Page 115 of Bratva's Intern

I smacked him hard across the face, the ring I’d deliberately worn leaving a long red welt across his cheek. His eyes widened, his mouth falling open. “What the fuck?”

“You assaulted my PA.”

He clutched his cheek. “I didn’t assault anyone.”

“You didn’t push him when you came to my office yesterday, and I wasn’t there?”

“I-I—” He shook his head. “It was hardly a push. I was making sure you were really out of the office. Do you have any idea how risky it is for you to be here? All because I shoved your PA?”

“You do not put your fucking hands on me or mine, Stone. That’s not so fucking hard to understand, is it?”

“He’s just a—” He must have seen the murderous intent in my eyes because he clamped his lips tightly together. “I didn’t mean any harm,” he muttered. “Didn’t know he was that important to you.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“Err—”

“You’re going to call my office directly and apologize to him.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I don’t think you understand the magnitude of what you’ve done yet, Chief. Do I need to make you understand?”

He picked up the phone from his desk and punched in the number to my office. Of course he knew it by heart. He cleared his throat as he waited, averting his gaze.

“Err, is this Mr. Morozov’s PA? It’s Chief Stone.… No, I’m not looking to speak with Mr. Morozov. I’ve called to talk with you.… To apologize for yesterday.… I had no right to put my hands on you. You understand, I was simply impatient but didn’t mean to cause harm?… All right, then. You have a good day now.”

Stone hung up the phone. “It’s done.”

“Just so we’re clear, Stone. You so much as breathe on a hair on his head, and you’ll be buried next to your partner who disappeared two years ago.”

Stone flinched. I smiled. Leverage made all the difference in this game, and I’d used mine. For two years, I’d held ontothis trump card of his missing partner, who was actually killed by him in a confrontation about Stone’s corrupt practices as a cop.

“Patrick disappeared without a trace,” he whispered.

“I’m sure he did.Youmade him disappear, didn’t you?”

A sharp knock sounded at the door.

“Chief?” a young voice called from the other side of the door. “Everything all right in there?”

Stone hesitated. Looked at me. I didn’t move, didn’t blink.

“Yeah,” he called out, his voice strained. “All good. Just a meeting.”

I adjusted my jacket. “Smart answer. Glad to see we’ve reached an understanding. And about the contraband you still haven’t released, I expect it to be in my storehouse by tomorrow.”

After losing millions in cryptocurrency in Chicago, I couldn’t play tag with Stone anymore. I’d just made him my puppet.

“I’ll work on it.” Resentment burned in his eyes, but he nodded all the same.

“Thanks for accommodating me today, Chief Stone. I think we’ve accomplished a lot, don’t you?”

He bowed his head and shuffled some papers on his desk. “Don’t come to my office again. You might think everyone believes your hands are clean, but people aren’t fools. The people who matter know you have connections to the Russian mob.”

“The only way I’ll be back, Stone, is if you give me a reason.”

I turned on my heel and marched to the door, leaving Stone behind to nurse his wounded pride. As the door shut behind me, I couldn’t help but feel a small surge of satisfaction. It was high time Stone realized who he was dealing with.I’d given him so much leeway, only for him to use it to hang himself.

---