Alexei And Grace

18 | Right Through to Your Heart

"VIKTOR..." SERGEI TRAILED OFF, THE disdain in his voice just barely hidden.

          My father's eyes travelled to each of us in turn, a sinister amusement glittering behind them. He let the silence drag on for a few minutes and I knew that was one of his tactics. He knew exactly how to make people feel uncomfortable.

          "We weren't expecting you home so early," I observed casually, pulling out a cigar. Though my father was a master manipulator, I'd hardened to his methods over the years. He'd taught me to keep my composure and my cool, but only when necessary. He also taught me how to let anger fill my every sense, to let my veins flood with relentless fire. The difficulty came in balancing both—but not around him.

          Viktor stepped forward and took the cigar from my hand, placing it between his lips. "I completed my business faster than I expected," he shrugged gloatingly. "Can the same be said for you, Alexei?"

I saw Dmitry open his mouth, probably to admit that I'd tasked my men with the job, but Sergei's hand shot out to stop him. Dmitry was the greenest of my men, whereas Sergei had been with me for years. He knew that letting my men take the fall was the worst thing I could do.

"We encountered some logistical issues in China," I explained, striking a match to light my father's cigar. That was just the sort of respect he commanded. "Santo's transporter may have turned." Part of me hated reeling off information I hadn't verified myself but I'd been too tied up with other business this week to check. I realised now that was a mistake. If this deal didn't go through and we didn't get our cut, I'd never have the funds for my own ventures.

          "Hmm." Viktor breathed out a plume of smoke from his cigar and kept his eyes flitting between us. He knew something we didn't, and he was enjoying it. "I just got off the phone with Santo myself," he said with an evil smirk. "He told me that he didn't recognise the man he spoke with, said he kept trying to push for a better deal than we agreed on." And just like that my blood turned to ice in my veins. I didn't need a name to know it was Dmitry who'd pulled that little stunt.

           I heard Sergei let out a low growl which only confirmed my suspicions. Suddenly I wasn't treading water—I was drowning. Everything that could possibly have gone to shit, had.

          When I opened my mouth to speak Viktor cut me off. "Care to explain why you had these boys take care of your dirty work for you?" he snarled. At last his anger was beginning to show through. I'd fucked up, big time, and now I was going to pay.

          I knew enough to meet my father's gaze when I responded, "I asked my men to take care of the matter while I focused on more important business."

          Viktor chuckled lowly and more smoke protruded from his mouth like flames from hell. "More important?" he requested. "More important than ninety thousand pounds' worth of cocaine? More important than our business associates we have worked with for years?"

"Santo's business is stagnant. His coke is low quality and our contacts are losing interest."

"My contacts!" He bellowed furiously. "In my business!" I ground my teeth and prepared for the onslaught that was sure to follow. "Go on then, what was it you were doing that was so god damn important, boy?"

          I couldn't tell him the truth. If I did, everything I'd worked for would be pointless. It would be gone before it had even materialised—just barely in my grasp but so close. The truth was that I'd been touring some real-estate. Because when Viktor finally crumbled and handed the reigns to me, I was going to destroy every illegal income he'd ever procured. No more drugs, no more trafficking, no more weapons. No more prostitution or murders. No more hit men or pimps. We were going legal if I had anything to say about it; hotels and bars, clubs and resorts. Accountants. Charities. Horse racing. Anything and everything I could get my hands on—I was going to build an empire. This time, it would be on my terms.