“Oh, he gives a fuck, trust me.”
“Just stop the fucking games and tell me what the fuck happened?”
“You remember Eden?”
“That whore working in the Sugar Trap?” I’d never talked to her, much less touched her, but my friend with benefits C.J. had mentioned her a couple of times. They both sold their bodies for money.
“She’s Dinara’s mother. Ran off from Grigory with Dinara and eventually wound up in Vegas, asked for help to stay hidden from Grigory.”
“So what? You made a deal with Grigory and handed his daughter back to him on a silver platter and forced Eden to work as a prostitute to make her pay for kidnapping her own daughter? Savio once mentioned Grigory asked you to make her life hell.”
“You always think the worst of me.” His words dripped with sarcasm. My relationship with Remo had been bad for a while, especially in my early teenage years, but we’d gotten past that point, even if we still fought on occasion.
“Why did you get your hands dirty? Why didn’t you let Grigory handle her?”
He laughed darkly. “You think she would have met a kinder fate at his hands?”
“No, but I’m wondering why you’d take it upon yourself to have her punished.”
“I’m a sadistic, twisted bastard, remember?”
“Damn it, Remo. That’s bullshit and you know it.”
“So you’re saying I’m not sadistic and twisted?”
“You are but you always do things for a purpose.”
Remo didn’t say anything for a long time. “Keep an eye on her.”
“You think she’s trying to get closer to us to reconcile with her mother? Find out the truth about her past that you don’t want to share with me?”
“I’m sure the past is the reason why she’s there. As long as you keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t get herself, or you killed, we’re fine for now. Keep me updated.”
His dismissal rubbed me the wrong way. I was used to his cryptic words by now, but sometimes they still drove me up the wall.
“I’ll keep you updated, Capo.”
Remo chuckled. “You better do. How’s the racing business going?”
“Good. Didn’t Nino give you a report with the numbers? We’ve been growing these last couple of years, especially with the expanded qualifications races. But I don’t have time to chat now. I need to tell Dinara the good news.”
I hung up and my gaze returned to Dinara and Dima. Remo’s lack of worry regarding their sudden appearance worried me. He loved the provocation and thrill of a conflict, even now that he was a married man, maybe more so. Maybe he saw the appearance of the Russian princess as a perfect chance to bring some heat into our life. I, on the other hand, wanted to keep my racing business running smoothly. It was my baby, one in which I invested my heart and soul. I needed to find out why Dinara and Dima were really here and if they’d prove a problem. If they were, I’d make sure they’d leave our territory. Remo could figure out another way to make his life more interesting if torturing enemies and cage fights didn’t do it anymore.
Dinara still perched on the hood of her car, her red hair fluttering in the early evening breeze. Dima stood beside her with crossed arms, giving the surrounding racers suspicious looks. Not surprising given the looks they were giving Dinara. Some of them were only amused and derogative, others flirting or downright leering.
They thought she was a nice piece of ass who had no chance in the race and would be impressed by their racing skills. Some of these guys probably even thought they’d have a chance with her afterward.
Dinara pushed away from the car and stalked toward me, tossing her cigarette stub in her path and stomping it out. I smoked occasionally, but this girl was a chimney in comparison to me. I waited for her, pushing my phone back into my pocket. She was stunning with her high cheekbones, plump lips and long legs. The fire in her eyes and that confident smile curling her lips made her look like a fierce goddess, especially with that red hair flaming up in the sinking sun.
She stopped right in front of me. “And? Did we pass the inspection? Are we allowed to participate in your race circus?”
I smirked. “You’re allowed to participate in the qualification race today. If you make it into our racing camp that’s up to you and your driving skills.”
Dinara tilted her head. “I’m not worried about my driving skills, Falcone. What about yours? When was the last time you did a qualification race? You’re set in the main races, aren’t you?”
She had quite a mouth on her and bravado, I had to give it to her. Most people, even in the racing camp, either kissed the ground I walked on or tried to stay clear of my path from fear.