Chapter 141

Vladimir:

“Where are you going?” I asked Konstantin, raising an amused eyebrow at him when I saw that had his things packed and ready. 

The man looked at me for a second, and I could tell that he was still annoyed by me shooting two of his men, costing their lives. But I wasn’t going to allow him to touch my woman, and though I doubted that he understood that, I knew to make sure that he did. 

“I have a few things to tend to,” he said, putting on an annoyed tone. I looked at the man for a second, fighting the smirk that almost formed on my lips.

“I take it that you are still annoyed with me.” I stated, and he raised an eyebrow.

“You had two of my men killed, Vladimir. I am not going to be lighting candles for you when I see you first thing.” He said, glaring at me. 

“You are the one that shot them, Konstantin.” I said, reminding him of that.

“I am not going to stand with them against you. You are my son, and they are nothing but pawns in my eyes. But that does not mean that I am not going to…”

“Then you shouldn’t be blaming me when you know that I wouldn’t have crossed a limit that wasn’t mine to cross.” I said, looking at the man. His eyes studied my expression, and I shook my head in question. “I take it that you, uncle, are doubting my word?”

“I wouldn’t be standing here if I was.” He said, and I smirked, knowing that I was getting what I wanted. I didn’t want him to think that he was giving me anything that I didn’t deserve. He had to be fooled into thinking that I was his ‘loyal’ heir, and it was those that surround him that are doing this. “And I think that even you know that you wouldn’t be alive if you were here, Vladimir.”

“I doubt that I am going to be here to your threats.” I said, and he rolled his eyes at me. 

“And I doubt that you think that I am going to be standing with your stupid moves and anger.” He said, looking me dead in the eye. “I killed for you this time, but so help me God if I see you doing something like this again; then you are going to regret thinking of being angry.”

“I told you, I am not a man that would withstand your threats, Konstantin.” I said, taking a step back. “Enjoy your trip, it can be hell for all I care.”

I turned to leave, and he frowned. “Where the fuck do you think that you’re going?”

“I doubt that I am going to be answering to you now, would I?” I asked, and I could tell that I was angering him. But he was going to know his limits with me, and he was going to understand that I wasn’t one of the men that he was going to think of playing with right now. “And if you send your men to follow me, I am going to send you back their heads. Courtesy of threatening me the way that you did.”

“Vladimir…”

I walked out without saying a word and I didn’t even bother responding, knowing that this was going to be annoying him more than anything. But he was going to understand that I am not one of his men. If I was CHOOSING to listen to him, then it was a choice. I was never forced to do so, and I never will be.

I just hoped that he didn’t pay Elena a visit. 

Because if that happened, then I would be costing more than just two of his men…

*************************** 

I walked inside the house, and I couldn’t help but frown when I caught Konstantin’s scent in the house. 

His eyes met mine, and he raised an eyebrow at me, one which I returned, before he walked toward the door. 

“Glad to see that you chose to come back.” He said, but I didn’t respond as I walked past him. He didn’t say a word, but I could tell that even Batrov, the man that believed that I was his nemesis right now, I was going to show him that he couldn’t even compare to me. Being his nephew, I had an upper hand, and that was something that I knew that Batrov didn’t like. It was something that he wanted to end, but he was going to learn the harder way that HE was to be thrown out and I was the one who was going to be staying. However, it was going to be something that I was going to have to be patient with. For now, I needed to control Konstantin. Batrov can be dealt with later.

“Vladimir…”

“I doubt that you have anything that is important to tell me.” I said, stopping him. “And I don’t appreciate a man like yourself…”

“You are going to remind yourself that I am the boss in this house. Uncle or not, I can't turn against you when I want to, and believe me, you are not going to like it when I do.” He said, forcing me to stop. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stop my tracks, knowing that making one wrong move wasn’t going to help me right now. And I didn’t need to risk anything that I could afford tonight. 

Especially not when I had a lot to deal with right now, and that was going to start with the fact that I was going to have to check on my mate. And there was still the maid, Claire, that I was going to have to deal with.

I turned to face the man and he nodded, seeming satisfied. 

“Remind yourself of the limits that you seem to have forgotten. And if you think that I am the child Ivanov boss that you were under, then I am going to remind you that I am not.” He said, and it took everything in me not to growl at the fact that he was daring to insult Killian. But I knew that he was doing that to annoy me. He wanted to test my loyalty to him, and fending for my Alpha was only going to prove that I was nowhere near being loyal to him. And though in truth, I wasn’t, it wasn’t something that I wanted him to know.

“If there isn’t anything that you are going to add, I am going to go to my room to call it a night.” I said, and he studied my expression for a second too long before nodding. 

“You are going to be in charge of the house while I am gone,” he said, taking Batrov by surprise. I stayed quiet as I looked at him, and his second hand clearly seemed to be baffled by what his boss had stated. He expected anything but that. “I trust that you are going to know how to manage the family while I am out of the city.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, and he nodded.

“As long as you don’t end up killing any of my men. Then I wouldn’t be.” He said, and I nodded. “You are dismissed if you want to leave.”

I walked toward the room, and I could hear Batrov asking.

“Boss, do you really think that it is a good idea…?”

“Are you questioning me, Batrov?” He asked, stopping his second hand. Batrov froze, clearly surprised by his boss’s question. 

“Of course, not…”

“Good,” he said, stopping him. “Now, we have to head off before we are late. There is a lot for us to take care of. And answering your questions is only going to be a delay that I don’t need. So, move…”