Page 36 of Den of Thieves

“Ah yes, the war.” Vadim waved a hand in the air, like a war amongst thieves was something common or trivial. “If you are here for a show of loyalty, you have wasted your time. We don’t always see eye to eye, but you are the only one above me in this life. I’d be a fool to go against that.”

“You have been asked by someone to go against me?”

“Some idiota cornered me in America last month.”

“What were you doing in America?”

“You think beauties like my angel are born and bred in Eastern Russia?”

“Fair point,” Vladimir conceded, looking back towards the striking woman.

“She is angelic, even in her sleep. Don’t you think?”

Vladimir frowned, not understanding the pull she had over his erratic cousin. “She’s a little… frail, no?”

“You let her illness fool your eyes. She looks like a doe, but she is more like a lioness. Once she is back to full strength, you will see.”

Vadim’s eyes glossed over when he spoke about Angela. But the line between his brows never lessened. He was worried about losing her.

Vladimir remembered when he used to look at Karina the same way. The lost, fiery look of despair knowing that you were the reason for her tears and that she will never return your feelings.

“You’re in love with her,”Vladimir stated.

“Love is a foolish notion reserved for the poor and mentally challenged.”

“Well, you’re not poor.” Vladimir smiled into his vodka.

“??? ????! She will never love me. Each time her pure soul flirted with death, it was not my doing, but my fault all the same.”

“How many times was that?”

“You mock me!”Vadim slammed down his glass.

“I do not. My Solynchnka’s life has never been closer to morbidity than after she met me.”

Vadim sat up straighter. “And she stays by your side still? I heard she left you.”

“She always returns. It is her way of teaching me a lesson, but we are both stubborn learners. As much as she hates it, she understands I know what is best for our family.”

“How are the little ones?” A fantom of a smile crossed his face.

Vladimir pulled out a photo from his wallet and handed it to his cousin.Vadim traced his fingers over their little faces.This time, when he smiled, his teeth showed.

“I can send you more if you like.”

“They are perfect. Luckily, your wife is so beautiful. I would be concerned about bullies if they looked like you.”

“??? ????.” Fuck off. He reached to take the picture back, but Vadim slid it into his breast pocket.

“You should have sent them here. No one can penetrate my fortress.”

“Your people don’t take kindly to outsiders.” Vladimir raised a brow.

“No, but your children are blood. They respect that.”

Vladimir decided not to remind him of who he had chained downstairs.“Dedushka has them stashed away. Even I don’t know where they are. Who contacted you in the States?”

“Someone I did not recognize. He theorized it was time we reclaimed your throne for ourselves. I believed him to be a fool. Only one man can sit on a throne. Why would I change my life of no oversight to listen to grown men bicker like children?”

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