mission completed. Same to you. Thanks. These stones are vital to getting Nikolai’s cooperation. And you know we need that to move forward.”
Caleb’s reaction is instant and fiery. “That’s what these are for? You said you had a specific request for them. We paid too great a price to use them as a bartering chip for a thug like Nikolai Romanov! I told you this is a shitty course of action to begin with. No, just no, Nathan.”
He smacks his palm to the desktop, driving his point home as if we haven’t already had this fight.
But he has a point.
Nikolai Romanov is a Russian gangster and a monster in the underworld business. But along the journey of my controlling the Stone Corporation, we reached a tenuous truce. It’s an unfortunate side of my work, both as a soldier and as a businessman, playing ball with every big name in the game regardless of personal feelings about them. You simply never know who will come in handy.
But our ‘friendship’ only stretches so far, and Nikolai won’t give up what I truly need from him without a hefty price.
Normally, I’d take Caleb’s feelings on the matter into consideration, but in this instance, I simply can’t. Insuring our relationship with Nikolai is merely step one in a complex situation, every step hinging on the last, and all of them are dependent on Nikolai’s giving in.
Something Caleb fucking knows but refuses to admit.
“It’s not up for debate, Caleb. We have to do this and you know it,” I say, not wanting to rehash the fight again.
But Caleb doesn’t suffer from the same desire. “He’s a notorious scumbag, and he can’t be trusted. You know this, but yet you’re trying to get his word that he’ll give you safe passage into his territory on a harebrained mission for a gem that only exists in fairy tales and late-night gem dealer bullshit sessions. It’s the fucking Holy Grail, except it likely never existed. And even if it does, it most likely got our father murdered. This is madness.”
Though argumentative, I can hear the concern in Caleb’s words. He’s worried I’ll end up with the same fate as our father, and I can’t promise him I won’t.
But I have to see this through. Following Dad’s footsteps is the only way to find out who killed him, which is my true goal. The idea of a massive diamond would simply be a bittersweet memento of the journey.
“Nikolai wouldn’t be so stupid as to start a war on American soil, not when the government is salivating for a reason to take him into custody,” I remind Caleb. “While he’s here this month, we need to take advantage of his proximity. There’s no other way. If we can gain his favor while he’s here, he’ll grant access to the cave system and we can search. For clues and maybe more. That’s why we need to throw this party and gift Nikolai with these diamonds.”
Caleb chuckles bitterly. “Who’d have thought I’d be the one telling you not to throw a party and you’d be the one bound and determined to host a raver?”
I shake my head, and despite his mocking tone, I’m amused at his choice of words. “Not a raver for sure. But a classy get-together where we can talk to Nikolai. I’ve got everything covered, food, drinks, music, and guests.” I pause, my mind attaching to something that I’d set aside earlier in my preparations. “Actually, we might need a better balance on the guest list. It’s a little testosterone-heavy.”
Digging into my desk drawer, I pull out a small black book. “Hold on to your arguments for a moment. I need to reserve a few hostesses to work the party. I’ve used one company before.” Before I can dial, Caleb balks.
“Oh, c’mon, Nathan! Hostesses? Are we running a brothel now? Throwing Nikolai a party, giving him expensive gifts, and now supplying the pussy. Why don’t we just throw him a damn parade too?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You know it’s not like that. The girls are merely for the headcount and conversation, and the diamonds are a gift, though one that comes with strings. The strings we’re going to pull like puppet masters to get what we want.”
“What you want, you mean. I don’t want any of this and you damn well know it,” Caleb spits out. “Father’s killer? I’d shake the man’s hand. The so-called priceless gems he chased all over the world? They had a price. He wanted