Page 110 of Cashmere Ruin

“Because if you say one more word, I’m gonna have to blow your brains out.”

Vlad stiffens. Neon lights or not, I can see the color drain from his face plain as day. “Very well. I’ll stop.”

“Thank you for your advice, as always. Yuri, let’s go.”

I’m halfway down the hallway when I hear Vlad’s voice calling after me. “So you’ll consider it? My proposal?”

I bark out a laugh. “Go to bed, Vlad. You’ve had too much to drink.”

Then I head out into the night.

As soon as we’re out of earshot, I pull Yuri close. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“He knows about the D.C. deal. That someone from the inside blew it.”

Yuri blinks. “That’s…”

“Something he shouldn’t have known,” I snarl. “Take the car. Tail him. I want to know if there’s more.”

“More what?”

“More moles.”

My brother looks shocked. “You can’t seriously be thinking about accusing Vlad. You’ll lose the Solovyov support.”

“I’m not going to accuse him. His slip might mean nothing.”

It’s true. Vlad’s got a big mouth; he could’ve easily heard something and parroted it back to me. Or…

He could’ve been in league with Ivan.

Either way, I can’t be taking chances. Not now. Not when I have so much to protect. If I’m going to oust Vlad, I’m gonna need ironclad proof.

“Then isn’t it better to let it go?” Yuri pleads. “If he finds out?—”

“He won’t find out,” I interrupt. “I trust you.”

Yuri’s objections die on his tongue. “Motya…”

“I’ll hail a cab. Keep me posted.”

He gives me a short nod. “Yes,pakhan.”

Then he’s off into the night.

By the time I make it home, it’s already dark. But when I open the door, I find the lights on. “April…?”

Then I step into the living room.

It’s a familiar scene: fabric lies scattered everywhere, like a bomb has gone off at Louis Vuitton. Shaking my head, I search for April amidst the chaos.

A bunch of tulle shifts. From underneath it, a human figure pops up. “Oh! You’re back!”

Shaking my head, I pluck a piece of lace from her hair. “Where’s Petra?”

“She went home. She said, and I quote, ‘I’d rather die than see another ribbon.’”