Page 20 of Crown of Hate

Basking in my dominance, I break the silence. “Akim, I believe you don’t need an introduction, am I right?”

“You bastard. Where is Alya?” he barks.

I grin. Oh, how I wish I could see the fury in his eyes. “You might be shocked to learn that I accepted your proposal to marry Alya, just not exactly how you suggested.”

Akim has always been a pompous ass, thinking he’s untouchable. During my reign as Pakhan in Russia, I kept him under close surveillance. He’s too proud to ever truly submit to another’s rule; he’s like a treacherous pawn, desperate for the throne but knowing he’ll never claim it.

His only option is to put someone else on the throne. Someone malleable, someone he can manipulate like a marionette. Someone like Boris.

“Svoloch’!”He curses under his breath. “You’ll pay for this!”

I rub my jaw. Akim worked under me for two years; he knows better than anyone that I don’t tolerate disrespect. But I’ll let itslide this one time. After all, he has every right to lose his shit, seeing how I’ve just snatched away his trump card for keeping me under control.

“Easy, Akim,” I drawl, slipping my hand in my pocket. My tone is deceptively casual, belying the threat beneath. “Hurling insults and threats aren’t exactly in your best interest right now, is it?”

“Go to hell,” he spits, barely containing his rage.

“I will, but only if you’re coming with me.” Riling him up is even more satisfying than I imagined. It’s a pity I can’t witness it firsthand. “Here’s some free advice: don’t try to reach out to my wife, and don’t even think about using her to control me.”

“Wife?” The word comes out strangled, as if he’s choking on it. “What do you mean?”

“I see you didn’t understand me very well the first time.” I loosen my tie, dragging it all the way down to my chest. The silk slides against my skin, a poor substitute for what I really want to feel. “Alya and I got married tonight. I apologize for the lack of invitation. I was in a bit of a rush.”

Silence. An unsettling amount of silence that speaks volumes.

“Did you just have a heart attack?” I taunt after a while, unable to resist twisting the knife. “Your reaction is kind of hurting my feelings. You wanted this union. You proposed it, dear old friend.”

“You’ll pay for this,” he swears. “I promise.” But his threats fall flat.

“You betrayed me, Akim. I could makeyoupay for being a traitor.” My tone turns glacial, dropping several degrees in an instant. “But I can’t do that. Not anymore. I lost my position as Pakhan, all thanks to a certain bald, old fart.”

My fingers tighten around the phone. Akim will be the first to die when I return to Russia. His death will be slow.Excruciatingly slow, agonizing, and oh so satisfying. I’ll savor every scream, every plea for mercy.

But for now, it’s my little secret. No need to spoil the surprise just yet.

“That position was never yours. You killed the Pakhan and stole it.”

“Did I?” I chuckle at his pathetic attempt to justify himself. It’s both amusing and pitiful; he’s such a coward, always hiding behind words and schemes. “Last I remember, you stole a lot more than I did from the previous Pakhan.”

He goes quiet again. For fucks sake. I have a bride to attend to.

“What do you want?” he finally asks, defeat creeping into his voice.

“You, Akim,” I snarl, the words ripping from my throat. “Join me and help me regain what is mine, or remain on the losing team. The choice is yours.”

“If I say no?”

“I’ll burn you and everything you hold dear to the ground.” My grip on the phone tightens even more as I say, “I’ll start with Alya.”

“I know you, Mikhail. You’d never hurt a defenseless woman.” He pauses. “You’re not that kind of man.”

“I’m desperate,” I retort, the threat in my words still present. “Desperation can turn a man into a lot of things.”

It’s a lie, of course. I would never hurt Alya. I would never touch a hair on her head or do anything she doesn’t want me to. Akim is right about that—I’d never hurt an innocent woman. It’s one of the few lines I won’t cross. But he doesn’t need to know that. Let him think I’m capable of anything.

“Let Alya go, then we can bargain.”

“I think you’re forgetting something, Akim. You’re not in the position to negotiate. I make the rules around here, not you.”

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