Page 9 of Absolution (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 3)

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“Mr. Volkov, Lake Herrera is here for you.” Helen, the receptionist I share with Dad, says over the intercom.

“Thanks, Helen, send him back.”

Less than a minute later, Lake walks in, a serious look plastered all over his face. We exchange nods of hello before he sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. He’s got an almost-full beard going on, impressive seeing as how he was clean shaven just days ago.

“Well,” he tosses a thumb drive onto the desk. “I have everything you need on there. Your uncle has been working with Owen Energy and double crossing them. That rig explosion a few years back?”

“Yeah.” Scott Owen ended up transferring to Founders Prep to hassle me all year about it.

“It was your uncle.” He scrubs a hand over his face. “The assassination attempt on your dad the same year? The one that killed Lilith’s dad?”

My stomach drops as I wait for him to continue.

“Your uncle was behind that, too.”

My vision goes red and then black. I have never felt so much rage running through my veins.

“He’s involved with some scary people, Con. You cannot do anything on your own here. I had my people in Eastern Europe set up surveillance, and you won’t get out alive if you go off half-cocked. I wouldn’t go in with less than a team of six.”

I stand up and walk to the window, taking deep breaths and trying to suppress the urge to slam my fist into the window. I let the familiar scene of a hazy August Manhattan morning settle me. Ideas are flying through my mind.

“Ivan used to abuse me.” I surprise myself by telling him that dark secret. I turn back to Lake, who still sits in the chair, patiently waiting for me to continue. “It started when I was eight. He would drag me out of bed in the middle of the night and force me to fight the young servants. If I didn’t do it, he would. I watched him kill several before I decided a beating from me was better than death at his hands. The next summer got progressively worse, and the next, and the next. I watched him do horrible, disgusting things. I did,” I choke on the words, “I did horrible things.”

“Listen,” Lake leans forward, elbows on his knees and levels his eyes at me, “I have done horrible things, too. It sucks, but I’m going to guess you didn’t have a choice. Your uncle runs a crime syndicate that extends onto three continents. I will help you take him down. I left your dad the same information on another thumb drive.”

I look over his shoulder and nod. “Thank you.”

He stands up and turns to leave but then spins back toward me. “Have you talked to anyone about the abuse? Does anyone know?”

“Griff found out a long time ago because I had a nightmare once when I was staying at his place. No one else knows.”

“You need to tell your dad and Lilith.” He pulls out his wallet and hands me a worn business card. “That’s my therapist. He’s helped me with my PTSD from everything. Call him and tell him I referred you.”

“Thanks,” I run my thumb over it, weighing whether or not to call.

“Con,” Lake stands with his hand on the doorknob, “whatever happened is not your fault. You were a kid. I’ll be in touch.”

I pick the thumb drive and slide it into my personal laptop. I text Griff that I’m sending the encrypted files to him. The sooner he gets on this, the better. He’ll be able to look at this through a colder, more logical lens than I can. It’s too personal for me.

I start looking through the files, watching the surveillance footage. Nothing about any of what I see or read surprises me. Even the information about him double-crossing us and Owen Energy. It’s all classic Ivan. He wants to open our Siberian oil field and has promised more than he can deliver to some of the higher ups in Moscow.

The door to my office swings open, and I know it’s Dad without looking up. I look at him over my laptop’s screen and see the same rage I’m feeling mirrored right back at me. He closes the door and flicks the lock.

“We have some planning to do, son.”

“I know.” My jaw clenches as I read through the information Lake got about Lily’s dad. “There’s no mercy for him.”

“Agreed.” He sits down in the same seat that Lake was just occupying. “I’ve already reached out to those in Russia who are loyal to me. Herrera has a team watching him.”

“Yeah, I was actually just talking to Lake.”

“I knew Ivan was doing questionable shit, but I had no idea how far he’d gone.” Dad shoots out of the chair and starts to pace. “Double crossing his own family. Trafficking everything possible. I’m glad we never sent Claire over there like we did you.”

I think about what Griff said, what Lake said, and decide now’s as good a time as any to unload my darkest secrets on my dad.

“Actually, I have to tell you something.” I proceed to tell Dad everything, including the women I watched Ivan drug and rape. I watch his face express a whole range of emotions. Rage. Fear. Anguish. Back to anger.

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