A Convenient Arrangement (25 page)

“The good news is that you’re not going to prison.” Theresa, Devon’s criminal defense attorney, stood across from him outside the federal courtroom where Devon had just finished testifying.

Devon clenched and unclenched his hands. He’d spent two days on the stand telling the jury what he knew.

“The bad news?”

“Pretty obvious, right?”

“Sergey wants me dead.”

“Right. They”—she hitched her thumb toward the two guys in suits with earpieces standing beside the courtroom door—“can give you some protection—”

“The Feds? You’re kidding me, right?” Devon glanced across the hallway. Those two guys in suits had flanked him in the weeks leading up to the trial. “Think I’ll take my chances with Travati Financial’s own security detail.”

“Understood.” Theresa leaned closer. “It wouldn’t hurt you to take some time away from the city. Until after the sentencing. You understand what I’m telling you?”

He got it. He got all of it. He’d pissed off one of the most powerful criminals in the world. Without Devon’s testimony, Sergey Rashnikov would be walking around a free man.

“Done,” Devon said. “Leaving tonight.”

“That’s a good call,” Theresa said. “Can you give me a phone number where you can be reached?”

Devon nodded. She wasn’t asking for an address, and Devon knew why. She didn’t want to know details on where Devon would be because she didn’t want to have any information to give up if someone came looking.

“Justin will know everything,” Devon said, his voice low. He scanned the hall. Three men, all in hand-tailored thousand-dollar suits, walked toward him.

Devon’s heart hammered hard against his ribs. Those guys. Damn, he hadn’t expected to see them here, not now, not today. The men stopped beside him and Theresa.

“You ready?” Leo asked.

Devon nodded.

“Good,” Justin said, “because, little brother, we’re about to save your ass again.” He cracked a smile, but Devon could see the fear in his big brother’s eyes.

“Every fucking time,” Leo said, punching Devon on the shoulder.

Anthony scanned the hall. “We need to move. I see Sergey and his lawyer coming. Truly, I would love to hit that asshole attorney in the jaw again.”

Anthony and Leo flanked Devon and Justin took up a position in front of him. Another guy who Devon didn’t know, but quickly realized must be with Travati Security, fell in behind them. Devon’s heart beat hard against his ribs. Thank God for his familia, for his brothers, for the commitment they had to one another, because otherwise—

“Travati!” A thickly Russian-accented voice rang out from down the hall.

All four brothers stopped. Justin’s hands curled into fists. The muscles in Leo’s neck tightened, and Anthony’s jaw muscle flexed. His big brothers still surrounded Devon, but now they faced Sergey Rashnikov.

The meaty-faced Russian had nothing to lose. The time was ticking down on the limited freedom he had being out on bond. He’d spend the rest of his life in prison for his crimes. Sergey pushed in close. The Feds at the far end of the hall started to move toward the knot of men in the middle of the hallway.

Sergey’s grey eyes were wild with fury, but his voice was low. “You’re a dead man, Travati. And not just you, your family—” His hostile gaze swept over each of them like a blast of ice-cold wind. “Your children, your wives—all of you will bleed, and the blood will come with pain.”

Leo stepped forward, the vein in his neck bulging. “Bring it, Rashnikov. Because you’ve got family too.”

“Ha! You think I care about my family? Fuck family. But you Travatis, you breed like rabbits in heat. So many little ones, so precious, so young, so, shall we say”—a satisfied smile twisted his lips and evil glee shone in his eyes—“vulnerable.”

Hot rage rolled off the brothers. Justin thrust out two arms to hold the other three back.

The sick smile on Sergey’s face spread wider. “You see, I have nothing to lose, not even my freedom, but you? Ah, you poor Travatis, you have
everything
that can be taken away. Wife, children…everything. And me? All I have is my desire for revenge. And I will take it out on all of you.” His eyes landed on Devon. “Unless you give me your baby brother now.” Sergey looked to Justin. “You give him to me now, before I go to prison, and I will leave your family alone.”

“You twisted fuck!” Leo’s voice was laced with rage. “Do you think we let you torture our brother?”

“What I’ll do with him is my business. It is either your brother or everyone in your family.”

Devon’s heart pummeled his ribs. Every member of his family? For fuck’s sake, the Travati family was now triple the size it’d been eighteen months before. With the marriages and the babies and the extended family…how could his brothers, even with all their money, keep the entire family safe from a psychotic Russian mobster whose only thought was to hurt them all as much as possible?

“I’m not without compassion. I will consider the Travati debt to me paid, if you give me your brother before I go to jail. Otherwise there will be no more Travatis.” The Feds, arriving too late to catch Sergey’s last words, slid between the Travatis and Rashnikov. Sergey gave them a mocking grin and moved back toward where his lawyer stood waiting for him. “You think about it,” he called as he walked away.

A hand clasped Devon’s arm. “Come on,” Leo whispered, pulling him. “Let’s get away from this twisted fucker.”

Devon couldn’t take his eyes from Sergey and his triumphant leer. If his life, his blood, his pain meant his entire family would survive… Maybe—

“Don’t even
think
about it,” Leo said. “He fucks you up, kills you, and then he’ll still fucking come after every one of us. It’s a sucker’s deal, brother. Besides, we’d kill you first if we thought you were going to do it.”

Devon nodded. He swallowed. He breathed. The safety of his entire family was now at risk because of what he’d done.

*

A Forbidden Love
, book nine in the Eligible Billionaires Series, coming soon, from Maggie Marr.

Thanks for reading
A Convenient Arrangement
, the eighth book in the Eligible Billionaires Series. I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews help other readers find books and I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Please take a moment and write a review for
A Convenient Arrangement.

Books in the Eligible Billionaire Series:

1. Can’t Buy Me Love
   
2. One Night for Love
   
3. A Christmas Billionaire
   
4. Last Call for Love
   
5. Running from Love
   
6. A Forever Love
   
7. A Billionaire for Christmas
   
8. A Convenient Arrangement
   
9. A Forbidden Love —
   coming soon
   

Omnibus:
Eligible Billionaires Books 1-3

Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my new release e-mail list at
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You may also enjoy my Glamour Series.

Hard Glamour

Broken Glamour

Fast Glamour

Easy Glamour

Luxe Glamour

Impossible Glamour

Omnibus:
The Glamour Series Books 1-3

The Hollywood Girls Club Series

Hollywood Girls Club

Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club

Hollywood Hit

Omnibus:
Hollywood Girls Club the Series

The Eligible Billionaires Series

Can’t Buy Me Love

One Night for Love

A Christmas Billionaire

Last Call for Love

Running from Love

A Forever Love

A Billionaire for Christmas

A Convenient Arrangement

A Forbidden Love —
coming soon

Omnibus:
Eligible Billionaires Books 1-3

The Powder Springs Series

Courting Trouble

The Christmas Wish

The Christmas Promise
– coming soon

The Glamour Series

Hard Glamour

Broken Glamour

Fast Glamour

Easy Glamour

Luxe Glamour

Impossible Glamour

Omnibus:
The Glamour Series Books 1-3

Maggie Marr is an attorney, author, and producer. She began her career in the entertainment industry pushing the mail cart but rose to the position of motion picture literary agent. She has written for TV, film, and celebrities. Maggie has been featured on KCRW's
The Business
and reviewed by
Publishers Weekly
,
Kirkus
, and
Romantic Times
. She lives in LA with her family.

Maggie is eternally grateful for the graciousness and support of her readers.

Please visit her Website at:
http://www.maggiemarr.net
.

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First and always, thank you to my readers. It’s because of you that I get to do the job I love. Thank you to my agent, Kristin Nelson, and her entire team at NLA. Thank you to Lori Bennett of NLA Digital. Thank you to Angie Hodapp for her interior design of all my paperbacks. Thank you to Kim Killion for another great cover and for the entire vision for the
Eligible Billionaires Series
covers. Thank you to Jennifer Brown, my editor, who makes my books look good. Sarah Altman, virtual assistant extraordinaire, thank you.

Thank you to RWA, LARA, WFWA, and OCC, who provide me with loads of information and fabulous friends. Thank you to Club Indie and to Violet Duke and Hawaii Con ’16, which was amazing in every way imaginable.

Thank you to an exceptional group of women readers who support my work and keep me motivated and moving forward: Lindsy Henderson, Denise Boyd, Kathy Church, Laura Akers Collins, Ashley Colon, Kimberly Dawn, Rosemary Feil, Roxana Perez Hidalgo, Debra Knotts, Melissa Lamoureaux, Megan McCauley, Tina Rucci, Vickie Cotie Schultz, and Amanda Weber, I appreciate each of you. Thank you for your kindness and support.

Thank you to my family and friends, especially Margaret L. Marr, Nancy Veskerna, Lauren Harrison, Gavin White, Nealie White, Linda and Bill Henderson, Lindsy and Mark Henderson, Eloise and Dixie Marr, Gayle Leftwich, Joyce and Tom Leahy, Paula and David Glasscock, Garrett L. Marr, Amy and Brent Zacky, Victoria and Karl Makinen, Peggy Cafferty, Maria Seager, Debra Holland, Marina Maddix, Sylvie Fox, Cami Brite, Chandra Years, Sarah Vance-Tompkins, Jane Porter, and Bob.

To my husband and my children, you are da bomb-diggity!

A CONVENIENT ARRANGEMENT

Maggie Marr

Copyright © 2016

All Rights Reserved.

978-1-62051-226-5

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