Santiago joins us. “The only move I will be showing is how fast my trigger finger is.”
“Sergey and I have work to do, so we will be out at our warehouses, but he will be inviting his closest associates to enjoy themselves in his home while we are out.”
“Enjoy themselves? As in a party?” Santiago scoffs.
A wave of the usual darkness I associate with my brother's narcissistic lifestyle threatens. Rubbing my hand down my face, I breathe slowly, not needing either Kade or Santiago to add their own disdain.
“Don’t open the door. I will return at some point. Nalla will be with me and Roshka will stay with her.”
“Aleksei,” Santiago interrupts my leaving, “I need more insight into what we might be dealing with.”
“Sergey is a powerful man. He likes to flaunt his power, and he likes to indulge in what the underworld is famous for. All his guests will be treated to anything they want—women, drugs, sex, violence. It will flow like water.”
“That’s pretty normal,” Kade says softly.
“It is.”
“And I assume he partakes?”
“The Petrov Bratva does not deny himself anything.”
I struggle with how much to tell. The conundrum I suffer is a personal first. I want them armed with as much information as possible to protect her, but there are parts of Sergey, and his activities, that bring me endless guilt and crippling shame. He is my brother, and since he won’t take responsibility for his actions, I feel that is my duty.
Leaving the mansion open to his associates makes me feel sick to the stomach. I asked him not to, especially considering Dmitri’s men attacking Quinn. Bambi, or one of his other mistresses, would have whispered in his ear, leading him by his dick and ego, putting him and his empire at risk. For a powerful man, my brother is unbelievably malleable. Though he defends them vehemently whenever I point it out, he’s left himself open to attack again. In his mind, he has others whose only job it is to keep him alive.
As soon as I have the evidence needed on who is sourcing the children and Omegas for him, I will take full advantage of the weak position Sergey has himself facilitated.
I slide my suit jacket on and fix the collar, bringing an end to our sharing.
“Watch Roshka, I have put him in work mode. He won’t hurt her, but if anyone is not calm around her, he will read it as a threat and attack. I will be back to collect her for her wedding.”
“Does she have anything left to wear? I thought everything was destroyed.”
“It was. Everything she lost will be replaced.” I keep it short and sweet. There’s no need to explain anything further to them.
Patting down to ensure I am armed is more about routine than questioning if I am ready. And then, because I need to see her one more time before I leave, I squat in front of Roshka, talking quietly to him in Russian while I watch her sleep and breathe in more of her scent.
“V sleduyushchey zhizni menya uzhe nichto ne otnimet u tebya, rodnaya.”
I don’t need to watch how loud I speak or hide what I am saying. None of them understand Russian, so my promise to Quinn that in our next life, nothing will take me from her falls on deaf ears.
Without another word, I leave them. I wait for Nalla because, like me, she had to say goodbye to her mate. Unlike me, Nalla and Roshka are open about the deep bond they share.
Checking the locks on the new door is unnecessary, but I still do it, along with another check of the construction work we did. It’s strong and not going anywhere.
I’m pulled away from where I want to be by a buzz in the air; it feels frantic and laden with panic. I follow the energy, finding the house manager and the lead chef huddled around a phone, Bambi’s demands loud enough for me to hear, even before I step foot into the office.
Plucking the phone out of the manager’s hands, I stare her down to submission. “You know that is not how we do things. I don’t care who you are, you treat my staff respectfully. You want something done, you are to use your fucking manners,blyad. Sergey has asked this of you on more than one occasion.”
She snarls at me for calling her a whore, but the shoe fits.
“What does Sergey want?” I ignore Bambi and look at the other two for a rundown.
Without the unnecessary emotion and demand, we work together through what is deliverable in the short amount of time the kitchen and house staff have, and what is not. I keep Sergey’sblyadon the line so she can see how little effort it takes to treat people well. Once everything is agreed on, I disconnect Bambi, then give firm instructions to all the staff listening to reach out to me if she continues being a problem.
Nalla and I are in my truck before any other issues are aired. Driving in the opposite direction I need to go, I work through calls I have missed or delayed making. There’s nothing standout, just the usual threats and promises, made to those we work with and those who work for us.
When I double-park in front of the Chanel store, Nalla hops out first and does a good job of scaring off customers who were about to venture inside.
