Ghost (Boston Underworld #3) - A. Zavarelli Page 0,70

already tried to cut a deal with him, Lyoshenka. He isn’t willing to part with her.”

“You did this without me?” I ask.

“I did not want to trouble you with it.”

“You mean you did not want me to kill him.”

“You can’t,” Viktor answers me. “We need his supply.”

“And he cannot have Talia. She is my wife now. It is done. She is protected by Vory code. By me. Arman has no choice but to accept it.”

“Yes, well…” Viktor sighs. “We will figure something out, Lyoshenka. We always do. But for now, you must give me your word that you will be patient and not do anything rash.”

Viktor knows me well. He knows I want Arman dead. But he is right. I must be patient. I must bide my time. He does not want to risk our arms shipments. But Arman will die. When he does, it will look like an accident. Or as though it is at the hands of another party.

As much as Viktor claims to put the Vory first, I know he would do the same if it were his own wife. So I simply give him a nod, and he squeezes my shoulder.

“Come,” he says. “Now we must celebrate.”

38

Talia

Tanaka is here with Nikolai. And I am glad.

She is probably the only woman at this party who is actually happy for me. The only woman who does not wear a fake smile for me.

“How are you?” she hugs me, and it is a warm embrace.

“I am well,” I answer her.

Her eyes move over my face, and her smile fades. “You can’t fool me with that act.”

“The better question is how are you?” My eyes move across the room, to Nikolai. “Any news on your father?”

“No,” she sighs. “But Nikolai is taking good care of me.”

Right now, it appears as though he is trying to fend off more of Katya’s advances though. When Tanaka turns, she dismisses the interaction with a wave of her hand.

“That is just Katya,” she says. “She is desperate for a high ranking husband and now that Nikolai has been promoted, she has her target set on him.”

“Does it not worry you?” I ask.

“Why should it?” she replies. “My fate will be written one way or another. I have no say in it. This is the Vory way.”

“I suppose it is,” I answer her, knowing she is right.

“I was raised in this world,” she tells me. “It does not bother me so much. It must appear strange to you though. All of these arranged marriages. Women as payment. Collateral. We are simply pieces on a board in the game of men.”

“But you have feelings for Nikolai?” I ask.

She glances down at her shoes, and for just a moment, her cool demeanor crumbles.

“My feelings don’t matter. I will accept whoever they choose for me. They are all good and decent men, despite their outdated practices. You will never find a husband who holds his wife in higher regard than a Vor does.”

The way she speaks makes it sound so simple. She has accepted her circumstances without a fight. The way I accepted mine when I came here. How has so much changed since then?

“You are one of the lucky ones,” Tanaka tells me, her eyes moving behind me as she leans in. “Your husband can’t take his eyes off of you.”

“Only because he fears I will pounce on Nikolai or one of the others the moment he has his back turned.”

Tanaka laughs and it lightens the mood. “It is in their nature to be possessive. But that is not why he can’t take his eyes off of you. He cares for you.”

I don’t argue with her, and I try to forget she mentioned it at all.

“What do you do?” I ask. “At Nikolai’s?”

“Probably the same thing you do here,” she answers. “Flit around the house all day and keep myself occupied.”

I nod, and the man in question steps up beside her, finally evading Katya it seems. I don’t know the protocol for such things, especially in Tanaka’s situation, but I decide to make a bold suggestion.

“Will you let me borrow Tanaka?” I ask. “For a day? She can help me decorate the nursery.”

My suggestion pleases and surprises Nikolai.

“Of course.” He nods.

His gaze moves to her, and they seem to be under each other’s spell for a brief moment. My heart aches.

And then Magda announces dinner.

It is a long affair. With a lot of different toasts, some in English, a lot in Russian. I don’t understand all of