Page 38 of My Wild Horse King

When I finally drag myself out of bed, it’s six minutes before my alarm was set to go off, and my eyes are burning like I mixed up eyedrops with acid. I hop up and race to my shower, setting the water to cold to ensure I’m awake and kicking. After my disastrous start yesterday, I can’t afford any more screw-ups. I need to hit all four meetings today, full force.

One’s with a large European bank, which is perfect, because one of the things I’m hoping the IPO will do is get us some backers in Europe. Horse racing’s even bigger there than it is in the US, and there aren’t a lot of online gambling operations that are popular in Europe yet. I’d like to start sucking up some of the online marketshare as soon as possible.

Shockingly, by the time I emerge from my room, clean-shaven, dressed in my nicest tan suit, with my hair neatly combed, all seven of my uninvited guests are already awake.

“Where are we going first today?” Kris asks.

“Oh, no.” I shake my head. “You’re all staying here today. You can research what that lunatic running Russia is doing. You can sit in my massage chair. You can order takeout, and you can use my credit cards for any of that you want. What you cannot do is accompany me to the meetings I’ll be conducting.”

“But I’ve looked into Trifecta,” Aleks says. “I quite like the idea of a totes company that also has a separate arm that handles online gambling. It’s like you’re internally hedging your own bets. The totes companies are worried that online bets will destroy their onsite revenue, but if you also handle online betting, no matter which side becomes more popular, you still win.”

“Don’t forget his racehorse ownership company,” Kristiana says. “That’s my favorite part of the three. Betting’s so much more exciting when you own a horse, and now people who could never afford it have the ability to go in on a partial share of one—a great one. Then when they bet, they’re betting on themselves.”

I do think Trifecta’s brilliant, but their flattery doesn’t change my mind. “I’m glad you like my company,” I say. “But I don’t need your help making my presentation. Stay here, please.”

“We’re coming,” Kristiana says. “Now that we’re here. . .” She glances at Katerina. “There’s no telling when Leonid will decide you’re a priority and show up.”

Katerina shakes her head. “I’m not here to draw him out. He told me specifically that he wants nothing to do with Gustav, as long as he stays away from his magic.”

“It’s quite difficult to draw out magical ability,” Grigoriy says.

“And that’s for us,” Alexei says. “For you, it might be even harder.”

“He’d have to do something truly noble,” Katerina says. “I already told him. Without a significant sacrifice, he won’t be able to access any powers at all.”

“See?” I say, “No worries, then.”

Kris looks exactly the same as my mom used to when she’s disappointed. The small sigh. The drooping chin. The sad eyes. It’sdisturbinglythe same. I wonder whether she knows that. “You’re the only hope we have of defeating him.”

“You said Grigoriy and Aleksandr still have their powers,” I say. “They’re strong, right? Rocks and air or something?”

Kris doesn’t try to hide her irritation this time. “You can’t believe Katerina’s assurances that you’ll be safe. She’s close to Leonid.”

“Scared of him and close aren’t the same thing,” Katerina says.

“She’s the one who told him about his powers, she was there when he started using them, she gave him the electrical power, and she went to visit with him recently.” Adriana folds her arms and glares. “The bottom line is, we can’t trust her. So go to your meetings, and we’ll just wait outside.”

“You think Leonid’s going to leave Russia, where he’s surrounded by his people and an army, and fly to the United States. . .to what?” I ask. “To assassinate me?”

“He might send someone,” Kris says. “Katerina’s brother Boris held Adriana in a shack for days on end in a tiny room, threatening her. He works for Leonid.”

“It wasn’t fun,” Adriana says. “I can vouch.”

“Ask her how she escaped,” Mirdza says.

Adriana jabs her twin. “Keep your mouth shut.”

“Fine,” I say. “You can come if you bring something to read or do and you just sit in the lobby while I do each presentation.” I have no idea who I’ll tell the people they are or why they’re there, but I’ll think of something. “But under no circumstance are you allowed to come into the room or speak at all while I’m working.”

“Deal,” Kris says.

Of course, that lasts exactly one minute.

“Kristiana?” A tall blond man stands when we walk through the doors of the conference room for our first meeting.

“You know him?” I glance from the man in the navy suit with the British accent to Kris. “How?”

“I’m her ex-boyfriend,” the blond man in the suit says. “I’m also the Vice President of operations for the AIB Group, Sean?—”

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