“You’ve got plans?”
I thought of Rose and Barbara. “Maybe.”
The waiter walked up to us. “Welcome back, Mr. Ivanov. What would you like to drink?”
“Get him a double bourbon on ice.”
The waiter looked at me.
I leaned back in my chair. “Make it a triple.”
“Waiter said welcome back.” Marcelo arched his eyebrows. “You come here a lot?”
“Look around. This is a perfect place to take a beautiful woman. Good food. Great atmosphere.”
Marcelo nodded. “Chicks love romance. I bet you bring a woman here and she’s in your bed by the evening.”
“They would be in my bed by the evening, whether I brought them here or to McDonald’s.”
Marcelo rolled his eyes.
Gunner cleared his throat.
Marcelo gave me a fake smile. “So. . .for the meeting, I would like you to not do that self-absorption thing you do.”
“I don’t do that.”
“You do.”
“I may come off as self-absorbed. But it’s because I’m uninterested in most of the thoughts of other people and sometimes certain topics make me zone out.”
Marcelo frowned. “How is that different from what I’m saying?”
“I don’t know. However, I’ll do my best to appear concerned.”
“You do that.”
“Where are they?” I scanned the place. “I hate tardiness.”
“There they go.” Gunner gestured to the group of Four Aces headed toward table. Blue covered them. When they approached, Marcelo and I rose.
Fengge and Bolin stepped in front and nodded.
Lei took all his strongest men to Glory to hunt his father. Before leaving, Lei assigned Fengge and Bolin to rule the East during his absence.
I nodded at the replacements and lowered into my seat.
The waiter placed my bourbon in front of me and took the other’s orders.
I assessed the men. Fengge grew up with Lei and was his first cousin. Bolin served as the East’s third best executioner.
“Let’s get the first thing clear.” Marcelo touched his chest and then pointed at me. “The North and South are united. We’re strongly aligned. You now have control of the East. Do you stand by the Diamond Syndicate?”
They nodded with no hesitation. “We stand with the syndicate.”
Everyone turned to me.
I looked at Fengge and then Bolin. “Do you both understand the seriousness of this situation?”
Bolin nodded. “There’s a lot of whispering going on in the East.”
I leaned my head to the side. “What are they saying?”
Bolin frowned. “People think the Diamond Syndicate is over. Some have said that they won't be giving their taxes to us at the end of the month. Others believe that several of the top seats are up for grabs and whoever gets those seats will rule Paradise.”
“Then, we’ll have to remind them of the Syndicate’s reach.” I took a sip of my bourbon. “Do we understand each other?”
Fengge folded his hands on the table. “What do you have in mind, Dimitri?”
“If no taxes are paid, then violence. Lots of it.” I took another sip. “If you need the North’s help with that, let me know.”
Bolin shook his head. “We understand violence quite well.”
“Good.” I took another sip of the bourbon and caught the scent of roses. And it wasn’t the natural fragrance of the flower. It was Rose’s perfume.
Am I losing my mind? Now, I’m smelling her everywhere.
Marcelo and Fengge went back and forth over the new delivery dates for guns leaving Paradise.
I looked toward the roses near the bar.
I should have answered her calls. Maybe, she would have understood my dark mood.
Something caught my attention from the side. I turned and squinted, not believing what I saw.
Rose and Mayor Parks entered the Garden.
Tonight, she had on a sexy red dress. The soft fabric hugged every curve of her body. A long split ran down her leg, exposing a thick sexy thigh.
Marcelo’s men followed three feet behind, still guarding her.
Jealousy corroded my chest, merging with the darkness already hollowing my heart. Visions of murder played out in my mind. Instantly, I yearned to have my hands around the mayor’s neck.
“Dima?” Marcelo eyed me. “Did you hear that?”
I glared at Mayor Parks guiding Rose to our section, but further away. Parks had reserved the second best table, after mine. It was by the massive aquarium wall. I considered shooting the glass, but Rose would get harmed too.
Marcelo glanced that way. “Isn’t that the reporter?”
I scowled at him. “Your men were supposed to watch her.”
“That’s what they’re doing. You didn’t tell them to cock block.”
Parks pulled out the chair for Rose.
I fisted my hand. “They should have kept her in the condo.”
All business, Fengge spoke, “What do we tell our people? The East knows Lei and Leo are missing. Soon the West will put two and two together.”
I no longer cared about the Syndicate’s business. My attention remained on Rose as she lowered into her chair, doing so in the most elegant way.
I desperately wished I were in the mayor’s place. That aggravated me the most.
“Do you agree to that, Dima?” Marcelo asked.