He snorts and retorts, “No. You don’t. Sasha didn’t just report my activities to Christie’s management. She went to law enforcement. Interpol. She made sure I could never work in this industry again, anywhere in the world.”
“She was thorough.”
“She was vindictive.” Adrian’s composure cracks for just a moment before he pulls it back together. “But that’s fine. I’ve had time to plan my response. And unlike Sasha, I don’t make moves without ensuring victory.”
“Speaking of which.” I lean back in my chair and cross my ankle over my knee. “You mentioned you’ve been building alliances. Care to elaborate?”
Adrian eyes me for a long moment, and I can see him weighing how much to reveal. Whatever he sees in my face must satisfy him, because he nods.
“The Kozlovs have made enemies across Europe. Families they’ve pushed out of territories. Organizations they’ve undercut or absorbed. Individuals who lost power or money or loved ones because Dmitri decided to expand his empire.” Adrian’s eyes gleam with something that looks disturbingly close to excitement. “I’ve spent the past months reaching out to those enemies. Coordinating. Planning.”
“A coalition.”
“A reckoning.” He finishes his whiskey and tosses the glass onto the table. “Every organization I’ve contacted has agreed to contribute resources. Money, weapons, intelligence, manpower. When we move against the Kozlovs, it won’t be a surgical strike. It will be a complete dismantling of everything they’ve built.”
My stomach turns, but I keep my face schooled. “That’s ambitious.”
“It’s necessary. Dmitri is too powerful to take down with half-measures. His organization is too entrenched, his allies too numerous. The only way to destroy the Kozlovs is to hit them from every direction at once, with enough force that they can’t recover.”
“And where does Sasha fit into this grand plan?”
Adrian’s smile returns, and this time, it reaches his eyes in a way that makes my skin crawl. “Sasha is the key to everything. Her brothers would burn the world to protect her. When I have her, I have leverage over the entire organization.”
“When you have her?” I repeat, tilting my head to the side.
“That’s why you’re here, Tony. That’s what I’m paying you for. I don’t just want intelligence about the Kozlovs. I want Sasha. Isolated from her family, vulnerable, and delivered to me so I can show her exactly what it feels like to lose everything you care about.”
Every instinct screams at me to reach across the space between us and wrap my hands around his throat. Instead, I take a slow sip of my drink and nod.
“That’s going to take more time. She’s not completely isolated yet.”
“Then work faster.” Adrian barks out, drawing looks from those around us. “I’ve waited two years for this. I won’t wait much longer.”
“Rushing will only make her suspicious. If she figures out what’s happening before we’re ready to move?—”
“Then make sure she doesn’t figure it out.” Adrian stands abruptly, signaling that our meeting is over. “I want her ready for extraction before you leave the city. Do whatever you need to do to make that happen.”
He leaves without another word with his security detail falling into step behind him. I sit alone in the club for another ten minutes, nursing my drink and letting my heart rate return to normal. The waiter refills my glass without being asked, and I stare at the amber liquid while replaying every word Adrian said.
He’s not just angry. He’s unhinged. The kind of obsession he’s nursing doesn’t respond to reason or negotiation. It only ends one way.
I pay the tab and head back to the hotel.
Sasha is waiting in the suite when I arrive, reclining on the sofa with her tablet. She’s changed into pajamas already, and her hair is loose around her shoulders. She looks up as I enter. The worry on her face makes something twist in my chest.
“How did it go?” she asks.
“About as well as expected.” I shed my jacket and drop onto the sofa beside her. “Adrian’s worse than the surveillance photossuggested. He’s completely fixated on destroying your family, and he doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process.”
“Did he reveal anything useful?”
“He confirmed the coalition. Multiple organizations across Europe, all contributing resources for a coordinated strike against Kozlov operations.” I run a hand through my hair. “He wants total destruction, Sasha. Every territory, every business interest, every ally your brothers have cultivated.”
She absorbs this information without visible reaction, but I notice the way her fingers curl around her tablet. “Did he mention a timeline?”
“He wants me to deliver you before we leave London.”
Her eyebrows climb as she asks, “Deliver me?”
