Page 25 of Prey of the Bratva

“Don’t do that,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Don’t stand there and pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. The timing is too convenient.”

“Convenient for what?” I asked.

“For you,” he snapped. “You’ve been looking for a way to hit them where it hurts, and you have been waiting for an opening.”

“So you think I took her?” I asked, my tone almost bored.

“I think you’re capable of it.”

“As are you.”

“That’s not the point.”

“It is,” I said. “Because capability doesn’t equal action.”

Nico watched the exchange without interrupting, his expression unreadable.

“Be honest, Kliment. Tell us if she is with you?” he asked.

There was no accusation in his tone but simply a quiet, precise pressure. I held his gaze.

“No.” Another lie, but this one felt heavier. As if I were betraying my brothers. Jarek exhaled sharply, clearly unconvinced.

“Then explain the port inquiries,” he said. “Explain why you’ve been pulling information on dock movements that don’t align with any of our operations.”

“I told you,” I said. “External problem.”

“What kind of external problem overlaps with Chernykh territory?” Nico pressed.

“The kind that requires discretion.”

“Discretion doesn’t mean isolation,” Nico replied.

“It does when trust is limited.”

The words landed harder than I intended. Jarek’s expression darkened instantly.

“Careful,” he said. “You’re starting to sound like you don’t trust your own blood.”

“I trust what I can verify,” I said evenly.

“And we’re not part of that?” he shot back.

“Not right now.”

Fyodor’s absence lingered in the room like something unfinished, as if it were a fracture no one wanted to name.

Jarek let out a humorless laugh. “So this is what we’re doing now? Compartmentalizing? Keeping secrets from each other like we are enemies instead of family?”

I didn’t respond because there was nothing to gain from this argument. Jarek stepped back, shaking his head.

“You’re shutting us out,” he said. “Just like you did with Fyodor.”

The name hit harder than it should have, and it was a fairly precise strike. It might have been unintended, but it was effective anyway. I didn’t let it show.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

I picked up the duffel bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and turned around to leave. I paused at the door, turning to look back at them. I loved my entire family way more than I cared to admit or ever showed. But right now, I needed to keep Nico and Jarek away from it.