He’s sitting there like nothing is wrong, jovial, relaxed, cracking his usual jokes as if he hasn’t spent months stabbing me in the back. As if he didn’t try to have my wife killed. Calina fucking liked the idiot!
“Oh, by the way,” Dmitri says casually, “I found my phone.”
I raise an eyebrow, forcing my voice to stay even. “Really? Where?”
“Out at the outdoor gym. It was hidden under some dumbbells. Must have slipped out when we were working out. A weight probably fell on it, the screen’s cracked. And the battery was dead. That’s why I couldn’t find it. I forgot to charge the damn thing the night before.”
Viktor groans, shaking his head. “You still need to be more careful, Dmitri. That phone is not a toy.”
“Yeah,” I say, my voice low. “That phone getting into the wrong hands could have been catastrophic. Everything we do, every deal, every route, it could lead straight back to us.”
Dmitri raises both hands in mock surrender, flashing that easy grin I used to trust. “Sorry, brother. Won’t happen again. Hell, I’ll chain the damn thing to my neck if that’s what it takes.”
In the past, I would have laughed. Now, the sound of his voice makes me want to put a bullet between his eyes. This two-faced bastard. This backstabbing piece of shit who smiled in my face while feeding information to my enemy.
I clench my jaw so hard it aches, reminding myself to keep control. Not yet. The time isn’t right.
I lean back in my chair, forcing a calm expression. “We’re hosting a party. An after-wedding celebration for the people in our circle we couldn’t invite to the small ceremony. Since the reception was ruined by the attack, Calina wants to do it properly this time. We’ll invite members of the Society as well… everyone, including that scumbag of Adrian.”
Both of them react. Viktor looks mildly surprised. Dmitri’s face stays carefully neutral, but I catch the brief flicker in his eyes. The fucker is good, I’ll give him that.
“Why Adrian?” Dmitri asks, keeping his tone light. “I thought you couldn’t stand him.”
I meet his gaze steadily. “He’s part of the Society. It would look strange if we invited the others and excluded him. It’s just courtesy. Even if I can’t stand the bastard.”
We spend the next twenty minutes going over security details, guest list, and logistics. On the surface, I’m focused. Inside, I’m burning.
Why, Dmitri?
I gave you everything. A home. Money. Power. Brotherhood. And you sold me out for what? More money? A bigger seat at the table? Adrian’s favor?
I can barely sit still. Every time he speaks, every time he laughs at something Viktor says, I imagine wrapping my hands around his neck until his eyes bulge.
By the time they leave my office, my headache is worse than ever. But one thing is crystal clear.
Dmitri will pay.
And when the time comes, I’ll make sure he suffers for every single betrayal.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Maxim
The last few days have been pure torture.
Every time I look at Dmitri, I have to fight the overwhelming urge to wrap my hands around his throat or put a bullet through his head.
He walks around my house like nothing has changed. Laughing, joking, acting like the loyal brother I once believed he was. Knowing what he did, knowing he tried to have my wife killed, knowing he tried to have me killed, and still having to smile and pretend… it’s taking every ounce of self-control I possess not to end him right now.
But I can’t. Not yet.
Adrian is the Vice President of the Society. I can’t just go after him without consequences. If I move too soon, it could start awar I’m not ready for. I need everyone to see what he did. I need proof. I need the Society to understand why I’m going to kill him. Only then will it be justified. Only then will no one dare come after me for it.
Dmitri is a small fish. Killing him now would only tip Adrian off and send him running. So, I have to play the long game. I have keep my mouth shut these past couple of days, I feed him nothing important. I haven’t even been completely honest with Viktor on my recent dealings, because I know Viktor would innocently mention something to Dmitri.
Tonight is the night.
The grand hall is packed. Governors, cartel leaders, high-ranking Society members, even the president himself, all here under the guise of celebrating our marriage. My brothers-in-law are present, watching everything with sharp eyes. They’ve already been informed on what’s going on. It’s the reason none of their wives are present.
