OtherSide Of Fear (Outside The Ropes #3) Read Free

look at Gage with a tight smile pulling at her lips. “And Gage.”
    “Cut the shit,” Gage demanded before the last words even left her lips. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “You didn’t do all this to talk about her. What is it that you want?”
    She brought the cigarette back to her mouth, unfazed by his sharp tone. “You’re right. I’m here because of the promises you made Anatoli.”
    “Anatoli’s not in the position to collect on anything. Even if he was, I paid him back with my silence. So find someone else.”
    All I could see was his back since he was still leaned forward, but he sounded sure and forceful.
    Her cleavage shook as she laughed, but it wasn’t one of amusement. “You proved loyal in prison and didn’t rat on anyone. That’s the only reason we haven’t killed you.” She flicked her cigarette out the window and rolled it back up. “That and your name. You’ve got some fame behind you.”
    My muscles twitched with every threat she made, and my hand hovered over my gun tucked in my jeans, but I forced myself to sit back and wait.
    “Who’s we? You and Anatoli? Or you and the men that took over?”
    “Gage, you really haven’t been keeping up, have you? I’m disappointed.” She shook her head but leaned towards Gage, eyes brightening. “The Rusnak’s have joined with the Kabinov’s. So the we I’m talking about is larger than you can imagine.”
    “Then you don’t need me, not if you have Kabinov’s backing.”
    “You’re wrong. Anatoli will be out this year and I’m making sure his rightful spot isn’t lost in the merger. You owe it to him. It’s your fault he is where he is now. If you wouldn’t have run off that night, then—”
    “We all fucking know that’s not true. He’s where he is because his ego was too big, and he didn’t stick to my plan. I don’t owe shit. We’re done here.” Gage looked up at the sky rises out the window. “We’ll get out here.”
    The partition behind us slid down as he reached for the door. “Stay seated. We’ll drop you off back at your car when she’s done talking.”
    I spun around towards the speaker, a man in the passenger seat behind me.
    “Just hear me out. This arrangement could help us both,” Alessandra offered.
    The door wouldn’t open for Gage, and he sat back down beside me. “What the fuck are you expecting, Alessandra?”
    “I want to give you a club, here in New York. All of Rusnak’s assets were seized, and any incoming money is questioned. I need you to be the cover. You will be the legal owner, the face of the club. Nobody will question an athlete using his money to open a business, it happens all the time. The best part, you’ll get a salary from it without having to do a thing. We’ll run it.”
    “That’s it?” his question stabbed me. That’s it? He should stick with, hell no.
    She put out her hands, palms up, with a smile that was anything but innocent. “That’s it. I’m not interested in the gambling Anatoli was part of. Neither are the Kabinov’s. They’re all business, straight trafficking and we need a filter for our share of the money. That’s where you come in with the club.”
    “I want to talk with Viktor first. That’s who’s running it still, right? Viktor Kabinov?”
    She smiled like he agreed, and I had to admit he probably just did.
    “I’ll set up a meeting.” She pulled out her phone and her fingers were swift, tapping on the screen.
    I grabbed Gage’s elbow, and he sat back next to me but wouldn’t meet my eyes. He pulled my hand from his arm, squeezing it in his. “Later. I’ll explain later,” he spoke so low; I could barely hear him.
    “Viktor can meet with you tomorrow.” She looked past us to the front seat. “Ivan, we can drop them off now.”
***
    I had planned on demanding answers the moment we were alone, but I couldn’t.
    Riding in the SUV, I struggled to wrap my mind around everything that just went down. The mat at my feet was