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Everything had been a plan. Eddie luring me to New York, giving me the job, releasing information on Kostya to bring him to the city. The plan was to begin crumbling an empire before it was fully created. While I still wasn’t one hundred percent certain of the reason, if I had to try to put the pieces of the puzzle together, Kostya was right and Eddie had been on the take. Volkov had wanted Kostya driven outside his comfort zone.
Volkov had also succumbed to the rumors regarding the existence of the intel my father had amassed. With the drive in his hand, his power would be endless, able to blackmail dozens of influential people.
Diego placed a glass of liquor in front of me, the gesture his first one of kindness. Perhaps he realized I was no pushover. When he leaned over, his breathing became more labored.
“The attack on Kostya is about money,” he said gruffly. “An inheritance. What the fuck?”
“Kostya was illegitimate. Look at the names listed regarding the family. There’s another son, Sergei. He’s much younger.”
“We need to find out more about the Volkov family. Things have changed since your father was killed.”
“Yes, but Volkov was out of the consortium by then. What did he do, leave or was he tossed out?” There had to be more. Notes of some kind. My father kept notes on everything. After five minutes, I found what I was looking for. While my father was only stating plausible possibilities, he was building a file hinting that Dimitri Volkov had plans on overthrowing every other major syndicate. If he succeeded, that would make him the most powerful man in the world. He could alter every commercial and financial industry with ease.
And Sergei was the next in line to rule the Volkov Empire.
But not if an illegitimate son was discovered.
Unfortunately, my father died before being able to connect all the dots.
I moved from the chair, pulling my drink close to my lips. The puzzle was still missing a few pieces, but Kostya’s life was in danger.
The flash drive could destroy hundreds of lives.
My father had gathered information that could topple several criminal families.
Diego thudded down on the seat, taking over, quickly switching to the internet. He didn’t bother hiding the connections he made, although he was quick to engage with security systems, bypassing them easily. After a few minutes, I knew what he was looking for.
And what he found.
“The patriarch, Pavel Volkov, died six months ago. His estate was worth seven hundred billion dollars.”
“Which would go to his son, Dimitri. Unless there were caveats.”
“That will take me some time to discover. We don’t have that time. Kostya needs to understand what he’s facing.” He shot me a stern look, his concern evident by how tense he remained.
After throwing back the contents of his glass, he yanked out his phone. I walked toward the sliding door, unlocking and moving onto the deck. I needed fresh air, my mind spinning from the discovery of information. Whatever was really going on had to do with power and greed.
He spoke in Spanish, although given the rushed hush of his voice, I could barely capture a few words.
“Estas siendo jugado.”
You’re being played.
I clearly heard the harsh statement and shuddered, closing my eyes. After taking another sip, making a face, I realized there wasn’t a single liquor on Earth that could mask the bitter taste in my mouth. My father had attempted to be a hero. Would he have made the same decisions had he known a man he’d considered a friend would betray him?
Exhausted, I slid down the wall, taking comfort in being almost completely invisible, still trying to sort through my feelings about Kostya. I loved him. I hated him. I didn’t want him to die. I wanted to kill him myself. The ridiculous dichotomy was endless.
“Damn it!” Diego snarled from the other room, obviously angry about his conversation.
I rubbed my eyes, my other hand still shaking.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The gunfire came fast and furious.
I heard loud voices coming from every direction, indiscriminate blasts echoing in my ears. I was slow to react, finally jerking to my feet. Within seconds, a hand was wrapped around my arm, yanking me inside.
Diego.
