Page 146 of Dirty Grovel

“Their intent is simple. The subtext of that article is painfully obvious,” she declares. “Anyone loyal to us is an enemy of the Martineks.”

I nod. “I got the subtext. Loud and clear.”

“This is your empire now, son,” she reminds me, tapping her fingers against the desk. “What do you intend to do?”

Fists clenched, I don’t hesitate before I answer. “I’m going to destroy them all.”

Oksana’s red lips curve into a predator’s smile. “War it is then.”

46

OLEG

By nightfall, my whole damn empire is crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide.

The board files a no-confidence motion to try to unseat me as CEO of Pavlov Industries.

My allies scatter like cockroaches in the sunlight, some even going so far as to break alliances that have been generations in the making.

Even my father’s oldest and most loyal friend in Moscow gives me a call just to tell me to lie low for six months.

Six fucking months.

“Everything I’ve built,” I growl to Artem as he hands me our fifth shot of vodka. “Gone.” I snap my fingers. “Just like that.”

“You’re talking as though it’s all over.” Artem’s eyes cast out towards the dark horizon.

The sea is still tonight. It’s almost as though it’s mourning right alongside me.

“What makes you think it’s not?”

He does a double-take. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

“I spent years building this shit, Artem. Fuckingyears.Now, the people who were eating out of my palm are deserting me, one by fucking one.”

“Fuck ‘em,” he suggests. “You don’t need them anyway.”

I stop playing coy and just grab the whole damn bottle of vodka. No sense in pretending that I’m not going to guzzle through the entire thing.

“What does Oksana have to say about all of this?” my friend asks.

“She was pretty confident this morning,” I say. “But that was before the Martineks managed to brainwash the whole city in a matter of hours. Now, I’m not so sure.”

With a glower, Artem snatches the bottle from my hand. “Jesus Christ, man, get a fucking grip.”

“Give me the bottle or I’ll push you overboard.”

“Please.” He rolls his eyes. “You can’t walk straight long enough to push an inanimate object overboard.”

“You underestimate me.”

“Actually, you’re the one underestimating yourself.” He keeps holding the bottle out of reach. “Have you spoken to Sutton about all of this?”

A grunt whistles through my teeth. “Sutton’s not talking to me at the moment.”

“Well, if she were talking to you, you know what she’d say?” He doesn’t wait for me to guess. “She’d tell you to stop being a dramatic asshole and focus on what matters.”

I bark out a harsh laugh. “Yeah well, Sutton isn’t here, is she?”

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