Page 121 of Kingmakers, Year Three

“What’s that, then?” He grins, jerking his chin toward my half-empty bottle.

“Anesthetic.”

“Oh yeah, the new doctor gave you that?” He chuckles. “She’s a hell of an improvement over the old one.”

“Careful,” I say.

“Don’t worry.” Vanya holds up his hands in mock surrender. “I have no intention of drawing the wrath of our boxing instructor. I learned my lesson the first day of class.”

“Not your most brilliant moment, Dmitry,” Bodashka snickers.

“It was certainly educational,” I say, taking another swig.

Bodashka and Vanya look surprised that I’m not instantly infuriated by their comments.

The truth is, I’m only half listening to them. The rest of my brain is wondering what Cat is doing right now. I had hoped she might drop into the party, but no luck yet.

“Well, whatever’s in that bottle, I think it’s good for you, Dmitry,” Vanya says, with the audacity to give me a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Chills you the fuck out. It’s better to be friends than enemies, don’t you think?”

I look at Vanya’s smile, full of perfect white teeth but stopping dead at his cheeks. His dark eyes remain as flat and predatory as a shark’s.

I bet Brutus looked like that when he smiled at Caesar.

“You need all the friends you can get, Dmitry,” Bodashka says quietly. “Big things are coming back home. And your father isn’t there to look out for your interests anymore.”

“You want to pick your alliances very carefully,” Vanya says, those shark eyes fixed on my face. “Kade Petrov is a poor choice.”

I wish I weren’t so drunk.

They’re trying to tell me something.

“What do you mean?” I ask Bodashka, struggling to focus on his pale, bloodshot eyes.

“The high table isn’t happy with the Petrovs. Ivan Petrov is barely in contact and his brother is siphoning off money. If Ivan can’t even keep his own house in order?—”

“There’s upheaval coming,” Pasha says, his tone conspiratorial and eager. “If you pick the right side . . . all of St. Petersburg could be up for grabs.”

I look at Bodashka and Vanya. Motya, Pasha, Bram, and Valon, too. All my oldest friends, and one enemy who wants to become allies. They stare back at me, expecting me to jump at the chance to pillage the territory of the Petrovs. It could be the making of all of us.

I think of Kade Petrov, laughing when I pop him in our boxing class. Struggling with all his might to win theQuartum Bellumeven when it’s clear that he lost, even when the waves washed over his head.

I just met that kid. Why should I care what happens to his family?

Why should I believe Dominik Petrov is a good man, just because he refused to fuck some ballerina? Everyone else says he’s turning on his own brother.

And yet . . . I trust the Petrovs more than I trust this group of schemers.

Or maybe I’ve just gone soft.

I stand up abruptly, scattering my remaining cash.

“It’s foolish to divide the meat when the bear hasn’t been shot,” I say.

“We’re not talking about the meat. We’re talking about the hunt,” Vanya hisses.

“Don’t mistake absence for weakness. Ivan Petrov is a powerful man. One I don’t want for an enemy.”

“You’re a coward,” Vanya spits.

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