“Yob tvoyu mat’,” I growl, hurling the phone across the room. It shatters against the wall, but it does nothing to ease the rage boiling in my veins.
Ludis. Thatsukahas been a thorn in my side since he showed up, all smug smiles and vague threats. And now he’s hitting us where it hurts—our money.
I pace the room, my mind racing. The shootout in front of the hotel last week, the hacked accounts, the rumors of a new player in the drug trade… It all reeks of Ludis’s interference.
But the prick is like a ghost. Every time I think I’m closing in, he slips away, leaving nothing but chaos in his wake.
I need to find him. Need to end this once and for all. Before he takes everything I’ve built and burns it to the ground.
I pour another drink, my hand shaking with barely contained fury. As I raise the glass to my lips, I catch sight of my reflection in the window.
Cold eyes, hard jaw, a face carved from stone. Just like my twin.
I sweep the photos of the jewels and rare stones aside, my eyes locking on the last piece. The Blood of the Nile, they call it.
The centerpiece of tonight’s long-awaited auction, this fucking ruby the size of a fucking golf ball, red as the blood spilled to possess it.
Legend has it this rock once belonged to Cleopatra herself, passed down through the centuries, leaving a trail of corpses in its wake. It’s been the obsession of every would-be kingpin and corrupt government official for decades. And now, It’s in my possession.
I dial Maksim’s number. He answers on the third ring.Mudak.
“Da?” he says, his voice rough with sleep.
“Tell me everything’s set for tonight,”
“Yes,Pakhan. Just like it was when you asked me six hours ago.”
I give a scornful laugh.
Maksim’s the only one who can talk to me like that and keep his teeth. But that’s the privilege of being my right hand. He handles the details. I handle the big picture.
We’ve been planning this for months, every detail meticulously arranged.
“Good. I don’t want any surprises. Not with this much money on the line.”
“Relax,Pakhan,” Maksim says, dropping the formalities for a moment. “We’ve got this. The Blood of the Nile is about to make us very rich men.”
“Richer, you mean,” I correct him, but there’s no bite to it. “What about our special guests? The Arabs, the Chinese?”
“All confirmed. They wouldn’t miss a chance to bid on a piece of history like this.”
I nod, satisfied. “And what about the Caldwells and the other gang trash?”
“Those Irishsvolochi? Please. Last I heard, the Caldwells are so far up Shit Creek, they’re drinking the water.”
“Music to my fucking ears,” I say, savoring the image of Maxwell Caldwell drowning in his own incompetence. “What about the others? The Italians? The Triad?”
“The Italians are too busy shoving their heads up Putin’s ass to be a problem. And the Triad? They’re more interested in the heroin than the ruby.”
I nod, satisfied. “Good. The fewer scavengers sniffing around, the better.”
Maksim sighs, and I can practically hear him rolling his eyes through the phone. “You worry too much,Pakhan. You’re starting to sound like Aleksei.”
I scoff. “Aleksei’s a paranoid old woman. I’m just protecting our interests.”
“Same difference,” Maksim says with a laugh. “Seriously, though, we’ve got this. The Black Raven Club is locked down tighter than a nun’ssnizu. No one’s getting in or out without our say-so.”
I allow myself a small smile. Maksim’s right. We’ve planned this down to the last detail. I should relax.”
