The answer doesn't satisfy her—I can see it in the way her jaw tightens—but she doesn't push. We're learning each other's boundaries, finding the edges of what can be discussed and what needs to remain in shadow.
As we're putting away the weapons, my phone buzzes with a text from Radimir:We need to talk. Now.
The message sends a chill down my spine. Radimir doesn't demand immediate meetings unless something has gone wrong or something is about to go wrong.
"I have to go," I tell Hannah.
"Everything okay?"
"That remains to be seen. Remember, stay close.”
I have the urge to kiss her but stop myself. She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t kiss her when I leave the room.
I find Radimir in my office, standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back like a general surveying a battlefield. He doesn't turn when I enter, just continues staring out at the estate grounds.
"Uncle," I say, closing the door behind me. "What's wrong?"
"You're getting soft."
The accusation hangs in the air like a challenge. I move to pour myself a drink, taking my time, using the ritual to control my temper.
"Explain."
"Richard Quinn." Radimir finally turns to face me. "His deadline came and went. He hasn't repaid a single dollar of what he stole. And yet he and his daughter are both still breathing."
I take a sip of vodka, letting the burn ground me. "Quinn has offered to sell his house, liquidate his assets. He's making arrangements."
"Arrangements." Radimir's voice drips with contempt. "He's buying time, and you're letting him because you're fucking his daughter."
The crude assessment makes my blood boil, but I keep my expression neutral. "Hannah has nothing to do with my decisions regarding her father."
"Doesn't she?" He moves closer, his pale eyes—so like mine—studying my face with predatory interest. "The elders are restless, Dante. They see a pakhan who won't enforce his own rules. They see weakness."
"They see strategy."
"They see a man distracted by a woman who should already be dead."
The casual way he mentions Hannah's death makes me want to put my fist through his face. Instead, I set down my glass before I throw it at him.
"Hannah Quinn is under my protection."
"Why? She's nothing. A real estate agent who stumbled into our world. Her father is a thief who stole from us. Both of them should have been dealt with according to our laws."
"Our laws also say the pakhan's word is final," I remind him.
"The pakhan serves at the pleasure of the council of elders," Radimir counters. "And that council is questioning whether you're fit to continue serving."
There it is. The real reason for this conversation. Radimir isn't concerned about Richard Quinn or enforcing organizational rules. He's concerned about positioning himself to take my place when the elders decide I've become a liability.
"Let them question," I say quietly. "I know what I'm doing."
"Do you?" Radimir moves to the bar, pouring his own drink. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're repeating the same mistake that got Katya killed. You're letting personal feelings compromise your judgment."
The mention of Katya is a low blow, and he knows it. "This is nothing like that situation."
"Isn't it? A woman you care about has been put in danger because of your position. You’ve shown weakness. Your enemies will use her to get to you." He takes a long drink.
Every day Hannah stays here, she's in danger. Every day I delay making a decision about her father, I'm giving my enemies more time to exploit my weakness.
