Page 30 of Twisted Hearts
“Look, if you’re insisting on it, how about just ‘boss’?”
He grins. “I think Boss-man has some swagger to it.”
“It doesn’t if you’ve ever seenCool Hand Luke.”
“What hand what now?”
“Jesus, Korol. I’m not sure I can have a second in command who’s so abysmally uncultured.”
“Hey, I’ve got plenty of culture right here,” he smirks, cupping his crotch.
“Sometimes I’m amazed you even put pants on in the morning, you fuckin’ caveman.”
He chuckles. “Well, if you’d actually comeoutwith me some night, you’d see why pants aren’t exactly a priority at my present stage in life. I mean seriously, the girls in this city? I should be wearing a kilt for easier access. They’re fuckingaggressivein this town, man. A kilt would save on broken zippers and lost belts, I swear to God.”
I roll my eyes again at my new topavtoritet, on his way to being my official number two. Hopefully, he works out. I lost my former top captain and second-in-command about two years ago when we were at war with the Albanians. Volodymyr was also a good friend of mine, so that one really burned.
After that, I promoted Leo Stavrin to the position, even though he’d once worked for Konstantin’s shithead of a father, Antin. Leo had the experience I needed, though.
But then it transpired that Leoalsohad aspirations of murdering me in my sleep, burning my empire to the ground, and pawing through the ashes. My only regret about the fact that he’s dead now is that I didn’t get to do it myself, very slowly.
Korol might be young and somewhat inexperienced with leadership. But he’s loyal, fiercely so. Experience is learned, and leadership can be taught. But loyalty is priceless, and that’s either in you or not in you.
I also grew up with Korol. His father was a good friend of Vadim’s, and before it was revealed that I was actually the crown prince, Korol and I used to joke about running things ourselves one day.
Well, now, I’m here. And I’m bringing him with me. I could, and do, give him a hard time about his current fondness for going out just about every single night and the endless string of women he’s been taking home. But I also can’t really blame him. His new position as my topavtoritetcomes with somemajorswagger, not to mention a seven-figure salary plus perks.
He’s young, rich, and handsome, inNew York City. Of course he’s out there going fucking nuts.
I chuckle. “Just do us both a favor and try not tocatchanything. I have no use for a second-in-command whose dick is rotting off from a new form of syphilis.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Not very encouraging.”
He laughs as I mess up his hair, just as the guards at the front of the office building nod and let us in. Immediately, I grin at some familiar faces.
“Well well well,” Ilya Volkov ducks his chin at me before turning to smirk at Konstantin, who he’s been talking to. “The king is dead,” he says before glancing back at me. “Long live the king.”
“Who’s dead?”
Viktor Komarov, Lukas’ father, smiles widely as he walks over and claps me firmly on the shoulder.
“Konstantin,” Ilya shrugs. “Or at least his sex life is.”
My brother glares at him. “My sex life is just fine, motherfucker.”
Viktor chuckles. “Yeah, well, talk to us again when you’re knee-deep in diapers and spilled breastmilk, and neither you or your wife has showered or slept more than an hour at a time in over a month, Romeo.”
Konstantin scowls. Ilya laughs as he pats his cheek. “Cheer up. You’ll get back in the saddle. In, like, a year.”
My brother’s face falls. “Ayear?”
“Sorry, my man. Voice of experience,” Ilya smirks. He and his wife Tenley have a son, Asher, who’s about three weeks older than my niece Luna. “And then just as sex gets back on the menu, she’ll start back at work pulling crazy hours to catch up, and it all goes right out the window again.”
I grin. “Voice of experience again?”
His face sours. “Sadly, yes.”