Page 52 of Deadly Legacy
Wallace’s eyelids drooped, the weight of exhaustion pulling them down. Every line in his face deepened. “Maybe I wanted to do something right for my family. For once.”
Reuben remained motionless, the silence stretching between them. Finally, he offered a single nod. “Rest. I’ll check on you later.”
Nikon was waiting in the hallway, pushing away from the wall as soon as Reuben emerged. His hand found the small of Reuben’s back as he drew close. “Dmitrii’s gone dark. His loyalists are mobilizing.”
Chapter 16
“Look at them.” Nikon pointed to the news report showing Dmitrii’s men scrambling away from a failed weapons exchange. Their movements were chaotic and disorganized, nothing like their typical efficiency. “He’s getting sloppy. Leaving witnesses behind.”
Alexei pointed to another screen where a news broadcast silently played.
SHOOTOUT AT LUXURY HOTEL. DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION DISRUPTED.
“You see that?” Nikon tapped the edge of the table. “His political protection is falling apart. Just as we planned.”
But Dmitrii’s desperation hadn’t stopped at the diplomatic fiasco. His retaliation had been swift and personal, targeting what he knew would hurt the Matvei family’s interests.
While the city’s attention had been focused on the hotel shooting, Dmitrii’s men had launched a calculated attack on Nikon’s downtown operations.
Nikon walked the perimeter of the security station, the cool underground air of the bunker raising goosebumps on his forearms. Each monitor displayed a different angle of the destruction at his smaller downtown casino.
“Two million in damages to the east side location.” His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “One of our dealers was wounded. And Senator Greason will need more than the usual campaign contribution to forget what he saw. The man was winning when Dmitrii’s thugs burst in.”
The bunker vibrated with subdued activity as Matvei security personnel coordinated responses. Two days had passed since the Quantize Guard conference room confrontation. Two days since Wallace took a bullet meant for Reuben. Two days of Wallace recovering in a private clinic under Matvei protection while Reuben split his time between Matthew Capital and his father’s bedside.
Meanwhile, Dmitrii had unleashed a storm. Surveillance feeds showed his men attacking three separate Matvei businesses within the same hour—the fourth coordinated strike since yesterday morning. After disappearing briefly following the Quantize Guard fiasco, Dmitrii had reemerged with a vengeance, abandoning subtlety for raw destruction.
“He’s completely lost it.” Nikon’s upper lip twitched as he watched footage of police surrounding their warehouse, the time-stamp in the corner showing just forty minutes ago. “Going public. Getting reckless.”
The Matvei brothers had maintained their routines; their clubs remained open, and their shipments continued to move. And Matthew Capital proceeded with the Quantize Guard acquisition.
It was all business as usual on the surface while beneath it all, they deployed countermeasures against each of Dmitrii’s increasingly erratic attacks.
“His edge is gone,” Alexei said, looking up from his laptop, the blue light highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. “That judge in the Southern District just denied bail for those two lieutenants we tipped off the authorities about. And his allies are getting nervous about all the police attention.”
Stepan appeared at the bunker entrance, the metal door closing with a heavy thud behind him. His expression remained grim. “Sir. We’ve received an unusual message through one of our street runners.”
“What kind of message?” Nikon faced Stepan, fingers drumming against the edge of the console.
“From your brother, sir.” Stepan’s voice dropped. “Andrey.”
The room went silent. The only sound was the soft hum of the ventilation system and the flickering of screens.
“That’s impossible.” Nikon’s muscles tensed beneath his skin. “Andrey belongs to Dmitrii now.”
“Not anymore, it seems.” Stepan continued, his stance remaining formal. “The runner was approached in the Eastern District. Andrey gave him one of our old family signals. We verified his location and extracted him from an abandoned storage facility. He’s been questioned since arrival. Scanned for tracking devices. He’s clean.”
“And what does my traitor brother want?”
“Sanctuary.” Stepan’s face remained impassive. “And to speak with you. Says he has information about Dmitrii’s final plans. Something involving you and Reuben specifically.”
Nikon’s phone vibrated against the table. Reuben’s name appeared on the screen, centering him, reminding him what was truly at stake. For two days, he’d kept Reuben away from the compound, insisting Matthew Capital needed Reuben’s attention more than Dmitrii’s tantrums.
Now Nikon wondered if that had been the right call.
“Bring him in.” Nikon straightened his sleeve. “Let’s hear what desperate story our little brother has constructed this time.”
The two Matvei brothers spent the next half hour reviewing security feeds and making calls while they waited for their estranged brother to be brought to them.
