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I frown. It’s odd for Kirill not to be able to chase down loose ends like that.
“Does it matter?” he asks, studying my face closely. “We already know that Adrik is behind this. Who gives a damn which stooge he set up as a front man?”
“Exactly. He’s been obvious about his involvement in this steal,” I point out. “Which means hewantsme to know it’s him. Hewantsthe credit for this. So why try to hide the fact that he owns that house?”
Kirill shrugs. “Who knows what that little shit has up his sleeve?”
I shake my head. “Something’s not right about this. There’s a missing piece we’re overlooking. Why hide that bit of information? Unless…”
I drift off, caught in the half-formed puzzle in my head.
“Ruslan?”
I clear my throat. “Unless there’s someone else involved. Someone whodoesn’twant credit for any of this.”
Kirill doesn’t look overly concerned. “You’re the most powerful man in the city. It makes sense that you would have enemies you’re not even aware of. Maybe Adrik’s just aligned with one of them?”
“It’s possible,” I mutter. But instinct is telling me that this faceless second enemy is no unknown entity.
“You did piss off Jessica Allens and her douchey father.”
“That’s possible, too.”
“I say fuck ‘em all.” Kirill crosses his legs. “I think we need to focus on Adrik and this upcoming rollout of Sopernik. Perhaps even return fire with fire?”
“For one, he’s going to be expecting that. You said it yourself: he’s planning for increased security around the club. Also, I’m not about to murder innocent civilians just to fuck up his launch.”
“Sometimes, casualties are inevitable.”
“Under most circumstances,” I muse, “I’d be inclined to agree. But in this case, it’s neither necessary nor inevitable. The only lives I’m going to be taking are the ones who are directly involved in this whole scheme.”
Kirill raises his eyebrows.
“What?” I demand impatiently. “What’s that look for?”
“Nothing,” he mutters. “It’s just… you sounded like your father just then.”
A few years ago, a comment like that would’ve pissed me off. But now? I can appreciate my father’s temperate nature. I can admire his penchant for self-restraint and mercy. Even when all his advisers, including Vadim, were pushing him to stoke fires, he usually stayed calm long enough to put them out.
As a young man, I thought he was weak.
But perhaps what I mistook for weakness all this time was nothing less than hard-earned wisdom.
“I’ll find another way to deal with Adrik. His days are numbered.”
Kirill nods with satisfaction. “I’ll be counting them down.”
The door opens and I notice Emma’s profile before she stops short, catching sight of Kirill. She fidgets self-consciously and starts to retreat back out of the office. “I’m sorry; I should have knocked. I’ll come back la—”
“It’s okay, Emma,” Kirill interrupts quickly. “I was just leaving.”
He tosses me a quick wink and waltzes for the door. Emma lingers there tentatively, looking between the two of us.
I meet her eyes. “Come in, Emma.”
She hesitates for only a moment before she closes the door and walks into my office. She sought me out this time.That’s a step in the right direction.
“I’m sorry…”
