Chapter 31

Thirty-One

K irill

"I hear you got the cats."

"Who did you hear that from?" I sit back in my chair, my eyes sliding to the clock on the wall of my office at Volk Vault Bank. It's still early—too early to return home to my little wife. My already sour mood, sours more.

"You know Tatiana and Polina talk." I grunt. He laughs. "Tatiana also tells Polina that you're enjoying them."

"I've been considering trying my hand at torture," I say thoughtfully. "And that you would make excellent practice."

"You don't have the stomach for it."

We both know that's true. Stomach or not, we also know I'm no stranger to violence. I simply make a habit of making my kills quick.

Still, I say, "For you, I might just find the stomach."

His chuckle drifts into a knowing sigh. "That bad?"

"The orange one never shuts up and the girl channels a demon every night between eleven and three, using my body to sharpen her claws."

"It's rare, but Lucifer does that sometimes."

"At least he's named accurately."

Ilya pauses, then asks, "Does Ruby like them?"

"She loves them." I sigh. "If she didn't, I'd have fed them to Simba already."

"What did she name them?"

"Rafiki and Nala."

My brother sighs. "Mom is going to love her."

"Yeah, she is," I agree, thinking of my wife. Longing for her. I'm fucking miserable when I'm anywhere but with her. "She's easy to love."

"You love her?" Ilya asks.

"I would lay my life down for her."

"Mmm. I understand the feeling."

"I never thought I'd hear those words from you."

"Ha. Ha." His reply is dry.

I get down to business, relaying my conversation earlier today with the Don of the Cosa Nostra. "Elio says there is an increasing presence of Yakuza in Chicago, California, and Oregon."

"Our alliance with the Cosa Nostra is paying off." Ilya hums his approval.

"War with them was never worth it."

"Territory is not easily split."

"We've found a way." When father never could.

"Now that Volk Vault Bank is moving into America and Canada, the money will be more easily washed and moved."

"Yes," I agree. "Elio believes the Yakuza are intending to take Volkov territory in California, and Chicago, primarily. I have been told Popov's soldiers are moving into Oregon, and New York. And we know he wants the ports in Florida. Ivan always had a hard-on for Florida."

"It appears I'm going to have to arrange a meeting with Elio."

"I will be seeing him while I am in America. But he has mentioned the need for war, and that an ally in the Volkovs would not be forgotten."

Ilya is silent for a long moment. "The Yakuza must be a bigger problem for them than we thought."

"The Yakuza move fast and silently," I agree. "Artyom is a fool for trying to ally with them."

"It would be nice if they dealt with him for us." Ilya sighs. "But they won't do that until he has helped secure territory from us."

I rub my brow. "It appears we will be going to war after all."

"Do you need more men?" Ilya asks.

"No. I'll increase the presence of my soldiers at the house."

"Put a man on Ruby," Ilya warns gravely. "I've heard rumors Artyom's put a bounty on her—and that he wants her alive."

Elio told me this rumor just this morning. It had been enough to make me send Dimitri home to her. Tension spreads like poison in my blood. "I've heard."

Ilya is quiet for a long beat. "Maxim isn't enough."

"I know, brother."

"I can give you Pavel."

"Your head of security?" It's tempting, because he's good. But he's Ilya's man.

"Next to Luka and Misha, he is the best. But Misha won't leave me, and Luka won't leave Irelynn. Even if he would, I wouldn't allow it."

I consider. Pavel is a beast of a man, as lethal as my brother and just as vicious. I would be a fool not to take him. "Just until this blows over."

"He'll be there first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you, Ilya."

"Family means everything. Ruby is your heart. She is family. We will keep her safe."