Page 91 of Feral King

It’s also too easy.

“I appreciate that, Mrs. Lee.”

She nods. “We are partners, Mr. Volkov. Partners support each other.” She smiles—prim and practiced.

“I’ll have my team send the council logistics to your office, as well as the information about the attackers.” I stand. “Thank you for your time, and for the tea.”

I turn to leave.

“Mr. Volkov.”

I glance back over my shoulder.

“A word of advice, if I may. The situation with your brother, the internal conflict within the Volkov family, it is not lost on the organization watching from the outside. Instability invites… opportunity. For everyone.”

“Is that a warning, Mrs. Lee?”

“It’s an observation.” She picks up her cup. “Safe travels.”

I nod to Ethan. The stairs creak under our weight as we make our way down. When we exit onto Mott Street, the nightlife is in full swing.

“Well?” he says.

“She’s going to attend the council and affirm Yang’s support publicly.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s too good.” I unlock the car with a press of the fob. “She didn’t want me talking to Yang.”

“But she’s the proxy. Isn’t it normal for her to relay everything?”

“Not something this important. Someone tries to take out your international partner not once, not twice, butthreetimes? That’s not information you wait to be passed along. And she barely flinched when I told her about the information we had on the shooters.”

“You think she already knew.”

“Yes, and I also think there’s a damn good chance she’s involved. How deep, I can’t say. But Mrs. Lee isn’t operating on the same page as Mr. Yang.”

Ethan is quiet for a moment as he puts it together.

“If she goes off script at the council?—”

“Then we have a much bigger problem than Dobrov.”

I start the car. The drive back to Tribeca takes fourteen minutes. I spend every one of them thinking about Lyra, her hand on her stomach, the little lentil underneath.

Four days. One council. A Chinese intermediary whom I don’t trust one goddamn bit. A brother who seems to want me out of the picture—or dead.

Bring it on. I’ve never been more ready in my life.

CHAPTER 34

LYRA

“Are you going to comment on everything I pick up?”

“Not commenting, more like observing.”

“I merely glanced at that onesie, and you raised an eyebrow.”