I know that night I saw something that I shouldn’t have.
And I know that makes me one thing only. A liability.
Mikhail
Another dead end.
I set down the PI’s worthless report and rub my temples, wondering why I keep paying him, when a firm knock reminds me the day isn’t finished disappointing me yet.
Music blasts through the gap as the door cracks open, and I have to bury my recoil.Fucking obnoxious.
My second stands motionless at the entrance, hands clasped behind his back, waiting.
“How was your witch hunt?” I stretch my arms behind my head, settling into the chair.
“Uneventful.” Ivan breaks his typical solemn expression with a playful smirk. “I’ve brought him to you, as you asked.”
The little shit thinks he’s about to get a show.
Not that he’s completely wrong.
“What does he know?” I ask, shuffling the report on my desk and stowing it in the cabinet below.
“Not a thing, boss.”
Ah.The corner of my lip curves up.
“Send him in.”
Ivan slips out the door, returning in seconds with baggage in tow. Two of my enforcers push through the narrow entrance, an older, lanky man stumbling between them. Misplaced confidence leaks from his posture as he struts into my office, a cocky grin on his scruffy jaw.
As one of the few remaining pillars of my father’s reign, it’s not at all surprising that the fucker thinks he has a leg to stand on in this arena. That’s what my father did best, after all. He fed his higher ranks with limitless money and power, covering up each rogue slip-up and legal dispute until they grew gluttonous and sloppy in every facet of their lives. It’s no wonder they refuse to give up on his legacy.
“Mikhail, it is rather late, and I wish to be home with my wife. Why have I been summoned here?”
Bullshit. Like I don’t know the man has a standing appointment at the nearest strip tease every damn night of the week. I make it my business to know where every member of my Bratva communes.
“Dennis. I appreciate your presence. As you know, I’ve made quite a few personnel changes in the past few months. You see, I’ve had to take on some…abnormal roles in the company during the adjustment.”
His brows curl in poorly hidden annoyance as he listens to my spiel. Fair enough. I suppose we all have shit to do tonight.
My fingers drag across the desk, gripping the gold-engraved letter opener on the far edge. The cool handle rests loosely in my palm.
“You see, usually I’m not much of a numbers guy. I outsource.” I flick the dull end of the handle, pointing to Dennis. “To people like you.”
His face tilts a fraction, but his features still read confusion. Still not getting it. I sigh.
“Maybe you’ve noticed, there’s been quite a bit of turnover in that department these days.”
“There has?”
“Oh yes,” I flip the tool in my hand carelessly. “Say, when’s the last time you heard from your old friends…Pavel and Igor, was it?” I glance at Ivan.
My second confirms with a knowing glint in his eye.
“I do try my best to remember my staff’s names, but there are just so many. Anyway, it seems those two had assembled some sort of alliance against me. It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? A couple of middlemen skimming off the club income behind my back?”
My face is a blank slate as I devour the look of realization that drips over the bastard’s expression. Then his weight shifts. A twitch to the right. Instantaneous tension floods the room. My enforcers respond in kind, edging closer.That’s right. Nowhere left to run, traitor.
