“We can’t do that.” Baikal crossed his arms. “Things are already rocky as is with my sudden rise to power. If we piss off the Imperial family enough, they turn on us; we’re at a disadvantage. Not to mention the Ancient. No one knows their numbers. They’re too secretive even for the best of spies.”
“I’m going,” Kaz insisted darkly. “Even if I have to go alone.”
“And put the entire Brumal at risk?”
“Fuck the Brumal,” he jabbed his finger in the air, “and fuck you! Like hell am I going to sit back and let the man that I love get pulled apart for a crime I committed! Either the Brumalis with me, or we can go our separate ways right now—Why the hell are you looking at me like that?!”
Berga coughed. “Did you just say the L-word?”
“What are you,” Yuze turned to him, “five? The L-word? Good Light.”
“Children.” Baikal stared Kaz down for a minute, seemingly sorting through his options. If he decided not to allow Kaz to take the others with him, he really would have to go on his own.
He’d never make it in time if he didn’t have their backing. And Nate…
Kaz did the one thing he could think of to show his sincerity and dropped down to his knees.
Everyone except his cousin gasped at the sudden move, but Kaz remained where he was.
“You actually like him that much?” Baikal asked. “Enough to throw everything away for him? Your father—”
“Is nothing more than a sperm donor to me,” he stated. “You know that.”
“Still,” he cocked his head. “You’ve always tried your best to impress him.”
Yeah, Kaz had become a good little soldier in the mafia his daddy was a part of and was even majoring in business so he could take over the company he had absolutely no interest in. But none of that actually mattered. It was as much a smokescreen as everything else about him had been.
Before Nate, Kaz had hidden behind his charm and his intelligence and his money. His position in the Brumal made him untouchable and he’d used that to his advantage. But when you could have everything with the snap of your fingers, did you really have anything at all?
Now that Kazimir had Nate, he felt a fullness in his chest he never had before. A warmth.
Last night he’d done a piss poor job of showing it, but he’d meant it when he’d announced he was in love, at least, as in love as someone like him could manage to be. Nate kept him grounded, and despite how awfully things had ended when he’d walked out, Kaz was still eighty percent certain he helped keep Nate grounded, too.
Maybe Nate had really meant it and they weren’t going to get back together, but Kaz at least needed to try. He needed the chance to beg and plead and apologize. If something happened to Nate and he never got that, he would never forgive himself for being so foolish.
His father always put business before everything else, including family, and in some way, Kazimir had conformed to that. He’d respected the hierarchy and played his part. Took what he pleased so long as it didn’t affect the company or the Brumal.
“I’m a self-centered prick,” he said. “But I would never abandon my family.”
Baikal seemed surprised. “He’s your family now, is he?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know you had it in you, cousin.”
Was he seriously mocking him right now? Kaz opened his mouth to say as much, but Baikal waved him off.
“We still don’t know where to find them,” he reminded. “Until we have an exact location, there’s nothing more we can do. I can call Kelevra and see if he’s heard anything. Perhaps he has some information he’d be willing to share.”
“I have someone I can call, too.” Kazimir got back to his feet and turned to his multi-slate.
“Don’t remember telling you to stand,” Baikal stated dryly, but went ignored. He grunted. “That didn’t last long at all, did it.”
“Who are you contacting?” Yuze leaned over Kaz’s shoulder to try and get a peek at his device. “Zane?”
“He might be involved,” Kazimir admitted. Zane had shown up at his place and caused a huge mess. “He told me last night he was out to get me.”
“Get you?” he frowned. “For what?”
