34

34


Waking up to the sound of his phone vibrating, Mikhail sat up. He blinked twice under the harsh light and realized he had fallen asleep on his desk.

Fuck, he cursed under his breath, realizing his MacBook was still open. He was supposed to be digging up information on Viktor, not falling asleep after what might have been a week of otherwise suspicious activities in the night.

Forcing himself to a standing position, he dragged his feet across the room to where the coffee mixer sat on the shelf, and only when he had poured himself a drink, the drowsiness leaving his eyes, did he pick up his phone from the desk.

Three missed calls from Collin.

He straightened up, just as his phone rang again.

He picked the call, knowing that it couldn't be good.

"I can't believe you!" Collin yelled.

Mikhail winced a little, putting the phone away from his face, just as the doors busted open and Daniel walked hurriedly in, his face apologetic. "Forgive me, Boss, but..." He didn't get to finish his statement when Collin walked in, his boots marching against the tiles in an angry stride.

Collin had a phone to his ear, when he was practically yelling in it, "You should have told me Silver Williams was still in town!" He bristled, then ended the call, coming to stand right in front of Mikhail, who took a step back from him. Not out of fear, but he stared back at Collin like he had grown a horn.

"Goddamn it, brother." He glanced back at the open doorway, his eyes flickering madly in irritation. "Don't tell me you came all the way across Beverly Hills just to yell in my face."

Collin drew back from him, rubbing his temples, clicking his tongue in distaste. Mikhail almost groaned. He knew Collin was dramatic, but somehow beyond all that drama, he sensed there was something seriously wrong.

"Half of my cargo had been destroyed on a shipment from the Riverside."

Mikhail stood, his ears snapping into attention. He didn't have to think twice:

"Viktor"
Collin gave a tight smile. "The very fucker! And then I learned that Silver Williams is still gallivanting around town."

He pulled out his phone, shoving it at his face. "You made news! Congratulations! Draw attention to yourself."

Mikhail's eyes flickered down. In front of him, on the screen, he saw the headlines clear. "Commotion at a Winterville's restaurant as gunmen emerged, threatening civilians at gunpoint."

Gunmen, Mikhail scoffed. "How degrading."

"We have better things to worry about than that old man." He walked past Collin, marching out of the room.

Daniel followed him. Collin yelled something about him being frustrated, following behind the two of them.

"What I need to know is exactly what that old fucker is planning, and if what he wants is a war, then I'm more than ready for it."

"Viktor is not like that," Mikhail muttered, his jaw clenching as memories flashed across his mind, but he stared ahead, knowing that there were things he had to do.

"If he's targeting you, then it's probably a diversion. He's always like that, making sneak moves everywhere."

"I don't like him," Collin decided, with a click of his tongue.

Mikhail almost laughed. Almost.

They went down the hall. He led the way to the basement under the penthouse, where his men, karl and killian, stood guard by the wooden oak doors.

"It's time we got our answers from Silver," Mikhail said, his voice turning serious. He pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, inserting a black one into the lock and turning twice. Dim light filtered into the room as he pulled the door open. Silver and Richard were chained to the wall, barely visible in the shadows.

The air inside smelt like metal and dried blood. Mikhail glanced at Silver. The other man's clothes were dyed red. Silver's head lifted slowly, his swollen eye barely opening.

Richard remained slumped against the concrete wall, untouched like he promised him, his breathing shallow but steady.

Collin walked in first, cracking his knuckles. "Well, well. Look who's still breathing."

Mikhail followed. The guards at the entrance stepped in after them, guns cocked by their side just in case anyone needed a hand.

He pulled up a metal chair, the legs scraping harshly against the floor, and sat directly in front of Silver, his expression cold and calculating.

"Where's Viktor?" Mikhail asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"Go ahead," Silver stared up at him with a stubborn tilt of his jaw. "Murder your wife's father in cold blood and see how well she trusts you after that."

"Careful," Mikhail warned, his tone dragging dangerously low.

Silver spat blood onto the floor. "Go to hell."

Collin moved faster than Mikhail expected, his fist connecting with Silver's ribs. The crack echoed through the basement. Silver gasped, his body jerking against the chains, gasping for breath, fresh blood trickling from the side of his shirt.

"Wrong answer, twice," Collin said, shaking out his hand and bracing himself for another attack.

Mikhail didn't flinch. He'd seen worse. Done worse. But something about Collin's brutality made him shift his attention to Richard instead.

The younger man's eyes were open now, watching everything with a strange detachment. Maybe the terror had finally gotten to him, maybe he simply went numb. But there was something else there, a quiet calculation despite the fear.

"Here's the thing, I'm only going to ask you once, and you can take your secret to your grave," Collin was saying, flicking on a lighter.

"Collin," Mikhail said quietly. "Give him a minute."

Collin landed another blow, this time to Silver's jaw. "He's messing with my territories, Mikhail. My shipments. This piece of shit knows where Viktor is."

"I said, give him a minute." The edge in Mikhail's voice made Collin pause. He stepped back reluctantly, breathing hard, his knuckles already swelling.

Mikhail stood, moving closer to Richard. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the basement was silent except for Silver's labored breathing.

"You know something," Mikhail said softly. "Don't you?"

Richard's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Maybe I do."

"And you'll tell me," Mikhail said. It wasn't a request.

"Why should I?" Richard laughed, the voice sounding high and out of place in the deadly basement. "You're going to kill me anyway."

"Be good, Richard," Mikhail hissed, drawing closer. Richard didn't see him pull out the dagger, only felt the sharp edge on his forearm, blood trickling down his skin.

He sucked in a breath, his eyes widening in horror as he stared at his own blood, then suddenly, all he could feel was the rushing of blood in his head, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

He held his breath. "I'm not telling you anything."

Mikhail pressed the knife deeper, watching his face contort in pain, just when Richard thought he couldn't bear it anymore, Mikhail drew back, standing up.

"You will, in due time."

"What?" Collin stared at Mikhail in shock.

Mikhail didn't look at him.

"You better have a goddamn plan, Mik, cause what the fuck just happened there?" Collin descended on Mikhail, spinning to face him the moment they left the cold air of the basement behind them.

The two of them made their way to the narrow corridor that led out of the penthouse. Mikhail didn't say anything, but he dug his hands into his pocket, his fists clenching.

"Silver and Richard are our only lead, Mikhail," Collin continued. "If you're going to go easy on them, you might as well dress them up and sit them down to tea."

"I'll get my answers from him, in time," Mikhail said, his voice curt.

Collin rolled his eyes, stepping in front of Mikhail, blocking his path. "Time is our enemy. I say we turn around and get our answers out of that bastard's mouth."

Mikhail gritted his teeth. He knew Collin was talking about Richard.

"Five minutes, he'll be singing like a bird and we'll be one step closer to bringing Viktor to his knees."

Mikhail shook his head. "Amy will find out."

"And?"

Mikhail glanced away, his voice low as he spoke the last words. "And she'll hate me."

Collin looked at the Bratva boss. Mikhail thought he saw a bit of pity in his eyes. "Forty-eight hours, Mikhail," Collin said finally, stepping away from him.

They were almost by the huge transparent doors of the penthouse now.

"Get him to speak in forty-eight hours or I will. And I don't care whose feelings get hurt." He walked away from him, stepping out of the building without looking back.

Mikhail bit his lip, telling himself that he had a plan.

He walked out of the penthouse just as Collin's car pulled out of the driveway, speeding through the gates.

Daniel was waiting by the black Tesla. He stood straighter as Mikhail approached.

"There's an email from Mr. Ronald," he informed him as they got into the car.

Mikhail's hands stilled on the steering wheel. It took him a moment to remember who Ronald was.

"What does he want?"

"There's a board meeting at the company with all the partners and shareholders," Daniel continued carefully.

"He's hoping you can make a formal appearance as the CEO of the company."

Mikhail's jaw twitched. He started the car, setting course for the mansion.

"Cassie Riverdale would be giving a presentation," Daniel added, passing him the tablet. The email was opened there. Mikhail barely glanced at it, his eyes focused on the road, but he still caught the key words as he skimmed through.

"When is this..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Gathering?"

"Two days," Daniel said.

Mikhail's eyebrows knitted into a line. Forty-eight hours.