Page 9 of Dimitri
Tobias breathes heavily out of his nose before slumping into the chair opposite to mine. Since our meetings need to be kept on the down-low, dust kicks up around him in protest to his large frame squeezing the last bit of air out of the chair’s cushioning. “I agree. Impatience is one of Rimi’s biggest downfalls. I just have a bad feeling about this one. The New Mexico region is the Castros’ stomping ground. Rimi would only go there for one reason.”
“To end things?”
When Tobias jerks up his chin, I take a moment to deliberate. Tobias’s extensive knowledge on how the Cartel works is the sole reason I’ve continued to keep him updated on Audrey and Fien’s case. He knows how these guys tick because he’s been undercover in their organizations longer than some of the main hitters have been helming their reigns. If anything is about to go down, Tobias generally knows before it occurs. He tried to talk my father out of his failed takeover bid on the family now running New York. He didn’t listen to him as I am tempted to do this time around.
“I can’t let this go. The evidence is too overwhelming to discount.”
“I agree,” he says again. “But I also think you need to tread cautiously. Castro reacts stupidly when scared.”
I shouldn’t smile at the thought of Rimi quaking in his boots, but I do. What can I say? I like knowing he doesn’t have one up on me. Tell me one air-breathing man who wouldn’t? He’s had my daughter for nearly ten months. Most men would have cracked by now.
Confident all is said and done, Tobias stands to his feet. “I’ll try and get word to you before we make a move. In the meantime, stay out of Erkinsvale. Even with the security guard being shot in the back, his death has murky cartel smears all over it.”
I slant my head to hide my smile. I shot the guard in the back to weaken the Feds’ suspicions. I should have realized that wouldn’t work with Tobias. He has an uncanny knack for knowing when his targets are coming out to play.
When Tobias’s silence gets the better of me, I mutter, “He was going to rape that girl.”
He shifts on his feet to face me. Even with him being close to sixty, his swagger is highly noticeable. “I know. Why do you think my cuffs are still shackled to my belt?” He waits for my gut to absorb his first hit before he whacks me with another. “Was he one of your johns?”
“Hypothetically speaking?”
His smirk matches mine. He isn’t impressed with my negotiating skills, but he’s aware we won’t talk without them. “When aren’t things hypothetical with you, Dimi?”
As my smile doubles, I shrug. “Hypothetically speaking, his kink was rape. He liked them un-bled and young—”
“Younger than the girl you left to clean up your mess?”
I shrug again. “Depends. How young is she?”
I’m seeking answers from the wrong person, but I can’t fucking help myself. Even with my week being tied up dating Justine and praying Rimi is as stupid as he looks, the bleach blonde’s sullied green eyes barely left my mind. I swear I’ve seen them before, but for the life of me, I can’t remember where.
With his smirk as edgy as his mood, Tobias replies, “Young enough I shouldn’t need to tell you to stay away, but I will. She doesn’t belong in this life any more than Fien.” Confident I’ll adhere to his warning, he leaves the warehouse cloaked by a moonless sky, sidestepping Maddox Walsh on his way out.
Maddox’s fists are balled tighter than they were when I approached him at an underground college fight months ago, and fiery ambers are blazing through his icy gaze. I want to say the scum who tried to rip him off of five thousand cool ones last week is the reason for his anger, but I doubt that’s the case. Rumors about me moving on aren’t just reaching Rimi’s ears. Justine’s brothers have heard them too.
Although I know the reason for Maddox’s visit, I try and downplay it. I’ve got a third date with his sister to organize. I don’t have time to babysit men big enough to crawl out of their own shit. “The funds from last month’s fights will be deposited into your account by the end of business Friday. I don’t have any intel on the fighters being brought forward for next month.”
“I’m not here about our arrangement.” His voice is gruff like he’s taken one too many jabs to the throat. I guess it’s part and parcel of being an illegal street fighter. His skills are good enough not to get hit, but he knows the more strikes he takes, the bigger his prize will be. Even if it’s rigged, idiots pay top dollar to watch two men come to blows for longer than a couple of minutes.
After planting his ass in the seat Tobias just freed up, Maddox locks his blue eyes with mine. “Is it true you’re using my sister as bait?”
That wasn’t close to what I was anticipating for him to say, but I keep a cool head. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Don’t play the dumb card with me, Dimitri. You might have all the stupid fuckers around here believing you’ve got the hots for my sister, but I know there’s more to it than you’re letting on. You paid the dessert menu more attention last week than you did Justine, yet you’re trying to organize another date. Why?”
I’ll give it to him. It takes gall to call a man out as a liar on his turf. His valor sees me issuing him some leniency—just. I inconspicuously aim my gun at his stomach instead of straight-up pressing it to his temple like I usually do.
“She’s not in any danger—”
“That wasn’t what I asked.” He winks, then leans forward, aware I have my gun on him but uncaring. If I gunned him down now, Tobias would be on my ass in an instant, and Maddox knows it.
Tobias isn’t my friend. Only a fool would believe otherwise. We work together because we must, not because we want to.
“You’re willing to die for your sister?” When confirmation flares through Maddox’s eyes, I switch tactics. “How does Demi feel about that?”
Justine hinted that Demi and Maddox were going casual last week. I know it’s more than that. Maddox isn’t just fascinated with my cousin, he’s wholly fucking taken by her. Enough for me to be confident in saying, “If Demi were taken by your enemies, how far would you go to get her back?”
I see the answer in his eyes—there’s no line he wouldn’t cross—but it doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on me, though.
