Page 35 of Kings of Cruelty

Dwelling on it isn’t going to change anything, though, so there’s no point in saying it. With the way Konstantin is acting, it would make things worse right now.

Konstantin gets up and paces around the office. “I am successful! I am running guns, drugs. We have Lev workingon stealing credit cards and identities! And half the Russian oligarchs owe their New Bristol lives to us! You think Zima would be enjoying his wonderful New Bristol condo right near the Grand Park if we hadn’t pulled strings to open that spot up? That was me! I’ve been keeping an ear out for opportunities. Not Petrov.Me!”

Yuri crosses his arms and scowls. “How the fuck am I supposed to know what you’ve been doing while I was in jail?”

This conversation has the potential to go even more south, so I interrupt, “You’ve been doing all the right things, Kotya, but the fact is that it’s not going to be enough because it’s not whathewants you to do. So the question is, do we do it and get yourself off his radar, or do we try to do better in other areas so he doesn’t keep pushing?”

I don’t think that’s even possible, though. Konstantin isn’t wrong. He’s done so much, and no one will give him the credit for it.

No wonder he’s fucking frustrated, but he doesn’t need to lash out at us like a child.

The irony that it’s me thinking that way isn’t lost on me.

“So you think we should do what he wants? We will trick women into becoming sex slaves?” Konstantin demands.

“I didn’t say that!” Yuri yells back. “I only meant?—”

Konstantin snarls. “You meant nonsense!”

Yuri and Konstantin stare each other down. I debate getting out of the couch so I’m not close to Yuri when he inevitably lashes back, but he suddenly deflates.

“Sierra would hate human trafficking,” Yuri says quietly.

I grimace. She would, and she wouldn’t hesitate to let us know, either. “So we figure something else out. Find those weapons shipments, grab Don Marino’s money, whatever. Because I think Sierra would rather cut our dicks off than let us near her if we made deals with Andronov.” Not that I’d blameher. Human trafficking is grim stuff, even for me. “But…” I look at Konstantin, wary. “But what happens if we don’t?”

Konstantin makes a frustrated noise. “He kills me, and everybody I hold dear.” He shakes his head. “I will not risk that.”

“He can’t really believe you care about the Winters’ daughter,” I say. “She should be safe, as long as he sees her as your whore.”

It’s not lost on me that many of the men in our line of work prefer their mistresses to their own wives, but what am I supposed to do? Suggest that they get married? My stomach clenches at the thought.

Konstantin’s eyes widen and his lip thins. “Unless he finds out she’s pregnant.”

“You think that would make her a target,” I say flatly.

“Of course it would,” Yuri says with a sneer. “Papa Voronkov doesn’t think Kotya should have heirs at all. Wouldn’t want to muddle the inheritance issue, or give Roman any competition.”

“We haven’t told anyone,” I say. “No one should know she’s pregnant. So we have… time.”

Not much time. As soon as she starts showing, it’ll get right back to Konstantin’s father.

“A few months at most,” Konstantin says. He paces to the other side of the room and slams his hand against the desk. “Fuck!”

“We’ll cower and be obedient little pets,” Yuri says darkly. “You will fall in line, like you always do?—”

“You just said I must worry about him!” Konstantin’s palpable rage makes me tense up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry before.

“So we can figure a way around him, not to play by his impossible rules!” Yuri counters. He looks ready to fight, too.

“Hey, let’s all calm down—” I begin to say, but I’m interrupted by a knock on the door.

I hear the rumble of a man’s voice, then a woman’s lower voice.

Sierra.

I wonder if someone told her there was yelling or if Kotya had been loud enough for her to hear it.

Konstantin turns around to look at us. I shrug, but Yuri nods.

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