Page 47 of Tarnished Tyrant (Zhukova Bratva 1)

“What are you doing again?”

I flip Belle’s dossier closed. “I was going over the information you gave me yesterday.”

And looking into her scumbag “boss.” If Belle isn’t going to stand up for herself, then maybe it’s time someone does it for her. But I decide not to mention that part to Arslan. He’d only give me shit about it, and I’m not in the mood.

He smirks. “Studying up on her and wishing I’d included full-color pictures?”

I grimace. Turns out, he’ll give me shit no matter what.

“She’s right down the hall,mudak. What kind of pathetic sucker would I be sitting here looking at pictures when I could go walk twenty yards and have the real thing?”

Truth be told, I’ve been fighting the urge to drop in on Belle all morning. Ever since our little discussion in my office this morning. But I want to give her plenty of time to think. Time to make the right choice.

Time to grasp that what I say goes.

“That wasn’t a denial,” Arslan remarks.

“Because I know you too well. I don’t want to waste my breath.”

“Two-plus decades of friendship is a long time.” He casts a sidelong glance at me. “Long enough that I know when you’re hung up on a broad.”

“For fuck’s sake, Arslan—”

“Listen to me,” he says more soberly than before. “Obviously, I’m giving you shit. It’s my favorite pastime. But I’m serious about this, too.”

“You’re never serious.”

He gives me his best approximation of a stern face. “Which is why you should listen to me now.”

I sigh and wave him on. “Fine. Say your piece.”

“I’ve been with you since almost the beginning, brother,” he says. “I was there when you were just a scrappy little punk without a dime. But you’ve always had drive. Focus. Your family lost everything to the Battatios, and you were determined to crawl your way back to the top and make them pay.”

I cross my arms. “Are you saying I’ve lost my focus?”

“No.” He waves me off. “But—”

“‘But’ implies you think I’ve lost focus,” I growl.

“You promised Simatou that you’d be exclusive with his crazy-ass sister.”

“I told him I wouldn’t make love with anyone else,” I remind him.

“Oh, you clever boy, have a cookie. C’mon, Nikolai—you and I both know that shit won’t hold up.”

“Xena isn’t my wife yet.”

Arslan laughs. “I’d love to hear you explain to that insane bitch how finger-fucking your accountant doesn’t constitute cheating. Right after you explain the difference between ‘fucking’ and ‘making love.’ You won’t get two words out before she shanks you in the throat, and you’ll deserve it.”

My eyes widen. “How did you know we—goddammit, Arslan, are you spying on me?”

“No. And now I don’t need to,” Arslan says, looking far too pleased with getting me to rat on myself. “Bridget told me Belle was in your office. She looked pissed about it. I assumed something happened, so I bluffed. And I nailed it. Fuckin’ bingo!”

“Bridget needs to keep her damn mouth shut,” I grumble.

“Maybe she would if you were fucking her instead of the numbers nerd,” Arslan says.

I throw up my hands. “Are you trying to stop me from cheating on Xena or encourage it? Make up your damn mind.”

---