“You always were reckless,” Kliment said.
“And you always were rigid.”
“I will never forget how you defied me based on nothing but a pure whim, and you think others won’t see it as a weakness on your part?”
“They will see it as consolidation.”
“They will see you as compromised.”
“Let them.”
“You are ready to sacrifice authority for a woman?” he shouted from the other end.
“I sacrificed nothing.”
I stood from the desk slowly, pacing toward the window as my frustration grew with every passing minute. I had already known it would be impossible to reason with Kliment, but I certainly hadn’t expected it would turn out to be so difficult.
“You think this is about attraction,” I said quietly. “But it isn’t. It’s simply about control because through this message, I control a very important part of the Chernykhs in my hands.”
“Do you remember when we were boys?” he asked suddenly, but I stayed silent, knowing he would go on himself. “You followed me everywhere and believed I knew best. Even after I had to make some hard decisions to bring the family to where we are now, you stood beside me through everything. You allowed me to handle the situation with calm precision while you always supported me.”
“I was a child back then, Kliment, but you know damned well that I still support you through everything.”
“You chose to marry a Chernykh over following my orders, so I am not sure about that anymore, Fyodor.”
“I chose a woman who was about to become a weapon.”
“And is choosing her, you turned her into your weakness.”
“No. I didn’t. You underestimate her and what she represents.”
“And you overestimate what marriage accomplishes.”
We were circling now. Years of hierarchy and unspoken tension surfacing in sharp fragments.
“I have a feeling you are beginning to resent me,” Kliment said quietly.
“I respect you.”
There was silence between us, heavy and unforgiving. It was filled with questions neither of us could answer and things neither of us could properly name. I didn’t know what Kliment was thinking anymore.
“You forget,” he said finally, voice colder than before, “everything you have is because I held the line.”
“And everything you hold will collapse if you refuse to adapt.”
“You speak like a rival.”
“I speak like a brother who understands the game. Coming to Miami and establishing ourselves here was a joint decision, and I will stand by you through everything, Kliment.”
“You no longer sound like a brother to me.”
That landed deeper than I expected. Loyalty was not something I treated lightly. Never had been. And suddenly it felt as if years of loyalty and being a part of the Romanov world were being tested because of this one decision I had taken by standing against Kliment. It would be an understatement to say it hurt, but I was not going to let Kliment see it.
“I did not betray you, but I simply prevented escalation, and you know that, Kliment.”
“You accelerated it and undermined me. You will regret this,” Kliment said quietly.
“Perhaps.”
