Page 106 of Between Us

“I hope you realize the position you're putting me in. I’d rather we agree on a place on neutral ground.”

“You were the one to ask to meet up. These are my conditions.”

Matteo let out a disbelieving breath.”I must be out of my goddamn mind.”Then he finally agreed with a simple, “I'll see you tonight.”

After ending the call with his brother-in-law, Roman dialed Stepan.

“Cancel the meeting. Be at my house tonight at eleven.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I don't know, but I'm hoping to find out. Be there.”

Intermission

Somewhere in a luxurious villa set in the heart of a suburb north of Chicago, Davit Kasparov enjoyed a glass of expensive whiskey on the terrace overlooking the backyard.

A boy with dark hair and pale complexion sat on the mowed grass below, tinkering with a blue bicycle.

Seven years ago, one of the whores had gotten pregnant. Since he'd never married and was in need of an heir, Davit had decided to keep the baby. He'd gotten rid of the whore as soon as the boy was born, and now, years later, he was a single father, raising his son in the spirit of the organization he ruled over.

With the exception of a few trusted men he could count on one hand, no one knew about his bastard child. In his world, family was a liability, and he needed to ensure the boy's safety first and foremost.

One day, hopefully soon enough, his Clan would rule over Chicago without competition. One day, peoplewould whisper his name in fear as his legacy carried on for decades to come. Little Zgon was the main pawn in Davit's grand scheme of things. Already, he showed great discipline and an inquisitive mind, which were both good qualities for a strong leader of men.

Davit had a plan, and there was no place for either the Russians or the fucking Italians in the new world he was trying so hard to mold after his own wishes.

Taking a sip of whiskey, he smiled to himself.

So far, so good.

His plan was coming along nicely.

If Vitaly thought for a single moment Davit was so easily fooled, the Russian bastard was clearly losing his grip on reality. Not that it mattered anymore. He was now where he deserved—lying on a cold hospital bed, oscillating between death and a half-life. His own little limbo.

Once, they had been friends. Once, their organizations had worked together in perfect harmony. But not anymore, and never again.

And Roman... well, Roman could be dealt with. The boy was smart, but notthatsmart. He would fall right into Davit's trap, if he hadn't already. Then all Davit had to do was sit back and watch as the young aspiring boss targeted the Italians for what he thought to be retaliation for his father's attack. With half of his work done for him by others, Davit and his Clan could easily take on the Russians.

Then, finally, the city would be his.

Draining his glass, he threw one last look at the child sitting on the grass, oblivious to his father's shadow looming on the terrace above him.

In their mother tongue, Zgon meant “awake” or “watchful”. In Polish, it translated to “death”. The perfect blend of meaning, Davit thought.

After discarding the empty glass on the table, he headed inside the house, letting the door fall closed behind him.

He had a plan to get back to and a city to conquer.

39

“Matty? What are you doing here?”

Alessandra stared at her brother's six foot one form filling the doorway and tried to comprehend the image of him standing there at eleven at night.

“I'm here to see your husband,” he said, glancing past her into the foyer. He seemed distracted, maybe even a little concerned.

She turned her head in time to see Roman appear from the hallway leading to the study. He was still wearing his suit pants and the black shirt he'd worn that day for work. From the looks of it, his workday hadn't ended yet.

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