Page 29 of Dark King Daddy

“Yes.”

“You speak like a Pakhan.”

The table went quiet.

Ksenia’s expression became careful. “Is that a compliment?”

“Of course.”

That answer affected her.

She concealed it well. Her shoulders remained relaxed. Her mouth held the same slight curve. But she lowered her eyes for one second and pressed her thumb against the side of her water glass.

Approval pleased her.

More than she wanted anyone to know.

I recognized the effort because I had made it all my life.

Ksenia looked toward her father with the same restrained hunger I carried toward mine.

The recognition was intimate enough to feel indecent.

“I support the plan,” I said.

Lev turned his head toward me. “You would keep compromised employees in place?”

“We keep them under observation. We give each suspect controlled information. We watch which lie moves. If neither route is hit, we lose nothing except time. Knowledge is power, Pakhan.”

“And if both are hit?” Anton asked.

“Then both organizations are compromised at more than one point.”

“Comforting.”

“I didn’t say it would be comforting.”

Ksenia’s mouth twitched.

I continued. “We should use legitimate cargo on the visible legs. Empty trailers would be obvious if the Voronins have someone watching the yard. The transfer point can be staged after departure.”

“And drivers?” Mikhail asked.

“Men we trust,” I said.

Ksenia shook her head. “Men you trust would behave like men expecting trouble.”

I looked at her.

“Use drivers who think the route is real,” she said. “Protect them without telling them. If they know they’re bait, anyone watching will know too.”

The objection was immediate in me. Sending uninformed men into a potential attack created risk.

She saw it.

“We control the interception point,” she said. “Choose routes where surveillance can cover every approach. The drivers never reach the dangerous section if anything changes.”

“You’ve thought this through.”