’m rarely involved in the dirtier aspects of the job. It’s my low-ranking men who take the risks with the promise of eventually rising to a position where they won’t have to get their hands dirty.
“Because if this deal proves successful, he intends to make it a more permanent opportunity, but he doesn’t do business with men he’s never met. Consider this your…introduction.” Saturo’s face gives nothing away, his dark eyes watchful as he sits perfectly still. “All you have to do is agree to open your borders to us at midnight. I’ll even provide the men to load?—”
“My men will be there to assist in loading.” The last thing I need is for Saturo to think he has the strength in numbers. I have the advantage because it’s a considerable amount of material he’ll need to load, but I don’t intend to part with the product until I receive payment.
“Very well,” he says with a polite nod. “Unless we need to hammer out any further details…?”
I rise to shake his hand, sensing the meeting coming to a close. I’m ready to get theoyabunout of my office. Ever since my argument with Tatiana, I can’t help second-guessing my choice to work with him. But I haven’t become the success I am from playing it safe, and it’s just as risky to continue sitting on the product like I have been. Aldo’s right. My choice to concede Tatiana’s territory in our marriage agreement has put me in a precarious spot. I’ll just have to take my chances.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” I say as he grasps my hand firmly.
“I look forward to it.” His smile is cold and calculated, mirroring my own, and he and his men slip silently from the room a moment later.
Sighing, I settle back into my chair and glance at the time. It’s too early for my day to be done, but I’m on edge after that meeting, and I’m aching to see Tatiana, to have her reassuring presence—even if our relationship is still rocky. Being away from her for long stretches of time makes me antsy. I can’t trust that I’ll come home to find her there, and that feeling drives me home earlier every day. Once upon a time, I might have mocked a manin my position. I’ve turned into some kind of puppy dog when it comes to Tatiana, desperate for her affection and constantly in need of her attention. But I can’t help myself, and my sense that she’s still slipping through my fingers only makes matters worse.
Giving in to my desire to see her, I stand and collect my suit jacket, signaling Luca and Tullio to follow me. Taking the elevator down to the lobby of my office building, I mull over my current position. I’ve been making enemies left and right this year, but at least the war against the Sokolovs is done.
Since her men overheard a rumor about me planning to overthrow her with Saturo’s help, no other fights have broken out—but Tatiana and I have been more disciplined than ever about keeping our men in their separate territories. Only the guards she keeps with her at all times cross the border into Queens on a regular basis, and I doubt any of my men would dare provoke them—even if they weren’t terrified of what I would do to them.
It would appear that I’ve successfully gotten my men back under control. None of my high-ranking men would be so stupid as to stir up trouble like that, which means teaching the masses what loyalty is didn’t come at a massive cost to me, and I can trust that the foundation of my hierarchy is still firmly in place. I just needed to weed out a few bad seeds.
Luca opens the front door of the building, allowing me to step out first as he and Tullio flank me. As soon as the warm breeze hits me, I sense movement off to my left. I’m rarely caught off guard—and on the rare occasion that I am, my men never fail to step in and protect me. But the hands that grasp the lapels of my suit jacket and slam me back against the cold concrete of my building take me completely by surprise. As does Killian King’s deep scowl as he gets right in my face.
He hasn’t come after me so directly before, and the last time we were in this kind of proximity, I had expressed that he and Imight make a pretty convincing team, so finding us on opposite sides while he has me at a complete loss makes me realize for the first time just how impressivelylargethe Irishman is. We’re relatively the same height, and I’m perfectly capable of holding my own in a fight, but he must have fifty pounds of muscle on me and is several years younger.
Luca and Tullio immediately jump into action, moving forward to haul Killian off me, but now that he has me trapped, he’s not getting violent, so I hold up a palm, signaling my men to give us space. If I can, I intend to handle this with words because I don’t want to be responsible for the death of Tatiana’s brother-in-law. Not after everything that’s happened.
“Is it true?” Killian demands, his voice coming out as a deep growl.
With blond hair and green eyes, he looks every bit as Irish as his sister, Quinn, and at this distance, it’s not hard to recognize their similarities. But I doubt Killian’s sister would ever be capable of intimidating someone with so few words.
“Is what true?” I ask, keeping my palms up and in view so he knows I’m not trying to fight.
“I heard a rumor that you’re doing a deal with the yakuza, scheming against the Sokolovs. Don’t lie to me, Agosti. I saw Saturo leaving your office just now.”
“Not that it’sanyof your business who I choose to work with, but I am working with the yakuza—just not in the way that should worry you.”
“I’ll make that judgment for myself, thanks,” Killian snarls.
“Well, if you won’t take my word for it, why bother asking me in the first place?” I reason.
“I didn’t come here to take your word on anything. I came here to warn you that if you evenconsiderdoing something that could hurt those girls, I will flay you from stem to stern and make you eat your entrails. The only thing stopping me fromdoing so after what you did to Quinn and Natasha is my peace treaty with Tatiana. Is that clear? She’s theonlything keeping me from shoving your intestines down your throat right now, and if you so much aslookat any of those women in a way that displeases me, I will pulverize you.”
Behind Killian, Luca and Tullio vibrate with anxiety, their muscles wound tight enough to snap. Fists balled in frustration, they watch the scene unfold, obeying my command to stay put even if they clearly don’t like the situation.
To break the tension, I laugh. “That’s quite a vivid threat, and it might be effective if I were planning to betray Tatiana, but I’m not. You can calm down because I’m done hurting the Sokolov family—and the Kings. I made that mistake once. I won’t do it again.”
The snarl on Killian’s face seems to soften, and after a moment’s hesitation, he releases me to take a step back.
Straightening my suit jacket, I step away from the wall and comb my hair back from my face as I collect myself, but Killian’s not quite done with his warning. Lifting a tattooed fist, he points a finger in my face.
