Page 38 of Shades of Loyalty
I grin. Oh, she’s acting all innocent now. And yet, she’s the one who has a daughter.
I wonder how she’d be with me if we—
“Good evening! Can I get you something to drink?” the waitress interrupts my thoughts.
Yuri and Katya order their usual drinks. Whenever Yuri and I have a meeting, they always get vodka and a White Russian.
Meanwhile, I like to switch things up. I think for a moment before deciding. “I’ll take a Tequila Añejo, please.”
Jennifer looks at the waitress, then at me. “I don’t…” She laughs nervously. “I don’t really drink, you know,” she tells me.
I smile. “You don’t have to drink alcohol, of course, but maybe you’d like to try a Rosé? It’s good, I swear.”
The way she looks at me and then at the waitress for a moment tells me she’s considering it. Finally, she nods. “I think that sounds good.”
The waitress smiles and bows before leaving us to our conversation again.
Katya’s smile grows larger every second. Jennifer, admitting she doesn’t drink, probably made Katya even happier about her.
Who knows? Maybe I should bring her along to these meetings more often.
“Ladies, will you excuse us for a moment?” Yuri asks gently. “We’ll be back before the drinks are here, promise.”
Katya immediately agrees, and while Jennifer seems nervous, she knows she can’t say no. I feel a bit bad leaving her in an unfamiliar setting, but I know Katya.
She’s a great woman, an absolute sweetheart. The total opposite of Yuri, sometimes.
Yuri and I both get up from our seats and head toward the bathroom. I make eye contact with one of my men and subtly tilt my head toward the area where Katya and Jennifer are sitting.
It’s a silent signal: Watch them. Don’t talk to them. Just make sure they’re safe.
Volkov and I have always done this for Katya. Now, it’s for Jennifer’s safety, too.
We check for clearance before entering the men’s bathroom, and I pull out the key out of my jacket to lock the door behind us.
Does it seem suspicious to lock the door? Maybe. But I’ll take that over someone walking in on us discussing business.
We need a secure and quiet place.
The only sounds filling the bathroom are the faint jazz music from the live band and the occasional chatter outside in the hallway.
While the lighting was bright outside, in here, it’s dim and moody.
I lean against the sink, crossing my arms as I stare at Yuri. Neither of us speak at first, unsure how to start.
“So… Roy,” Yuri finally begins. Not the best way to ease into a calm conversation, but better than nothing.
A loud, frustrated sigh escapes me. “Yes. Roy. Apparently, one of your men shot him and ran away.”
He nods. “Listen, Daniel. None of my men killed your guy. When my men arrived, all of you were already gone. They only saw the blood.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I scoff. “I saw them, Volkov. They killed my man. Don’t you understand that?”
“Nikolai confirmed it to me. You know Nikolai doesn’t play around. You know itdamnwell.”
I roll my eyes. Because fuck, as much as I’d like to beat his face right now for telling me it wasn’t his men, he’s probably right. His consigliere is as much to be trusted as mine, Hayden.
“Look, Daniel. I think there’s a snitch.”
