Page 20 of The Pakhan's Secret Baby

I hit the intercom button and wait for it to click. “Send Mikhail and Igor up. And get me the tech boys too.”

A few minutes later the man straggles in, laughing and joking.

Devid hasn't informed them of my mood, apparently, because they don't seem to appear bothered by the scowl on my face until I slam my hand on the desk and stand up, glaring. “Emory Rostov has a child, roughly two and a half years old. I want every scrap of information on that boy by morning.

"Get me hospital records or DNA if you can. Don't let her know what you're doing; keep it quiet, and be thorough."

Mikhail shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “Boss, I'm not one to question, but do you think this is smart?" He narrows his eyes at me skeptically as he continues. "Gusev could take the whole southern trade route and?—"

“I know about the Gusev situation,” I snarl, cutting him off. “Do I look worried about the trade situation?" My chest is hammering as I lean over the desk. I wish I’d downed the second half of that vodka. "I've given you orders and I expect you to follow them."

Igor clears his throat and glances at Mikhail nervously. “We’re already stretched thin watching the tattoo parlor and the accountant’s known associates. Adding round-the-clock surveillance on the girl and a kid means pulling men off other details. The club, the warehouse security, the southern contacts?—”

“Then pull them,” I tell him, picking up my glass to down the rest of the liquor. “I don't give a shit if the club burns down tonight.This comes first. Emory and that boy are top priority. Get it done.”

Mikhail tries one more time, stepping forward slightly. “Boss, think this through. If you go after her now, you tip your hand to her father. Oleg's already neck-deep with Gusev. If he figures out you know about the kid, he might run or sell you out even faster. We need leverage, not another complication.”

I've never been one for controlling my temper. They learn that the hard way as I launch the glass across the room at the fireplace. The glass smashes on the stone, startling them. “Rostov's a dead man walking. What I want is to know if I have a fucking son. Now get out—all of you. Bring me answers, not excuses.”

A few of them glare at me, but they file out of the room and close the door behind themselves.

My eyes land on the shards of glass on the ground by the hearth, reflecting the light of the flames.

I close my eyes and try to calm my raging pulse, but when I do the only thing I see is the wonder in Emory's eyes as she stared up at my Surikov in amazement.

It's gutting—not only that she snuck out like I was nothing more than a one-night stand and meant nothing to her, but that she could even think of hiding something like this from me for so long.

"Get control of yourself," I mumble, straightening and walking back to my liquor on the sideboard.

I pull a new glass out and fill it, then walk to the window where light snow has started to fall.

I don't know why I'm so angry. Emory wasn't mine to own, just to use for a night.

That's the way I work anyway. I never keep them around long, and they go on their merry way.

Women who've come to me in the past claiming to have my baby or be pregnant with my seed have always been gold diggers.

They see my wealth and think I'm an easy target.

But Emory wasn't like those women.

She never came back, though she never tried to hide purposefully either.

So why haven't I known about this kid until now?

I sip the liquor and rub my eye with my free hand.

My head is starting to hurt, a deep throbbing pain behind my eye that points to a stress headache. All from one day and one interaction.

Like an allergic reaction to the knowledge that the woman I've fantasized about for three years might have secrets from me.

Well, I'm going to find out if that kid is mine and if he is, hell hath no fury like me when I know I've been wronged. And Emory will have a lot of explaining to do.

I was set to terminate the man who leaked intel on me and his entire family line.

But Oleg Rostov, as much of a threat as he is, might very well be the grandfather of my child.

And if he is, can I really kill his daughter?