Page 38 of Hunt Me
“She’d cut the biggest switch we’ve ever seen,” Alexsey laughed.
“You outdid yourself on Lilia’s wedding,” I told her.
Her sigh was heavy as she leaned back. “We need another wedding and soon, Mikhail. You’re not getting any younger.”
“I take it you and Pops are reading from the same book,” I told her.
“Ouch,” Alexsey said, backing away before I could pop him.
She pinched my chin. “Don’t annoy your mother. Do your duty as Pakhan.”
“Mother. I don’t need a wife to rule the Bratva. You know that as well as I do.”
“But I need grandchildren.”
“Then bug your other sons. That’s not in the cards.” Not now. Perhaps not ever. Significant others and children were weaknesses. As much as I’d like to think otherwise, I knew better. Right now, the tension within me continued to rise.
There was something brewing in the dark underbelly of the city and beyond.
“Excuse me, Mama, but I need to talk to Dad.” I pushed away from her before she had a chance to get her claws into me.
“She’s relentless,” Alexsey said so our mother wouldn’t hear.
“Maybe that means our father will let it alone today.”
“Who was that girl you were with?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you want to know.”
I gritted my teeth as our father noticed our approach. “Right now, I don’t need any further distractions. I have a very bad feeling we’re in for some difficulties in the weeks ahead.”
“You were always the pessimist.”
Maybe so, but my instincts were usually never wrong. My guard had remained high and would until I could determine what the Irish were up to.
Dad motioned away from the party. With our reputation being stellar within the city, talking shop in front of the guests would never happen.
Kazimir lifted his eyebrows, studying me far too intently. I could tell he was eager to grill me about the night spent with a woman.
Father led us to the cabana by the pool, the expansive building often used for parties. Once inside, he even closed the doors behind us.
“Where’s Nadia?” I asked, realizing I hadn’t noticed her in attendance. My cousin was a badass in her own right. She was military trained, only recently ending her career to return tothe family business. A sharpshooter with ninety-nine percent accuracy, she was considered highly dangerous.
And one hell of a fighter.
“She’s checking with some sources she has in LA to find out what O’Shaughnessy is doing.” Dad’s answer brought a round of curious looks.
“Word on the street is that the drug activity has picked up,” Vissarian offered.
“I’ve heard that too,” I said while pulling the glass to my lips. Fortunately, I’d yet to have any issues within Ecstasy.
Kazimir sighed. “A girl almost overdosed in Genesis on Friday. She’d been attending a bachelorette party.”
“Interesting,” Sasha stated. “I had that happen about ten days ago. I didn’t think anything of it, but it was a college girl in from Phoenix. All three of her friends were extremely high.”
“The timing is fascinating with our Irish friend going from one of our clubs to the other.”
