Page 48 of Untouchable Queen
God, what I wouldn’t give to indulge in a buzz right about now, but I resist the urge to grab my wine glass. “Don’t do it, Lucian. Please. No deal is worth the risk of having to rely on Saturo.”
“I can’t just continue to sit on my product either, Tatiana. I have more than I know what to do with. Business is booming with the cartels, and I have a solid source of revenue if I can sort out the distribution end. But if I can’t move the product, then I’m a sitting duck. You know that as well as I do. I can’t store that kind of contraband forever. If I get raided by port authorities, I’m done for. Look, you and I—either we’ll work out a deal onour own, or we won’t. But I don’t wantthisto be contingent on a business arrangement.”
Lucian gestures between us, as if referring to our relationship, and it makes my heart squeeze to hear him say it. Clearly, he was banking on us doing business together. He was confident enough in it that he made a deal with the cartels, and now he has to move what sounds like a considerable amount of product if he’s going to maintain that new supply source and not get caught.
It’s a massive sign of trust that he would tell me about it. I could easily turn around and alert authorities to what he’s sitting on if I were willing to stoop that low for revenge. He’d likely end up in prison for a very long time. But the thought of being the person to put Lucian behind bars feels like lead in my stomach.
And now that he’s explained exactly what’s on the line, I can see why he’s tempted to take the deal. Releasing a heavy breath, I take a drink of my water. “If you’re going to go through with it regardless of my warning, we should at least prepare for the worst possible scenario. On the night of the exchange, my men and I will stand by as backup in case Saturo tries to betray you—which he will,” I add, giving Lucian a pointed look.
“Really? You would do that for me?” He sounds surprisingly touched by my plan, his dark eyebrows raising as his hazel eyes study my face.
“Well…yeah. I can’t just let my husband go waltzing into a trap, can I? What kind of mafia wife would that make me?”
The smile that spreads across Lucian’s face steals my breath away, and he rises from his seat to lean across the table and kiss me passionately. “Thank you,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing softly along my cheek as he pulls back just enough to meet my gaze.
Heat floods my body at the sincerity of his gratitude—like my concern for his safety means more to him than any potentialbusiness strategy I might suggest. I have to admit, now that the offer is out there—before I could overthink the implications behind it—being on the same side as Lucian feels good. Despite our history, we really could make a good team. He has the drive and ambition for bold business, and I have the levelheadedness and foresight to see the pitfalls.
I know Lucian’s a good businessman and an excellent strategist. He probably doesn’t need me there to help him. But the fact that he wants me there, that he appreciates my willingness to back him up means a lot to me too. As a woman in our world, I’ve never assumed I would get recognition. I knew I would have to fight tooth and nail for every ounce of respect I earn.
But with Lucian, it’s like that’s one of the things he saw in me from the start. Hewantedme for a business partner, even before he made me his bride. Still, he was willing to set aside those hopes and find a new way to move his product because I have stubbornly refused to cooperate with him in any way I can—and he didn’t want to hurt our personal connection by forcing me to help him.
I just don’t understand this impossible man. He’s terrifying and brutal—emotionally removed from the pain he causes, like he doesn’t even understand the repercussion of his actions. And yet, everything he’s done, everything he’s said since the day we got married would suggest that deep down, he is a good man. It leaves me more torn than ever about whether or not I should tell him about the baby and embrace this life with him that I’ve been fighting for so long.
28
TATIANA
The breeze coming off the water sends a chill down my spine, and I know it’s not the only thing that has my muscles aching with tension. I really wish Lucian would have backed out of the deal, but it’s too late now. My men are in position up at the top of the loading docks, hidden in the shadows—where we can see everything going on around the isolated warehouse without being spotted.
Sitting ducks—that’s what Lucian said he would be if he didn’t find someone to take this shipment off his hands. But from where I stand, as his men stack square after square of tightly shrink-wrapped squares of powder, that’s exactly what they are.
Beside me Viktor shifts restlessly, and Niko reaches out to nudge him, silently commanding him to stay still. I appreciate Niko’s discipline, but I also completely understand Viktor’s position. Twenty of my strongest men are here tonight, twenty men that I can trust with my life—men I trust will protect Lucian because I asked them to, even if they don’t like it. I know it’s asking a lot of them after everything that’s happened, and I appreciate that they’re here with me now.
“I think I like you in a catsuit.” I recognize the low, playful tone before I can make Lucian’s face out in the shadows, and I raise my hand to signal my men to stand down as they quickly go for their weapons.
“You’re not supposed to be up here,” I hiss. “Isn’t this deal supposed to happen any minute now?”
“My men have it under control,” he assures me, his cocky grin coming into focus as he snakes his arms around my waist to pull me close. “Besides, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see you dressed like this.” His eyes rake appreciatively down my tight bodysuit.
It’s normally the kind of thing Natasha would wear during one of her late-night ventures, and that’s where I got the inspiration from, though I didn’t ask her to come with me tonight. Not because I don’t trust her. I have no doubt she would have my back come hell or high water. But after our conversation the other day, I’m not sure how she would feel about putting her life on the line—or letting me risk mine—for Lucian. So she doesn’t know this is happening.
It’s probably the first time in my life I’ve kept a secret from my sister, and I can’t say I like the feeling, but I couldn’t just stand by and let Lucian walk into a trap either.
“Lucian, this is not the time or place,” I state, flicking my eyes in the direction of my men, who I really don’t want to look weak in front of.
His eyes soften as he seems to take my meaning, and the smirk melts from his face. “You’re right. I really came to say thank you. I know you—all of you—are putting your necks on the line for me, and I won’t forget it.”
The soft grunts of acknowledgment are probably as close to approval as Lucian will ever get from my men, but I appreciate that he would make the effort. His knuckles brush softly acrossmy cheek, his eyes holding mine, and my skin tingles from the tender touch.
“I also came to give you this,” he murmurs, leaning in to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Just in case.”
The hushed possibility steals the breath from my lungs, and as Lucian gives me one last cocky smile before strolling back toward his men, my heart stops. I really don’t want to think about what that “just in case” could be.
Stepping back, deeper into the shadows, I settle in to wait. It was probably stupid of me to come in person. Not only am I pregnant, but I only have a theoretical understanding of what to do with myself if something does go down. I went through the same basic training as my sister, but unlike her, I’ve never been able to stomach violence—or blood. So while I know how to shoot a gun and hold a knife, I’ve never been able to pull the trigger when a human being was on the other end.
I hope it doesn’t become necessary tonight, but I do have a handgun strapped to my thigh and a knife in the combat boots I borrowed from Natasha’s closet. I just couldn’t picture sending my men into a risky situation—one I have no right to ask them to be in—without being willing to do it myself.
Taking a deep breath in through my nose, I inhale the salty scent of the water. A hint of oil and gasoline lingers in the air from all the freighters that move in and out of this port. Bright flood lights illuminate the concrete between warehouses, casting an eerie glow around the abandoned space. The only movement I can see is through the open garage door of the building where Lucian’s men are hard at work.
