Page 95 of Sinful Lies

“Drink.” I shove the glass into his hand before turning on my computer and loading up the email with the pictures of our father and Igor’s wife.

Alexei downs his drink in one, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand before sitting down at my desk and scrolling through the pictures.

I lean against the wall, my arms folded over my chest, looking anywhere but at the screen.

I’ve already seen them once. I don’t need to ever see them again.

Alexei closes the email. “Is this everything he found?”

“No.”

Alexei curses under his breath as he turns to face me.

I avoid his gaze by picking up his empty glass and going to refill it.

“Fucking spit it out, Dimitri.”

“Trust me. You’re going to need a drink when you hear what I have to tell you.”

I go into detail of what Rurik found, including the stillbirth of our half-brother, and how it seemed to coincide with the exchange of the properties in Russia between our father and Igor.

“Fuck me.” Alexei shakes his head. “An affair is bad enough, but he got her pregnant?”

“Yeah.”

“This is fucking bad.”

“I don’t think the stillbirth is a coincidence.”

“Me neither. There’s no way in hell Igor would haveraised a son of a rival Pahkan. That kid was doomed from the start, and our father should have fucking known better.” He slams his hand down on the desk. Hard.

I clench my hands into fists as Alexei is silent, raging, and I’m stewing inside my head for a moment. I can’t believe this is the fucking legacy my father left behind, and now my brothers and I are left to clean up his mess.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, snapping me out of it.

I pull it out of my pocket and let out a breath as I see Rurik’s name flash up on the screen. I show it to Alexei, and he signals for me to answer the call.

I swipe my thumb across the screen and click the speaker button. “Any news from your Russian guy?”

Rurik huffs. “Nothing concrete. He’ll only talk to you or Alexei.”

“Then set it up.”

Rurik clears his throat. “In person.”

“Fuck.”

I think of Zara sleeping down the hall, and the thought of having to fly to Russia and leave her while she’s sick makes my chest tighten.

Alexei seems to read the thought on my face as he shakes his head. “I’ll go. Rurik, set up a meeting, and I’ll take the red eye to Moscow tonight.”

This is not a good idea. “Alexei.”

“I should be the one to go, Dimitri. I’m the head of the family.”

And for once, I don’t argue with him. The last thing I want to do right now is fly to Russia to dig up more information on my father’s infidelity.

“I’ll email you over the details,” Rurik says before hanging up the phone.

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