Page 86 of For a Price

“It was not Leonid,” he says. “You must have made an enemy elsewhere, my son. You never have played well with others.”

I cut the space between us down until I’m towering over him and his gold cane. “If I find out you are covering for him, I will slit your throat too. Tvoy titul tebya ne zashchitit.?*”

The threat looms in the air as I storm out, leaving my father in stony silence.

Kazan falls into step with me outside. “Do you realize what you have done? You threatened the sovietnik!”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

“And if it wasn’t him? If it wasn’t even Leonid?”

“Who else could it be?” I growl at him. “We have to be on high alert. Someone in my company is a traitor. When I find out who it is, they will know what true fear is.”

“The place is secured,” says Oleg, one of my soldiers. He trails behind Kazan and me as we enter the old factory we’ve transformed into an operational headquarters. “No one will be able to bypass our protections.”

“That should’ve been the case for the penthouse, da?” I snap.

“We have begun interrogations of the staff,” he goes on somewhat nervously. “So far, no one has confessed… or given any indication they were involved.”

“Because traitors always tell you who they are.”

“Perhaps it was Polina,” offers Kazan from my side. We turn down another long corridor, our boots thudding against the cement floor.

“Polina is no longer under my employ. She would not have the access.”

“She has since disappeared. We will search for her.”

“If you find her, bring her to me.”

“Your pet has been misbehaving,” says Oleg. We’ve started up a flight of stairs, then a second flight directly after that. “She has been refusing to calm down and making demands to know where you are. She has been insufferable?—”

“Finish that sentence, Oleg, and I will rip your fucking tongue out of your mouth,” I growl, spinning around to face him. I jam a finger into his chest and force him a couple steps back. “You are to respect her every fucking second you are breathing. Do you fucking understand, or will I have to fucking teach you what respect is?”

A ghostly cast washes over Oleg’s face. He shakes his head side to side. “No, Zver, of… of course not.”

“Of course notwhat? Spit it out!”

“She is respected!” he sputters. “She is very, very respected!”

“Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight and get some fucking work done.”

I watch Oleg scramble like a roach that’s been caught sneaking around for crumbs of food. Kazan waits until he’s gone before he glances sideways at me.

“You are wound tight, Zver. Perhaps your father was correct—you are too hotheaded to see clearly.”

“I don’t need your opinion, Shram. I need you to fucking find me the traitor. Find me who the hell gave the order for the building to burn. Don’t disturb me the rest of the night unless you do.”

It’s my final set of orders as I stride forth and leave Kazan in the corridor.

I head for the door that’s designated as my private chambers. It slams shut behind me as I walk through and survey the space for one thing and one thing only.

My kitty cat.

I had her delivered to my chambers earlier when we saw the tower burning down. It’s no wonder Oleg says she’s been moody—she likely has no clue what the hell’s going on beyond the fire she witnessed.

I’m correct in my speculation.

As soon as I’m through the door, she’s leaping up from the bed and dashing toward me. She throws herself into my arms like a feline, curling her soft body around mine. I hold her close and smooth my palm along the curve of her cheek, capturing her gaze.

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