Page 68 of Vengeful Embers

“To ensure I thought the baby was Gavriil’s and Tara's. So the baby would be meaningless.” My voice turns steel. “It has to be a firstborn-blood heir.”

“Exactly.” Konstantin agrees. “They were sure I would show you the pictures of Gavriil and Tara. You’d have her discreetly leave town…”

“And with Tara gone and out of sight…”My sister is a fucking sneaky little bitch. “She gives birth.”

“Gavriil and Irinaadoptthe baby, ” I finish for him. My jaw clenches until pain shoots up my temple. “Irina carries on stalling or hiding another pregnancy, ensuring she and Gavriil never have the firstborn Mirochin-Dragunov heir.”

“I don’t get my leverage to get Russia back from them,” I finish for him.

“Let me know if you go see Doctor Pollock,” Konstantin says.

“I will. Konstantin—where is Tara now?”

“In Vegas?” Worry explodes in his voice. “Is she not in Vegas?”

“Apparently, she’d been courted by a series of universities all over the country,” I explain.

“I only know about UCLA courting her. But other offers? She didn’t tell me anything about them. Do you want me to find her?”

“No. I’ll try another way.”

I hang up and return to the living room. Irina is lounging now, but her eyes track me.

“What do you want, Ruslan? Whatever I did, it’s a lie,” she says like she always does in situations she thinks she's being accused of something. “Or have I already been judged and banished to Dragunov Village too?”

“That depends on how this conversation goes.” I lift a brow and test the waters. “You asked where Konstantin was.”

She shrugs. “I don’t really care. It was more of an observation.”

“You used to have a giant crush on Konstantin,” I remind her.

“First, he’s my cousin,” Irina points out.

“Distant cousin,” I remind her.

“If Iadmiredhim in a crushing type of way, it was back before you and he became cyborgs and lost all of your humanity,” Irina tells me with a smug smile.

I ignore her. “He was with Doctor Pollock.”

That lands on the mark. Irina’s eyes flicker, and I see it—the moment the mask slips.

I didn’t want to believe it. That my sister was still scheming. Which means her allegiances have changed, and I can no longer trust or count on her. But I can not let her know that I no longer do. I walk to the bar, pour two drinks, and set one down in front of her.

“Is there anything you want to tell me, little sister?”

“That depends. What do you think you know?” Irina is careful to say.

We stare at each other across the room like loaded guns. I lift my glass.

“Let’s start with that sobbing phone call you made, the one where you hinted Gavriil was cheating. Then Nadia ‘accidentally’ talks about you and Gavriil wanting to adopt. You wanted me here, and you knew that would make me come here.”

“Calling my brother when I’m upset is a crime now?” Irina says, looking hurt.

“It’s clever,” I admit, holding the crystal glass in front of me as I lean against the bar. “Fuck. I even fell for it.”

Something flashes in Irina’s eyes—a smug look before it’s gone.

“You know how much I hate infidelity,” I continue. “You know how much I hate the Mirochins. You also know that I wanted to look for something to bring Gavriil down with.”

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