Andrey replied in Russian first and then in English.
“He does have skills we need,” Andrey said, “both as assassin and as protector.”
“Just don’t ask him to do any knife work,” Micah snickered. “Apparently, he’s messy.”
I offered him a bit of a shrug.
“I’ll still do it,” I replied, “as long as you don’t take off points for neatness.”
I watched both Andrey and Gavino closely, trying to gauge their silent exchange. The Russians were in Greco’s group much deeper than I realized, and I wondered if Rinaldo understood the extent of it. Having the two organizations joining forces was always a concern—both due to the numbers as well as the access to overseas merchandise. Rinaldo wouldn’t like seeing them all work together so closely.
I’d done a lot of work to discourage that earlier in the year, but they must not have gotten the right message.
“You use knives for work?” Rurik nodded toward me pointedly before continuing in his thick accent. “There was woman here with us who was killed with knife. It was sloppy job.”
I sat motionless and didn’t respond. I knew exactly who he was talking about—Tasha Zorin. Rinaldo had asked me to send a message with her death, and I had. Andrey said something else to Rurik in Russian. The tone was one of warning, but Rurik didn’t seem interested in heeding it.
“You kill for our competitor,” he said. “How many of my people have you killed?”
“This is history,” Gavino stated.
“I have right to know! If he is man who put her head on my door, I have right to know!”
I leaned back in my seat and looked over to Gavino, wondering how he was going to let this play out. Intelligence aside, he was still obviously in charge.
“History!” he bellowed. “I know he has killed many of my people as well, and if I can set that aside to employ him, then so can you! This is business. Just business.”
Rurik glared from Gavino to Andrey but didn’t say anything else. When no one else dared say anything, Gavino spoke again.
“Mister Arden is in my employ now. Is that correct, Evan?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He has already done work for me, and I have more for him to do soon. We will keep the past behind us.”
“I do not trust him,” Rurik replied.
“And I don’t trust you,” Gavino responded, “but still we manage to work together. How many caviar shipments have you lost?”
“Four,” Rurik said.
“And now I will offer you protection for your next shipment. Mister Arden will be that protection, won’t you?”
I nodded at Gavino, but kept my eyes on Rurik.
“It is settled,” Andrey announced. He and Rurik had another Russian exchange but seemed to be at an understanding when it was over. Soon afterwards, the group began to break up and go their separate ways. I was given the time and location of the next shipment and decided it was time to go do a little recon of the area to find a good spot to conceal myself.
Jenna followed me out of the office and into the hall.
“You know how to make friends,” she mused.
“It’s all part of the game.” I shrugged and started down the hallway, but she stopped me again.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said as she tossed her long brown hair off her shoulder. “You have quite the reputation.”
“For?”
Jenna laughed.