Page 90 of Kings of Cruelty

“Didwe ever find out what happened to Andronov’s… product?” Nikolai asks as he pours himself a drink.

We’re in the kitchen, taking a lunch break and preparing for a meeting with Pavone’s consigliere. That’s in three days, but I don’t want to be caught unprepared, not after the last disastrous meeting with Pavone.

I sit at the kitchen table and shake my head. “No. I told him I wanted nothing more to do with it.” I grimace, knowing that it’s probably not the answer Sierra would have wanted. “I did tell our allies not to deal with him, so if we’re lucky, he packed up shop.”

“Here’s hoping,” Nikolai mutters. He takes a long swig of his drink, then shakes his head. “How do you think this meeting is going to go? Is Sierra still going to try to be friends with the Pavone woman?”

“I don’t know.” I take a bite of my sandwich. “It would be ideal, but…” I sigh. “I need Pavone on our side. My father’s been quiet these past two weeks, but I don’t trust it.”

Nikolai barks out a laugh. “No. The quieter he is…” He falls silent for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about what myfather said. Or really, what he didn’t say. He’s acting like he’s up to something, too, and I can’t shake the feeling that it has something to do with your dear Papa.”

It’s possible that they’re all busy with Roman’s new baby, and they’re celebrating the infant. I’m sure there have been parties and presents and maybe even jokes about who to marry the child off to.

It’s possible, but unlikely. I know my father. He wouldn’t devote more time than necessary to family, no matter how much he pretends.

“What gifts should we get Sierra?” I say, because there isn’t much we can do regarding my father except wait. “For the baby shower.”

“Aside from baby gifts, you mean?” Nikolai hmms thoughtfully. “We could murder Silvano Cresci for her. As a bonus, that would get us a few extra allies, right?”

I bark out a laugh. “It would be satisfying, but I think that would cause more trouble for us right now. I think he’s friends with Pavone, and he’s definitely friends with some of the bigger weapons dealers. We can do that after we know what my father is up to.”

Nikolai nods, then grimaces. “I don’t guess we could call out sick to this meeting with Rossi, huh? I’ll throw in a couple of fake coughs.” He grins at me, though. He knows perfectly well that it would be an insult—to put it lightly—and that we have to follow through on this.

We need all the allies we can get.

“So, back to presents—” I start, when the loud, familiar pop of a gunshot interrupts us.

I stand up instantly, going for my gun… but it’s still in my office. I glance at Nikolai, and he goes for the guns hidden in a compartment under the kitchen drawers, well out of sight from intruders.

I call the security office as Nikolai passes one of the guns to me. “Boris! What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” Boris shouts. “The cameras went dark a few seconds ago. There was a car at the gate…”

“Fuck,” Nikolai mutters. “Why didn’t the guys at the gate warn us? Unless…” He looks at me, dread filling his expression. “You don’t think…?”

I grimace. I don’t want to believe that anybody betrayed us, but the truth is that despite my best efforts to clean house, some of the men are still loyal to Petrov, not me.

“Text Yura, tell him and Sierra not to come home,” I say. I check the gun to make sure it’s loaded, then I duck behind the kitchen island. “Boris! Do you have?—”

Another gunshot rings out, and I hear Boris scream.

A few seconds later, a new voice answers. “Kostya.”

I grit my teeth, hating how the nickname sounds on his lips. “Roman. What did you do to Boris?”

Nikolai pulls his phone out of his pocket, tapping furiously on the screen. He nods to me, mouthing,Done.

At least Yura and Sierra will be safe. For now.

“Boris is alive,” Roman says, and a scream follows. “Where are you? I thought you would greet us with open arms when we arrived.”

“Nobody told me you were visiting,” I point out. I can hear footsteps approaching, and I curse myself for having thought it was safe to simply eat lunch out in the kitchen. My office has reinforced doors and walls. We would have been able to make a much better stand there.

“Do I need to call for help?”Nikolai whispers to me, but he looks as helpless as I feel.

The kitchen door swings open.

“Konstantin,” a very familiar voice says sharply.

---