Chapter Seventeen Daniel
Chapter Seventeen
Daniel
Yuri Volkov. The man I consider one of my best business partners. And yet, every time we meet, there’s a weird and eerie tension in the air between us.
And we both seem to be the only ones who notice.
“Good evening, Caruso,” Yuri is the first to speak. I give him and his wife a gentle smile, bending down to kiss his wife’s hand firmly.
“Good evening, Volkov. Good evening, Katya,” I say gently before I get up again, looking to my side where Jennifer is standing.
She seems uncertain. Scared, even. Her smile is anything but real, and while she thinks she has her poker face on, we all know it’s fake.
“That’s Jennifer,” I introduce her. “Jennifer, meet my friend Yuri Volkov and his wife, Katarina Volkov.”
“Just call me Katya,” his wife gently states, observing Jennifer. I can tell she’s not sure yet what to think of her. But then again, she hasn’t liked any of the women I’ve brought to our meetings before. And, well… I can’t blame her for that.
“Jennifer is the new nurse for our family. And she’s doing such a great job,” I continue, trying to lighten the mood.
Katya’s eyes finally light up, probably with hope. After all, Jennifer is not just some floozy.
“Oh, really? Tell me more! But please, sit down first, will you two?” Katya smiles politely.
Jennifer’s smile turns genuine, for the second time tonight. I sigh quietly, hoping nobody notices. It’s a huge relief to see her enjoying herself.
Even if it’s just for a minute.
I help Jennifer take a seat before sitting down next to her. While Katya and Jennifer face each other, Yuri and I do the same.
But the atmosphere between us couldn’t be more different.
I’ve said it before: Yuri and I are not enemies. Our families have been allies forever. But God… there’s this fucking tension.
Neither of us wants to start a war. And while the chance of it happening is low, it’s never zero.
It never has been, and it never will be.
“So, how’s married life going?” I tease Yuri, setting myself the goal of finally easing the tension. This is supposed to be a business meeting for us, but for Katya and Jennifer, it’s not.
Yuri grins at me. “Best fuck I’ve ever had, Daniel. This woman milks my dick dry.”
While Jennifer must be blushing furiously right now, I smirk at the two in front of us. “Glad you’re enjoying yourselves.”
Katya rolls her eyes. “He’s the one who always wants to get on top of me.”
Yuri looks at his wife, his eyes filled with love meant only for her. “How could I resist a woman like you, sweetheart?” he asks her. Their love is the kind of love I aspire to have one day. Maybe.
While the two tease each other, I look at Jennifer. “You’re fine with a little bit of joking, right?” I ask her.
She nods. “I am, but I didn’t expect you guys to be… like this,” she confesses with a gentle laugh. Her cheeks are red, outshining the blush she applied with her makeup.
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 Anejo, 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 it damn well.”
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.”
As soon as the word snitch leaves his mouth, I stare at him. “You think so, really? Why would there be? On whose side?”
He stays quiet for a second, his eyes resting on mine. Our eye contact is intense, dangerously intense. The type of intense which killed hundreds of guys before.
“Your side. They only attacked your guy.”
“How are you so sure of that, huh?” I challenge him. “What makes you so sure they wouldn’t have killed Nikolai if they had the chance to?”
“Listen, Daniel, seriously. The point is that whoever is behind this, they have a motive they’re strictly going for. And this is only the first attack.”
I laugh, not believing his words. A motive, huh?
He continues. “Isn’t it weird? They knew when the meeting was supposed to happen. They knew where. And… I truly don’t think killing one guy is all they wanted to do.”
“Meaning?” I ask.
“A war.”
“That’s stupid, Volkov. And you know it. Our families have been allies forever. We don’t just start wars against each other.”
“Exactly. We know that, Caruso. But that person doesn’t. Meaning?” This time, he throws the question at me.
I think about his words until I realize his intentions. “You’re saying that it must be a new guy who doesn’t know much about our families yet, right?”
He grins. “You’re reading a bit too much into it, but yeah, something like that. Glad we’re on the same page.”
I nod, frustration overcoming me. “God. Whoever it was who killed Roy, I swear to God, I’m gonna torture this bastard until—” I only notice my voice getting louder when Yuri stares at me with a warning look.
Fuck. We’re still in a public place. A frustrated sigh escapes me as I calm down again. However, my fists clench the second Yuri raises his voice once more.
“Getting a bit reckless there, Daniel? Control your temper, idiot. That snitch might like provoking you. And once you make a mistake, it’s bye-bye, Caruso.”
I roll my eyes. No shit, as if I wouldn’t know about that. “Shut up, Volkov. Don’t act like I’ve never had to control you. Remember when a guy threatened Katya?”
Yuri scoffs. “I don’t fuck around when it comes to my wife. Wouldn’t have mattered to me if you wouldn’t have stopped me.”
A smirk is on my lips.
“Anyways Caruso, let’s get back to business. Does it ring any bells with you? Any new guys making trouble or something?”
Although my thoughts instantly go to Julian, I shake my head. As much as he hates me, my father is his role model.
He wouldn’t destroy my family.
“No, not really. However, I have a feeling this is just the beginning of it all.”
Yuri scoffs. “I agree.”
We both stay quiet, sinking into our own thoughts.
“Let’s go back, yeah? We promised we’d be back soon,” Yuri says, breaking the silence.
“But how are we gonna continue?” I ask before he leaves. He sighs as he turns the key.
“Just focus on your men and their work. If you notice anything suspicious, tell me.”
“That’s all?” I ask, a bit suspicious of the way he handles the situation.
“What else do you want to do?” he questions. “There’s nothing you could act upon right now.”
My jaw tenses. I hate that he’s right about this shit, but unfortunately, he really is.
We step out of the bathroom, and I take the key back into the inner pocket of my leather jacket. Hayden stole it for me a while ago, and I never gave it back. Sometimes, this key is important. As it was today.
I make eye contact with one of my men again, and all he does is nod. Good. I don’t want any more trouble than needed.
When Yuri and I get back to our table and sit down, we come back to a situation we didn’t expect.
Katya is laughing, her face lit up with genuine joy, while Jennifer’s cheeks are flushed, her eyes sparkling.
They’re clearly getting along much better than we anticipated.
Katya leans closer to Jennifer, whispering something that makes Jennifer cover her mouth as she tries to suppress her laughter.
“What did we miss?” Yuri asks, raising an eyebrow at his wife.
Katya sits back, her smile mischievous. “Just some girls talk, darling. Nothing you boys need to worry about.”
Jennifer glances at me, her smile still lingering, though there’s a hint of nervousness in her eyes. I lean closer to her, lowering my voice. “You doing okay?”
She nods quickly; her voice soft. “Katya’s sweet. I didn’t expect that.”
I smirk. “Told you she’s great.”
Yuri clears his throat, pulling my attention back to him. His expression has softened slightly, though there’s still that ever-present edge in his eyes. “Shall we get back to business?”
“Of course,” I reply, leaning back in my seat.
As Yuri starts outlining the logistics for our next shipment but not mentioning what it includes, my focus briefly drifts. My eyes land on Jennifer, who’s now fully engaged in a conversation with Katya. Her hands move slightly as she speaks, her voice steady and clear despite the earlier nerves.
For a moment, I feel a strange sense of pride. She’s not just surviving in this world of ours—she’s adapting, finding her footing.
“Caruso,” Yuri’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
I turn back to him, my expression neutral. “Yeah?”
“Focus,” he says, his tone sharp but not unkind. “We’ve got a lot riding on this deal.”
I nod, pushing aside the distraction. “Don’t worry, Volkov. I’m always focused.”
But as we continue the discussion, my thoughts wander once again. Not to the tension between our families, not to the looming threat of a snitch, but to the woman sitting beside me.
Jennifer Walsh.
She’s more than I ever expected, and I can’t help but wonder how much further she’ll surprise me.
For better or worse, she’s part of my world now.
And I’m not sure I’d have it any other way.