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“Is that it?” I ask, unimpressed with their lack of loyalty to their true pakhan.
“The Novikovs and the Nikitins have formed an alliance,” he replies. “They’re actively recruiting. And Kenney Grant is their bankroller.”
“Withmymoney,” I reply bitterly.
Kenney hasn’t found all the accounts. But neither have I.
My spy tells me that the money mentioned in the will is barely a million. That’s hardly enough to bankroll a Bratva with big ambitions to take over the East Coast.
“So Talia now heads this new alliance?” I ask.
Dmitri looks over at Natasha, who prefers to look at the floor. “No,” he replies firmly. “Sonya will join them after the wedding. She will run it.”
I eye them both, fearing the answer I’ll receive to my next question. “Why would Talia not climb the throne she’s worked so hard to get?”
“Too many enemies.” Dmitri takes a deep breath. “Especially those who might be willing to make alliances withyou. But Talia knows that you won’t go after Sonya, and if you do, you might make your sister a martyr.”
“Talia couldn’t break me through Paige,” I reply, “So now she’ll try it through Sonya.”
My own sister. Little baby Sonichka now turned against me. All because of a singular moment when I acted like the father I swore to never become.
“You’ll be interested in this.” Dmitri sits up, resting his elbows on his knees. “Gleb wanted a quick wedding, but Sonya refused without explanation. The wedding date is in November.”
“We better do something before November,” I reply.
The worst part is the waiting. Waiting to execute a plan. Waiting for disaster to strike. Waiting to see who will win. No one can predict when or what will happen, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop the inevitable.
I slam my fist on the desk. “Talia and Gleb are planning and plotting while I am waiting. We have to go after them and make ourselves a threat again. Maybe one good shove will be enough to cause their worlds to crumble.”
I stand and pace toward the window.
“Natasha, you’re right,” I say. “Emma is involved, whether Paige wants her to be or not. And the best way to protect them is to make an alliance between us and the right family.”
“You plan to marry the girl off?” Dmitri asks.
“I plan to protect everyone’s interests,” I reply. “I’ll allow her to choose from my choices. And she won’t have to marry until after graduation.”
Dmitri also stands. “Andrei Vasilyevich, our allies and the older families have presented a problem.”
I tighten my fists in an effort to sound calm. “Which is?”
“They’re questioning your decision not to deal with Sonya.” He holds his hand up before I can respond. “I’m merely repeating what I’ve heard.”
The two of them fall silent as I start pacing again. The suspicion that I’m the object of pity is disgusting. I’d rather be hated than pitied. I have no hope of being an angel, nor do I wish to be.
I prefer being the devil.
Natasha steps in front of me and stares directly into my eyes. “I can do it quick and painlessly. She won’t suffer.”
“No!” I shake my head. “She ismysister, and I must handle it myself.”
The words I speak strike me in the heart.She is my sister, and I must handle it myself. I sound like Paige … I glance out the window at Emma spinning in a circle, practicing a school cheer while Paige claps the rhythm. Suddenly, I have a better understanding of her struggles.
Sonya is my sister, and I won’t let anyone handle this without me.
I place my hand on Natasha’s shoulder. “This is my burden to bear. Not yours. With any luck, it will not end with one of us dead.”
“Andrei Vasilyevich …” Natasha bows her head in response. But for the first time, I hear something else in her voice.
