Rust now switches from English to answer him in Russian, his tone snappish. “My channels, my connections. I built those. I don’t get involved in your side. Stay the hell out of mine.”
“You don’t get involved? You’ve been asking a lot of questions about our side lately.”
“Yeah, because you’re gouging me with each new shipment.”
“Do you want out?”
Rust shrugs in a way that tells me he’s getting a bit drunk and therefore bullish. “Maybe.”
“Because the next shipment is expected on time.”
Rust dips his head, taking several deep breaths. Finally, “Relax, Vlad. I’m just diversifying is all. All the orders are out and plans are set. You’ll still get your cars next week and none of this other stuff hits your soil, so there’s no competition with your current buyers.”
“Was this his idea?” I keep my eyes on the crowd, knowing that the asshole is referring to me.
“Luke only does what I ask him to. This lands on me.” A pause. “Got it?”
Vlad’s lips curl back like a feral animal’s. Finally, he says, “Got it.” He downs his drink. Standing up, he leans over just far enough to spit on the floor beside us before marching off.
Rust shoots me a “told you” glare before smiling at Rain. “I’m so sorry about that. Some of my business partners are prickly.”
“I can’t say I’d want to work with him,” she offers, and then leans into me with a smile, seemingly unbothered by the exchange. We stay for another hour or so, Rust telling stories about me as a little kid that make Rain laugh gleefully, and it’s like the whole Vlad thing never happened. Even I start to believe it’s not a big deal.
Until Rain slides past me to hit the restroom and the cheerful mood Rust forced for her benefit vanishes. “This isn’t good, Luke.”
“How did Vlad hear about the deal with Aref?”
He sucks in a breath in thought. “I don’t know. Aref isn’t stupid enough to tell him and he’s never met any of the fences. I keep all the layers away from each other. Helps avoid issues in case someone gets nabbed. Only you and Miller ever talk to Rodriguez and that group, and I know neither of you have said anything.” He pinches the bridge of the nose. “I should have let this partnership die with Viktor. I knew better.”
“So, what now?”
“Now . . . we make sure that the shipment for Vlad and Andrei goes out next week.” His fingers strum against the table as he eyes the people nearby. “Listen . . . how well do you know this girl?”
“Pretty well, why?”
“Something about her rubs me the wrong way.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I slam my glass down, glancing over my shoulder to make sure she’s not coming up on me. “She’s perfect, Rust.”
“Too perfect.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know . . . She didn’t tell you that she’s been here before?”
“I never asked!” I can’t remember half the places I’ve been to. They all start to look the same after a while. “She’s not like the women you normally see me with. That’s the problem.”
“Maybe.” A smile. “You really like this one, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I do.”
He dumps his drink back. “Maybe that’s why she raises the hairs on my neck.”
Chapter 44
CLARA
“So, what were your uncle and that guy arguing about? Because he sounded pissed.”
“It’s just the language.” Luke chuckles, turning into the underground garage in his building. “Russians always sound angry to people who don’t understand them.”
“Did you understand them?”
“I can’t believe you were at The Cellar when I was, and we never met.”
I know a brush-off, and Luke’s trying to brush me off. “I know, crazy, right?”
“But Rust noticed you.” Luke glances down at my bare legs. This dress doesn’t allow for much coverage and, by the way he’s been eyeing me all night, that’s a good thing. He veers the SUV into his private garage with ease.
“So, did he give his blessing?”
Slipping his hand around the back of my head, he pulls me into a long, hard kiss. The kind that I give him when I’m not wearing my wire. The kind I can’t enjoy right now.
“He loved you. He can’t wait to see you again.”
No small relief fills me. There’s a reason no one’s been able to get close to Rust so far. He doesn’t trust easily, or completely.
But he trusts his nephew.
“You, in this dress, have killed me tonight.” Luke’s hand lands on my thigh and slips upward as he adds, “You’re coming up for the night, right?”
I grab hold of his hand just as his fingers begin curling under the lace of my panties. “I can’t.”
His forehead drops against mine. “Are you sure? It’s been too long since that day at the garden . . . I need you again.”
Fuck, shit, fuckity shit. My stomach leaps up in my chest and I have to look away from him before he reads the panic that I’m sure is written all over my face. How the hell am I going to explain that one to Warner? I’m so screwed. There’s not much I can do about it right now, except not make this worse. “I know. But I can’t right now. You know . . . female issues.”