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“You’ve proven far too slippery, dear nephew. It’s as they say: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. How’s it coming?”
I sigh. “Well, it’s been a whole five minutes since last you asked, so I’m happy to inform that nothing has changed.”
I’ll be the first to admit my new workstation is leagues better than the cramped storage closet in the underground bunker. At least there’s plenty of light and a decent flow of air. Breaks aren’t frequent, but my meals are far heartier and well-balanced. Something tells me The Trinity aren’t going to risk me getting sick again.
Salkov paces behind me, a famished panther on the prowl. The sharp click of her heels against the tile floors reminds me of a ticking clock. I’m worried if she stops, it means my time has run out. “How many more accounts do you have to drain? Surely it shouldn’t be taking this long.”
“The Antonov Bratva has billions of dollars spread out over a hundred different accounts. If you want every last penny, you need to learn some fucking patience.”
Salkov slaps me across the back of the head. Her hands are as hard as concrete slabs. “Have some respect, boy. Do you know what I do to people who disrespect me?I cut out their tongues.”
“I’msoscared,” I grumble, unafraid. I’m probably pushing my luck, but I don’t care. Iknowthey’re not going to kill me. Not yet, at least. I’m safe as long as they still have money to steal.
Even then, I don’t know if it’s worth keeping up the struggle. Dani would want me to keep fighting, but I’m standing on my last legs as it is. There’s no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what I do, I can’t see a way out of this. I have no way of knowing if my brothers got my coded message. For all I know, I could be The Trinity’s prisoner indefinitely.
This is no way to live. No way to exist. Surely my brothers must know what happened to me by now. All those weeks trying to send a message through binary code… Did they even receive them? Were they able to crack it? I go back and forth wanting my brothers to save me or throwing caution to the wind and making an ill-advised run for the woods. Either way, things have never looked bleaker.
“Why are you even doing this?” I ask as my fingers fly over the keys. With a click of the mouse, I transfer half a million dollars to one of the offshore accounts I opened under the name of a shell company. The money is traceable, but unretrievable the second it leaves my brothers’ accounts.
Levitsky arches a brow. “What do you mean,why? Because we can, of course.”
“We’re taking back what was once ours,” Salkov says. “Your brothers will rue the day they decided to interfere in our business.”
I keep my eyes on the screen. “Hm.”
“What?” Konstantin asks.
“Nothing. I just think it’s odd you all trust each other.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Salkov snaps. “We’re united in our hatred for the Antonov Bratva.”
“Well, a common goal does have a tendency to heal old hurts.”
I can feel the woman trying to glare a hole into the back of my skull. “What’s with that tone?”
“I don’t know,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Aren’t you three worried about… You know what, never mind. Forget I said anything.”
Salkov sneers.
“Enough,” my uncle interjects, rising from his seat. “You’ve been working for twenty hours straight. I think you deserve a good night’s rest, don’t you?”
I lean back in my chair. All the numbers on my screen are starting to blur.Damn, my brothers have a lot of money. Under any other circumstance, I’d be proud as hell, but I don’t exactly feel like relishing their accomplishments at the moment.
“Let’s grab dinner, shall we?” Konstantin asks Levitsky with a friendly smile.
“Let’s.”
While the two men start toward the door, Salkov lingers behind—just as I hoped she would. The woman digs her claws into my shoulder and leans down to hiss in my ear. “What were you going to say? Tell me, or I’ll pull it out of you with pliers.”
I glare at her, unafraid. “You trust each other now, united in a common goal. That’s great. But have you stopped to think about what happens after?”
She squints at me. “After?”
“Once the Antonovs have been ousted, I’m sure the three of you have already agreed on how to split up territory in Moscow, yes?”
“Obviously. It’s just good business.”
“Great. And what happens when your alliance crumbles? Once my brothers are out of the way, none of you will have a reason to work together. Who will make the first move against the others, I wonder? It’s only a matter of time.”
