Page 109 of Emerald Vices

“It’s Nikolai,” he explains sharply. “He’s hit a few of our places. Two of the clubs, a restaurant.”

“How bad is it?”

“Three dead, seven injured. Some damage to the properties themselves.”

“Motherfucker.”

“He left a note.” Is it my imagination or is Shura’s voice shaking with anger? “The same one at all three locations. I’ll be at the manor soon, and I can show it to?—”

“Tell me now.” I snuggle a sleeping Grigory onto the sofa, building a dam of pillows around him before I stand up. Suddenly, I’m thrumming with untapped energy.

Shura sighs, then starts to read. “Congratulations on the baby, Andrey. Fatherhood must be exhausting. No wonder you’ve been MIA lately. Enjoy the paternity leave; wish I had the luxury. My best—Nikolai.”

“Fuck.”

“I’m turning into the drive,” Shura says. “I’ll be in the office shortly.”

A few minutes later, Shura sweeps into the office. He’s red-faced and angry, but when he sees Grigory on the couch, he softens. “Is he okay?”

“I just got him to go down.” I gesture for Shura to follow me to the opposite side of the room. “Where’s the note?”

I read it again, not surprised by the contents, but surprised by how angry seeing it in writing makes me.

“Mudak,” I hiss, tearing the paper to shreds. “He put a lot of effort into making sure my men would see this message.”

“They’re just cheap tactics.”

“And they might actually work.” I let the shredded pieces of Nikolai’s message fall like snowflakes and then I stomp over them as I start pacing again.

“Your men will stick by you, ‘Drey.”

“Efrem was proof that that isn’t true. It looks bad, Shura. Nikolai managed to hit me again while I was busy doing what? Changing diapers and playing Mr. Mom?”

The vein in Shura’s jaw is twitching. “You’re not ‘playing’ at anything. These are your children you’re raising.”

I stop short, my gaze turning on the sleeping baby on the couch. I can only see the apple of his cheek turned up towards the ceiling. Instantly, the guilt sweeps in on the heels of anger. “You’re right.” I shake my head. “You’re fucking right. And I don’t have to apologize to anyone for wanting to be there for them.”

“I know you want to sort out shit with your father first—but we can’t let Nikolai run wild, either.”

“If only Slavik had been considerate enough to pick out a more convenient time for a takeover. It’s the least he could have done.” I stride over to my son and sit down beside him. “Having kids has shown me how little I know my own father. No matter what happens between Grigory and me, I could never raise a hand against my boy.”

“That’s because you’re capable of something that Slavik was never capable of.” He winces like he already regrets what he’s about to say, but he plows ahead anyway. “Love.”

I just laugh bitterly.

Shura drops down into a chair. “Blame Kat for the sentimentality. I wasn’t like this before her.”

“Our women have changed us,” I agree. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

He tucks his hand into his pants pocket and withdraws a packet of unopened cigarettes. “Except now, we have something to lose.”

“How long you been carrying those around?”

“Since Katya started fraternizing with the enemy,” he replies darkly.

“She’s doing it for the greater good.”

“No offense, brother, but that thought doesn’t keep me warm at night. Not when I know that my woman is keeping that stinking pile of horseshit warm at night instead. And yeah, I know she’s not actually doing the warming herself,” he snaps before I can interrupt. “But it doesn’t make it any better.”

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