NIKOLAY
I looked downat my watch.
Catalina had been gone for nearly twenty minutes, and I was getting antsy. I would have gone and looked for her if we hadn’t sent Leo with her, and the fucker knew it was his head if something happened to her.
But fuck, it should not take her this long just to use the fucking bathroom.
I shifted in my seat, hardly looking up at the stage, at the barely clad woman dancing her way to cheers and applause.
“Calm down. I’m sure she’s just fine,” Gabriel said by my side. I glared at him. He shot me an amused look, and I had to remind myself not to ruin his pretty face on his big night. That wouldn’t do for him in this circle.
The fucker was lucky I didn’t do anything to him earlier with the way he had been looking at Catalina all evening.
I was pulled out of my thought when a man made his way over to us. The only way I could describe him was sleazy.
My lips pulled back in a sneer, and the man hesitated in his step before he continued.
Gabriel let out a small sigh. “Are you going to scare off anyone who tries to approach me tonight?” he asked quietly.
I smiled at him, baring my teeth, just as the sleazy fucker came up to us. He gave me a wide berth, and I could smile at the cowardice. There was no room for that in this world.
But I was sure he was Gabriel’s accountant.
“Congratulations, Mr. Mendez. I know this business will bring a lot of good fortune your way,” the man said, addressing Gabriel and avoiding eye contact with me.
“Thank you, Thiago.”
I took a sip of my Scotch, savoring the burn as it moved down my throat, but didn’t say anything. My eyes roamed over the large room. I had to give Gabriel props for opening such a lucrative business. And for opening a base location to smuggle in the coke and guns. Two of my favorite things. One to sell, and the other to play.
And Thiago was going to get a hefty profit from it. It wasn’t like the man had kept his hands clean.
Yet he was a shifty little fucker.
I would have never kept someone like him close to my circle.
My eyes connected with Damien, and I made a gun with my finger and pointed it at my head.
He smirked before moving his eyes about the room.
I knew he was looking for Catalina as well, only he wasn’t as obvious about it. And if Mikhail wasn’t so preoccupied with finding out everything there was on Ricardo Ricci, he would have gone and searched for Catalina himself.
I finished off my Scotch and stood.
Gabriel watched me, smiling a little.
“Careful, pretty boy. I wouldn’t look at me like that if you want to keep all your teeth,” I said.
He laughed. “Me? I’m not the pretty one here. Isn’t that right, Thiago? Don’t you just think Nikolay has the prettiest features?”
I turned my eyes on Thiago, who was sweating bullets at this point.
If I weren’t getting so restless, I would have stayed behind and had some fun.
Before he could make up his mind to speak, I turned away and looked at Damien and Mikhail.
“I’m gonna go look for Catalina.”
Damien nodded, and if I hadn’t been watching him carefully, I would have missed the look of relief in his eyes.