Page 33 of Between Us

“Is that right?”

The man nodded his head vigorously. “I’m not lying, man. Please. I don't know anything.”

“It was just you and your dead buddy on duty tonight?”

“Yeah.”

Roman swore profusely. There should have always been at least three guards when a shipment camethrough. John knew this. There was a reason why the Bratva worked with him, and that reason was that he did good business. He was discreet and loyal. Smart. At least, that’s what Roman had thought until now.

“Where’s your fucking boss?”

“H-home, I think.” The guard looked a little bewildered by the question. “I-it’s late.”

If either John or one of his employees had suddenly decided to switch sides and betray Vitaly, theyweregoing topay with their worthless lives. Lowering the gun, Roman dug into his pocket for his phone. He found John’s number and waited for the call to connect.

“Yeah?” the man’s sleepy voice came through.

“Get your ass to the scrapyard,” Roman hissed, not wanting to discuss anything over the phone. “Now.”

He hung up and turned to Andrei. “Search around the truck, see if they left any evidence.” He jerked his head in the guard’s direction. “And take care of this one.”

There were no surveillance cameras, which was convenient most of the times, but not tonight. As for the guard, since he hadn’t done his job, he was going to receive a not-so-friendly reminder of who he was dealing with. Whether that reminder meant a few broken bones or his dead body floating in the Chicago River, depended on his cooperation and maybe Andrei’s mood when he was done with him.

Andrei puffed out a cloud of smoke and nodded, despite the guard’s panicked expression. “Yeah, I'll do that. My money's on the Armenians. They must be pissed about our deal with the Italians.”

“Fucking Davit,” Roman muttered through his teeth, tucking his gun away and reaching into his pocket for his own pack of cigarettes. He needed more thana smoke to take the edge off, but the cigarette he shoved between his lips would have to do for the moment. Andrei offered him his lighter, which he took absentmindedly. “You drove my wife home today?”

“Yeah, after her driving lesson.”

Roman glanced away, suddenly annoyed that his mind was flying to the girl warming his bed, even in a time when his focus should be elsewhere. “Get rid of the bodies. I have to call Vitaly.”

Andrei left to do as he had been instructed, and Roman took a few steps so prying ears wouldn't hear his side of the conversation. Heloathedthat he had to call his father with such news after their verbal altercation in the morning.

“What happened?” Vitaly answered in a gruff voice. He already knew his son never called this late at night without a good reason.

“That thing we were waiting for; it's gone,” Roman said vaguely, always cautious about revealing too much over the phone, even to his father.

“What?” Vitaly hissed. “Who?”

“We don't know yet. We're searching the area.”

“Get here as soon as you're done.” The line went dead.

Roman lowered the phone and rubbed his eyes with rough fingers. Smoke from his cigarette assaulted his nostrils, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

“Boss.”

He turned his head to one of his men walking toward him. “What?”

“We found the dog. It looks like it was poisoned. They killed everything in sight.”

Roman let out a heavy sigh.

Fucking Armenians.

14

Alessandra jolted awake when she felt the mattress move. Opening her eyes, she groggily made sense of Roman’s darkened form sliding in beside her. He settled on his back, one arm tucked under his head.

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