.
"Shaving is overrated." He pulled on his dirty jeans and T-shirt, wishing he could have washed those too, and left the bathroom as instructed by the guard.
The Australian escorted him to a dining room dripping with velvet tapestries where Nikolai waited at a table set for two with gold plates and flatware. Crystal goblets with gold rims sparkled under the crystal chandelier.
Nikolai stared at Vince's face. "Run into some trouble?"
Vince felt the tightness in his swelling cheek as he smiled at Nikolai. "My friend here was just extolling the virtues of growing a beard."
"I'm glad you saw things his way. Any more of that and I couldn't possibly let you dine with me."
"It was hard not to. He had a very convincing argument." Vince moved to the only other place setting at the table, across from Nikolai, and pulled out the chair. "What's for dinner?"
"Why don't we start with a drink?"
Vince tried to stay positive. He knew full well this could be his last supper and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it. "I'd love one, thanks."
Nikolai motioned to the woman standing in the corner, quiet as a piece of furniture. "Bashira, bring Mr. Hennessee a drink."
Vince had barely noticed the silent woman in the abaya.
She quickly mixed and delivered a vodka martini to Vince. She barely made a sound as she walked across the floor.
Vodka. Should have known .
Vince tried to be kind. Being a servant in this house had to be a miserable existence. "Thank you, Bashira."
She made brief eye contact with Vince and quickly turned away.
That's a fresh bruise on her cheek that'll be a big green lump in a couple days.
"I see we have something in common, Bashira. Is your bruise courtesy of that big Australian brute too?"
Bashira pulled up the face scarf of her plain, black niqab and scurried back to her corner with her head down.
"You really should treat your help better than that, Nikolai. If you aren't careful, they might kill you in your sleep." Vince raised his glass as if to toast the idea and then took a drink of the martini. "Mm, very good. My compliments."
"Thank you. And I'll thank you not to put ridiculous thoughts into the servants' heads. They know what will happen if they step out of line." Nikolai finished his drink in a single gulp. "Vince you've had time to think. I'm sure you've put everything into perspective by now."
"Yeah, I've got perspective."
Bashira replaced Nikolai's empty glass with a fresh martini without even making a footfall on the floor.
Poor thing is probably barefoot .
Nikolai continued as he picked up his drink. "You have an opportunity here. You can be my friend and associate or my enemy. We've done deals in the past, and I've found you to be a very shrewd businessman. As it happens, there has been a recent opening in my organization, as I'm sure you're well aware."
Vince raised his eyebrows. "You want to hire me to replace Victor?" He laughed.
What a mercenary thing to do. Hiring the killer to replace the dead had to be the coldest thing he'd ever been party to. The brotherhood did that though. They respected power, action, and decisiveness.
"Consider it more of a buy-in situation. You can buy into my organization by sharing the information you have such as people, places…well, you know." He smiled.
Vince's stomach turned. Nikolai wanted him to turn traitor.
Of course, he does. If I turn, he gets the credit, and I still get dead. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't and I know it.
Nikolai spoke as he lit a cigarette. "I would be especially interested in any more information you may have on Sarah Stevens. I thought she and I got along quite well. If everything Victor said is true, she and I could get along even better."
Vince clenched his jaw. The last thing he wanted was this bastard putting his filthy hands on Sarah.
Stay calm. Don't give it away .
"Really? Somehow I
"Shaving is overrated." He pulled on his dirty jeans and T-shirt, wishing he could have washed those too, and left the bathroom as instructed by the guard.
The Australian escorted him to a dining room dripping with velvet tapestries where Nikolai waited at a table set for two with gold plates and flatware. Crystal goblets with gold rims sparkled under the crystal chandelier.
Nikolai stared at Vince's face. "Run into some trouble?"
Vince felt the tightness in his swelling cheek as he smiled at Nikolai. "My friend here was just extolling the virtues of growing a beard."
"I'm glad you saw things his way. Any more of that and I couldn't possibly let you dine with me."
"It was hard not to. He had a very convincing argument." Vince moved to the only other place setting at the table, across from Nikolai, and pulled out the chair. "What's for dinner?"
"Why don't we start with a drink?"
Vince tried to stay positive. He knew full well this could be his last supper and there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it. "I'd love one, thanks."
Nikolai motioned to the woman standing in the corner, quiet as a piece of furniture. "Bashira, bring Mr. Hennessee a drink."
Vince had barely noticed the silent woman in the abaya.
She quickly mixed and delivered a vodka martini to Vince. She barely made a sound as she walked across the floor.
Vodka. Should have known .
Vince tried to be kind. Being a servant in this house had to be a miserable existence. "Thank you, Bashira."
She made brief eye contact with Vince and quickly turned away.
That's a fresh bruise on her cheek that'll be a big green lump in a couple days.
"I see we have something in common, Bashira. Is your bruise courtesy of that big Australian brute too?"
Bashira pulled up the face scarf of her plain, black niqab and scurried back to her corner with her head down.
"You really should treat your help better than that, Nikolai. If you aren't careful, they might kill you in your sleep." Vince raised his glass as if to toast the idea and then took a drink of the martini. "Mm, very good. My compliments."
"Thank you. And I'll thank you not to put ridiculous thoughts into the servants' heads. They know what will happen if they step out of line." Nikolai finished his drink in a single gulp. "Vince you've had time to think. I'm sure you've put everything into perspective by now."
"Yeah, I've got perspective."
Bashira replaced Nikolai's empty glass with a fresh martini without even making a footfall on the floor.
Poor thing is probably barefoot .
Nikolai continued as he picked up his drink. "You have an opportunity here. You can be my friend and associate or my enemy. We've done deals in the past, and I've found you to be a very shrewd businessman. As it happens, there has been a recent opening in my organization, as I'm sure you're well aware."
Vince raised his eyebrows. "You want to hire me to replace Victor?" He laughed.
What a mercenary thing to do. Hiring the killer to replace the dead had to be the coldest thing he'd ever been party to. The brotherhood did that though. They respected power, action, and decisiveness.
"Consider it more of a buy-in situation. You can buy into my organization by sharing the information you have such as people, places…well, you know." He smiled.
Vince's stomach turned. Nikolai wanted him to turn traitor.
Of course, he does. If I turn, he gets the credit, and I still get dead. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't and I know it.
Nikolai spoke as he lit a cigarette. "I would be especially interested in any more information you may have on Sarah Stevens. I thought she and I got along quite well. If everything Victor said is true, she and I could get along even better."
Vince clenched his jaw. The last thing he wanted was this bastard putting his filthy hands on Sarah.
Stay calm. Don't give it away .
"Really? Somehow I
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