Page 18 of Den of Thieves

“Wait a second, Sasha, I thought we were friends.”

“You are one of my closest friends. I’m still impressed with your shooting after all these years. Speaking of, where is your sidekick? I thought one of you needed the other so you could wipe each other’s asses.”

Karina nearly spit out her drink at his words. She recovered just in time and wagged her finger at him. “Careful, Sasha, jealousy isn’t a good color on you.”

She wasn’t upset at his words. Karina genuinely liked Sasha. He was one of the few people that weren’t afraid of Vladimir’s wrath for offending his Queen. It was a breath of fresh air.

“I look good in every color.” Sasha stood to his feet after finishing his drink. “I’m late for a meeting. You should come by later this week for drinks. I could use your help planning my next hunting party.”

Karina waved him off. “You don’t need me, but I’m happy to help!”

Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up without looking at the screen. “AK, you better have a good excuse for standing me up.”

“Rina,” the voice on the other end choked back a sob. “You need to come home. There’s been an accident.”

“Wife, I have news.” Vladimir’s voice boomed down the hallway into their bedroom. He strolled in with the confidence of a lion to find Karina sitting on the couch near the fireplace. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.

“Solynchnka, what is it?”

“My-my mother.”

Vladimir tried to quell his frustrations at the women that never seemed to have a kind word toward her only child. “What has she done now?”

Karina looked up from the phone in her hand. “She was in a car accident. Dad says it doesn’t look good.”

Vladimir was by her side in an instant. “What can I do?”

He racked his brain trying to figure out if this was one of his enemies’ doing, but someone would have notified him.

“I’m okay, just shocked. Saba warned me something might happen. But I didn’t—”

“What?” He rubbed small circles on her back.

“I have to go.” She made her way to the closet.

“I am coming with you.”

“No. This is something I have to do on my own.”

Vladimir sat back down. It was rare he didn’t have a solution to ease her problems or her pain. This was one burden Karina had to face alone. He hoped she would fare better at dealing with her loss than he did when his parents passed.

He dialed his Number 2 who answered on the first ring. “Get the pilot ready. And have a team of men at the airport first thing in the morning.”

6. “Thou Art as Fat as Butter”

-WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

“Hey Vladimir, are you coming or what?”

“Don’t rush me.” Vladimir stood to his feet and looked at his watch.

The meeting ran later than he would have liked, but if he hurried, he could make it back for dinner with the children. It would have been a perfect evening with his three little angels if his cousins weren’t staying with him for the time being.

“What’s taking so long? Is he having phone sex with that stimulating wife of his again?” Dean laughed.

Vladimir glared at him, stepping into the elevator. He contemplated who all would be sad if one of the three stooges came up missing. The list was short.

“Don’t be like that, cousin. You know we only jest.” Daniil tried to help his brother, to no avail.

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