The door opened, and Alessia walked in, balancing a tray with a steaming cup. She hesitated, her eyes moving between Matvet and me, reading the tension in the room.
“Um, hi, I brought coffee,” she mumbled.
I stared at her skirt, which rode high above her knees. Flashes of her in nothing but panties hit me, and my cock twitched. She was getting close—too damn close.
Without a word to her, I walked out of the office. Behind me, I heard Matvet murmur an excuse to her before he jogged to catchup with me. She was a distraction, a tool to use. I couldn’t let her be anything more than that.
Matvet and I left the territory. The city never slept, not in our world. Even now, deals were being made in backrooms and lives bought and sold with a handshake. My target for tonight was Leonid.
Leonid’s estate was on the outskirts of town, a fortress hidden behind high walls and armed men. Unlike me, Leonid didn’t flaunt his power. His business thrived in the shadows, where desperation met opportunity.
The organ trade was his ugly business.
We pulled up to the entrance, and immediately his men stepped forward, blocking our path. Their hands moved towards their weapons, ready to attack. I knew Leonid would get an alert.
In three minutes, he appeared at the gate with a cigar hanging between his fingers. He looked at me like a man expecting company.
His lips curled into a slow smirk. “Rodion,” he drawled, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Stepping out of the car, I ignored the way his men tensed. Matvet did the same, standing a step behind me. Leonid took another drag from his cigar, then flicked the ash onto the ground, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
“I didn’t know we were back to friendly visits. Or should I be worried?”
I didn’t return the smile. “Should you?”
He held my gaze briefly and chuckled, waving his men aside. “Let them through.”
We entered the mansion. Leonid’s office was as I remembered—a relic of the past, much like the man himself. I took a seat without asking, signaling Matvet to wait outside. Leonid raised an eyebrow but mirrored the action, motioning for his two mento leave.
Silence settled between us before he finally spoke.
“So? Business?”
“No.”
His smile didn’t falter, but I saw the flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “Then what?”
I studied him, searching for the lie before he could tell it. “You’ve worked with Luigi before?”
Leonid’s amusement deepened. “That’s what this is about? Rodion, I work alone. Ever since your father died, every deal I have done involved no one.”
“You think I will buy that? Men like us can never become friends, so don’t lie to my face that my father was your man. Bratva don’t make friends, we make deals.”
Leonid exhaled, tapping his cigar against the ashtray. “You’ve been looking into me. I know you have a reason for doing that. But I don’t mind, do it. Come to me when you have evidence.”
“You have shown interest in Alessia.” Leonid stilled for a fraction of a second, but I caught it. I smirked. “That got your attention.”
“And why do you care?” he asked.
“Because everyone tied to Luigi has some interest in her. Why is that?” I thought it had something to do with her organs—her kidneys, specifically. But we weren’t a match. And if anyone wanted to destroy me, that was where they would strike. I assumed Leonid was after Alessia because he knew about my condition. But when my doctor ran tests on her and found nothing, it all collapsed, back to level zero. There was no evidence and no answers.
Leonid chuckled. He set his cigar down and spread his hands. “Alright. You got me.” His voice dropped. “Business is serious. And when I saw Alessia, I saw a solution to my problem.”
My eyes narrowed. “What problem?”
He hesitated, then his expression turned serious. “My son. He is fucking sick. He can’t give me grandchildren, and that means my empire dies. I need an heir. And I need someone to give me one.” Something inside me shifted. Leonid rubbed his temple, and his eyes locked onto mine. “That’s why I wanted Alessia.”
The room became colder. I knew his son, Vincenzo. He’d kept a low profile ever since someone put a bullet in his groin. Word was, he never fully recovered. If this old man was right, that explained why.