Page 85 of Lord of Vice

As I heard a series of voices, I walked closer to the kitchen door. Almost immediately, I drew Kraven’s attention. While the sunlight was beading in through the smoky glass sun-protected windows, the glimmer wasn’t able to hide the way his eyes looked in the beautiful late morning.

They were darker than normal, as if perfectly formed obsidian chips, deep and bottomless pools.

Of anger.

Of anxiety.

And of desire.

The rings of fire I’d noted before were still there, but something more had added to his bucket of anxiety. The two guests glanced in my direction, one of them nodding before saying the last few sentences to Kraven before heading out the front door.

Very slowly, Kraven turned in my direction. There was no easy fix on the man’s expression, but I sensed he was more concerned about our safety than he’d been before. I found myself walking toward him, wanting to do nothing more than offer my support.

But before I had a chance, Konstantin captured his boss’s attention, pulling Kraven away.

It was crazy to feel such a cold chill shifting down my spine given the excessive heat of the desert but that’s exactly how I felt.

As if the boogeymen were on their way.

Kraven

“How did that go?” Konstantin asked as he glanced over my shoulder to where Penny had been standing.

“All I can say is the world of criminal activity just might be imploding.”

“That sounds ominous.”

Everything I’d been told had yet to settle, but if I had to make any admittance, it would be I was more than intrigued with discovering more about the Brotherhood. If what the two representatives had told me was true, I’d been forced into a warI’d never wanted anything to do with in the first place. I didn’t like being forced into doing anything.

“Realistic. I wish I could bring you up to speed but not at this point. What I can tell you is that it appears Emiliano is behind the attacks, possibly along with the Morellis’ help.”

“The South American savage?”

I had to grin. “I know. There are so many Neanderthals it’s difficult to keep track. The son of a man my father had some trouble with. And it appears my parents’ death wasn’t by accident.”

“Oh, fuck. This shit just keeps getting deeper.”

“I’ll say. I’m finished with allowing whoever is responsible to have the upper hand. I need some answers and I need them now.”

“Well, then I might be able to fil in some blanks. But I can tell you that what I have to say is something else you’re not going to like.”

“It’s been a day for it. Spill it before I resort to cracking open a fresh bottle of whiskey.”

“Maybe I should show you. I got a call from technical support.”

The term was used for our hackers, a couple I trusted enough to do deep dives on every potential new employee and the occasional double check on my current staff. He handed me his phone, backing away as if I was going to take out my anger on the messenger.

It was an email from the tech to Konstantin. I read it through and perhaps I refused to allow my brain to process it.

“What the fuck is this?” There wasn’t a chance in hell. Not fucking one. But what if? I closed my eyes briefly, allowing a few past memories to slink in. No. I wasn’t going down this road. Someone was playing me, trying to pit me against people I could trust.

“A possible leak.”

“Bred sivoy kobyly. Eto ne on.” When I was really pissed, I fell back to my native language. And I was more than pissed at the mere suggestion. But it was starting to make even more sense how the fuckers had gotten to me in the first place. Damn it. Hold on. What was I thinking?

Bullshit. It’s not him.

“I know, boss, but the number appeared eight times, the first three before the attack in the restaurant. It’s connected to the Morellis, to their club. Just like you thought. Maybe the Morellis are the go-between or something. They have an ax to grind so why not?”