In the ring, the standing order is clear—treat me like one of the brothers, no exceptions.
I look between him and Maksim, these men who’ve become more than just employees. They’re the closest thing to family I’ve got, besides the brother who wants me dead.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I brush him off. But my mind wanders to Red this morning, her scent filling my nostrils, the curve of her ass in that golden dress. Fuck, she looked good enough to eat, even with bed hair and murder in her eyes.
I shake my head, trying to clear the image. “How’s the trip to Moscow?” I ask Dmitry, changing the subject.
He raises an eyebrow, not buying my deflection for a second. “Smooth as a baby’s ass. Your new shipment’s set to arrive next week. But don’t think you’re getting off that easy, boss.”
Maksim chimes in, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Come on,Pakhan. Tell Dmitry about your little poison princess. Or should I?”
I shoot him a glare that could melt steel. “Shut your fucking mouth, Maksim.”
Dmitry looks between us, eyebrows raised. “Poison princess? Now this I gotta hear.”
I sigh, knowing these assholes won’t let it go. “Fine. There was a woman at the auction. Tried to slip something in my drink.”
“And our fearless leader here,” Maksim cuts in, barely containing his laughter, “instead of putting a bullet in her head like a normal person, decides to bring her home. Like a stray fucking cat.”
Dmitry’s eyes widen. “Blyat,Pakhan. You sure your dick isn’t making the decisions now?”
“Fuck both of you,” I growl. “She’s a lead, nothing more.”
“A lead?” Dmitry snorts. “To what? Your midlife crisis?”
I flip them both off. “If you two comedians are done, we’ve got a real fucking problem. We can’t find anything on her. No records, no trace. It’s like she doesn’t exist.”
The amusement fades from Dmitry’s face, replaced by a look I know all too well. It’s the same look he gets before we go to war.
“We know what this is,” he growls.
I nod, a cold feeling settling in my gut. “Ludis.”
The name hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken threats and years of bad blood.
Maksim leans forward, all business now. “So, what’s next, Pakhan? We can’t just sit on our asses waiting for the next attack.”
I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. “That’s the fucking problem. We’ve got nothing to go on. No leads, no—”
“No torture,” Maksim adds, his smirk widening. “Though I’m sure you’ve thought about it,Pakhan. Especially with how you were eye-fucking—”
I lunge forward, grabbing Maksim by the throat. “Say one more word, and I’ll rip your fucking tongue out.”
Dmitry steps between us, pushing me back. “Easy,Pakhan. He’s just running his mouth like usual.”
I release Maksim, who rubs his neck, still grinning like the asshole he is. But his words trigger something in my brain. A flash of Red’s defiant eyes, the curve of her lips as she sneered at me. The way her body tensed, ready for a fight even when cornered.
Something clicks.
“If we can’t find out about her from the system…” I mutter, the beginnings of a plan forming.
Dmitry catches on quick. “You thinking what I’m thinking,Pakhan?”
I nod slowly, a cold smile spreading across my face. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.” I look up at them, my decision made. “We go straight to the source.”
thirty-five
Clara
