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The other was a psychopath who protected his twin with the strength of a hundred soldiers. Nobody crossed his path and stayed breathing for more than five minutes.
Inseparable at birth and inseparable through life.
And together with their father, they ruled with an iron fist.
Playing with them was playing with danger.
We were the Masters of the game, and this was going to be one hell of a ride.
After Lyov would stop bitching.
I cleared my throat, bringing their attention back to me. Lyov settled back into his chair, leveling with a cold look. “I don’t agree.”
“Last I checked, you are not the Boss anymore,” Alessio interrupted. “Meaning, you don’t have a choice.”
“Last I checked, I was the one in charge of this mission,” I announced, crossing my arms in the process. “Meaning, this is my decision.”
Wrong thing to say. Wrong time.
Like I said, testosterone was flying everywhere in the room.
Alessio thought he was in power.
Lyov wanted control in his hands.
I apparently was just the pawn. A pawn who was actually in power.
Tsk. These men. If only they knew…I was about to dance with chaos.
Another voice joined the conversation, and this time I scoffed, throwing my head back to lazily stare at the ceiling.
“You don’t understand us. We know Carlos. Actually, we know him very well. Just like Solonik, Carlos and the Ivanshovs go way back. Before you two were even born, we used to be partners, on the same side. We know him, and we know what he is capable of. You are putting yourself in danger. Not only that, you will start a motion we won’t be able to stop,” Isaak added from his position beside Lyov.
I lifted my head and found my father looking at me dead in the eyes. He silently dared me to say something, to argue.
“That’s interesting…” I drawled. “I was just thinking about that. And now that you brought it up yourself, Daddy dearest, how about we speak of this…recent information I found?”
Alessio leaned forward, placing his arms over his desk, and I watched as he interlocked his fingers together and sent a cold, curious look. The motherfucker looked intimidating, and I knew I was about to make this situation worse.
“What is it?” he asked, his eyes studying me, watching for any reactions. When Alessio would study his prey, he watched with stealthy eyes. He would watch for lies, the way their gazes moved and the way their breathing would change, the nervous movement…anything and everything.
I gave him none of that. I wasn’t nervous and scared. Actually, I was perfectly sure of myself. Unfaltering and confident.
You see, Alessio Ivanshov fed on fear.
And I didn’t fear him.
He also thought he knew everything. He was always in control, holding the strings of the puppets, and he moved them anywhere he wanted. His words, our command.
But this time…
This little information, he had no idea about.
And I was about to turn his world upside down.
“While I was with Solonik, I found out about something important. Actually, this is the foundation of his Empire. I haven’t told you this before, but I think now is the right time. This is also the reason why we need Carlos on our side. He and Solonik are in partnership, and if we break that tie, Solonik drowns. Plain and simple.”
“And what is this?”
Always impatient.
This time, I was enjoying it. Dragging the suspense. Making him angry and frustrated.
That’s for forcing me to make a choice, asshole.
One point for you.
One point for me.
I snuck a glance at Lyov and Isaak. Their neutral expressions seemed to change, switching to something that looked akin to…fear.
The unknown was always something to fear.
But Lyov and Isaak seemed to know what I was about to say. I watched as realization dawned, saw the way their eyes grew darker, colder…dangerous.
“Valentin is involved with human trafficking,” I confessed out loud.
Lyov sucked in a harsh breath and closed his eyes.
Alessio clenched his fists on the table and then sat back against his chair. He looked deep in thought, but there was no surprise in his expression. As if he knew.
“But I thought we took ourselves out of it,” Nikolay jumped in, finally making his presence known. He was always silent, always studying in the corner, making friends with the shadows. He said little, but his words always held power.
“We did. But apparently Solonik didn’t. He fooled us.” My eyes caught Alessio, and I watched him rub his chin with his thumb. “You don’t look surprised?”
“I had a feeling he was still doing business with Carlos when it came to human trafficking. But I wasn’t sure. You just confirmed my assumption,” he rumbled.
If only he knew…
“No. That’s not it. He owns the ring. Both him and Carlos. He is known as the Ring Master. He operates with a violence like no other and sells the slaves for a hefty price. Thousands and thousands of dollars. Millions. He has men all over the world coming to him to do business. They also hold an annual party, where they buy and sell. The wealthiest of them get the prettiest merchandise. Valentin’s words,” I added when Alessio seemed to bristle at my words. It made me sick too.
