Page 142 of Nemesis

“Cousin.” Nik’s relief is evident through the phone, taking me back to all those gentle lessons and lively breakfasts. “It’s good to hear your voice. Is the alliance real?”

“It’s progressing,” I say. “I heard you have something new for me. Can I put you on speaker?”

“Sure.” Even with that small word, his tone hardens from concerned older brother into brutal soldier.

I bring the device down and flick the speaker button. “Go ahead.”

“Maksim and Ben have been following Popov’s guys all week, and they managed to obtain a higher-ranking member last night. The only problem is, he won’t speak. He’s also refusing food and water, and Maksim caught him trying to bludgeon himself to death against the cell walls.”

“You think he has information on their security rotations?”

Alex tasked him and Maksim with studying the Popov compound and finding our way in. We may outnumber them with the new forces, but I want a better advantage.

“Definitely. And he might even know if they’re keeping Kirill at the main house or if he’s at a secondary location.”

If we know his exact location, we can localize our resources, giving us a better shot at acquiring the compound.

“Where are you holding him?” My low voice grinds into the speaker. Mikhail and his men hold a quiet conversation, but I can feel the heat of their attention tinging my cheeks.

“The usual.”

The cellar, he means. Dad showed it to me once. The first time I saw the refurbished room outfitted for all kinds of horrifying torture methods, I was borderline traumatized. Now, I’m just happy for the resources.

“Chain him to a chair in the center of the room. Keep two guards on him at all times. I don’t care if he eats, but if he starts to dehydrate, call Doctor Reynolds to come put in an IV. He doesn’t move an inch until I get there, got it?”

“Understood. But he’s still not speaking. What do we do if you can’t break him?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I say with a cruel smile, picking at my knuckles until the hot blood drips. “I won’t be the one working him. I’ll be bringing an expert.”

Alex shakes his head, chuckling softly beside me. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, malysh.”

Every muscle in my body is tense and primed as I absentmindedly comb my fingers across the little head asleep on my thigh.

Soldiers line the large plane; men I’ve known my entire life. Brutal faces that have killed and maimed by my side. I’ve known this for years, but they’ve never felt quite as dangerous as they do now, surrounding my six-year-old sister in a flying tin box. My hand ghosts the assortment of knives and handguns strung across my body in quiet reassurance.

Ever since that call yesterday morning, my mind has been trapped in an impossible state of reeling. I’ve run through the meeting in my head a hundred times, and I’m still baffled by how we reached the outcome.

As far as I can puzzle out, three things are undoubtedly true:

1. Octavia’s father was killed.

I know what it means for her to let people in. When she loves, she loves hard. Aside from my concern for her, I’m surprised to find a part of me grieving for the man. He’d grown on me through the months.

2. Sasha Siderov didn’t die of natural causes. Whatever event caused the tragedy also left the Siderov Syndicate incredibly vulnerable, evidenced by the number of soldiers Octavia requested from my uncle.

I will fix it, I tell myself. Whatever she needs, I will become it. Create it. She and her family will be safe again.

3. Octavia Siderov, the epic love of my life, is an absolute badass.

I thought I already knew this, but it appears I didn’t know the true extent. From what that fucked up meeting implied, not only has she taken over leadership of her syndicate, but she has assumed the title of Pakhan.

It’s unheard of.

Women aren’t even allowed to know the whereabouts of their husbands in our world, let alone control them. This girl has somehow altered the course of history on a deadly whim. I can’t help the proud smile that grazes my lips.

Then there’s the piece of the meeting that I can’t quite puzzle out. Somehow, she managed to strike an ironclad alliance with my former boss. Solokov is notoriously ruthless. I’ve seen men plead for death in my chair at the mention of his name.

How did Octavia earn an audience with him, let alone get him on our team?