Page 168 of Emerald Malice

No barking.

No laughter.

I used to think I preferred it this way.

What the fuck was I thinking?

“Where’s Viktor?” I hurl the question at Shura the moment he walks out of the guest bedroom that Katya’s settled in.

“Viktor? Fuck Viktor,” Shura spits. “What does he have to do with this?”

He’s doing better since we managed to get Katya back, but his fists are still balled tight. He’s waiting for a fight to break out at any moment.

It’s not enough to have Katya back—he needs to know who ordered the hit on her. He needs to find them and kill them to make sure it never happens again.

I understand the instinct.

“More than we realized.” I slam my fist against the doorframe, letting the pain focus me. “When I kicked him out, I thought he’d tuck his tail and cower like the little rat he is… But I was wrong.”

I should have known that cornered rats tend to bite.

Shura pulls the door shut, deadly focused on me. “What do you mean? Why the hell would Viktor target Katya? What does he stand to gain from taking her?”

“The same thing he’d stand to gain from attacking Natalia’s aunt in her home,” I say. “We’re scattered all over the city and trying to pick up the fucking pieces.”

Shura’s eyes narrow. “Viktor doesn’t have the balls to do something this elaborate.”

“I agree. But he’s not the mastermind behind it. He’s just the puppet—as per fucking usual.”

I can practically hear his mind whizzing as he connects the dots. “You think he’s working with Nikolai?”

I snort. “Nikolai is too smart to get into bed with someone as useless as my brother. No, if he forms an alliance, it’s gonna be with someone who’s bringing something to the table.”

“But who?—”

“Slavik.”

“The fuck? Slavik?!”

Normally, I would’ve told Shura the second Natalia called me, but he was caring for Katya. I didn’t want to interrupt.

Now, there’s no other choice.

I nod. “He’s back. He called Natalia personally. He took the credit for putting Annie in the hospital.”

Shura runs a hand through his thinning hair. “Fuck. I thought we were rid of him.”

“You and me both,” I say darkly. “His return complicates everything.”

Shura’s gaze goes distant as the gravity of the situation sinks in. “If Nikolai realizes that Slavik is back, brother… all hell will break loose.”

“Which is why he won’t find out.”

He hisses through his teeth. “That’s going to be next to impossible to contain. We don’t even know why Slavik is here. Do you think it’s a temporary visit?”

“If it’s not, we’ll convince him to make it one.” I grab my keys. “Come on.”

I march towards the door, eager to sort out this situation before any more shit hits the fan. When I glance over my shoulder, though, I realize Shura isn’t following.

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