Throne of Vengeance (Throne Duet #2) - Rina Kent Page 0,31
the lounge area. His guard remains outside with Ruslan and Katia.
While I wanted this meeting to happen so I could distract myself, I should’ve prepared more for it. Kai is a bit like Adrian. He doesn’t give up and runs a lot deeper than his nonchalant façade. So when he plans something, he goes the extra mile that not many people know exists.
Kai is the brain of the Yakuza here and has strong ties to their counterparts in Japan. In fact, he has often been asked to go back to lead one of the clans in his country, but he prefers staying here.
At one of the parties we attended, he once told me that New York is more fun with all the warring clans and organizations. A man who gets off on chaos should never be taken lightly, because you never know when he’ll get bored and instigate said chaos.
He sips leisurely from a cup of green tea while I opted for a coffee. Truth is, I prefer to just throw everything out and hit the bar.
If it were a few weeks ago, I would’ve spent ample time studying Kai’s movements and trying to hold the upper hand in any negotiations.
But now my mind feels kind of blank, and instead of shooing it away, I hold on to it. The blankness means I don’t have to think about what happened in the warehouse. About Kyle’s bloodied face and tortured about. About whether or not he already left the country now.
“I heard you’re having problems with the Irish,” Kai starts nonchalantly.
“A little.”
“Isn’t that an understatement?”
“Perhaps, but it’ll end one way or another.”
“Don’t you think it’s taking more time than it should?”
“It is.”
“It’s natural, though.”
“Natural, how?”
“You and the Irish were always on bad terms.”
“How do you know that?”
“I might have heard tales.”
“What kind of tales?”
“The interesting kind.”
Ugh. He’ll keep dragging me along before he finally divulges it. “Care to elaborate?”
“Let’s say that you were friends once upon a time.”
“We…were?” The brotherhood and the Irish have always been at each other’s throats for as long as I can remember. Damien’s dispute is only the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Yes. Nikolai never mentioned that?”
“Not really. I know our Bratva counterparts in Russia, Boston, and Chicago can get along with the Irish, but that was never the case for us.”
Kai’s eyes twinkle as he takes a steady sip of his tea. “You got along with them a long time ago.”
“How long are we talking about?”
“Decades.”
“How would you know? You couldn’t have been present at the time.”
“No. But I have birds.”
A bird is Kai’s word for a spy. He has lots of them. Birds.
“And what did your birds tell you?”
“Birds talk a lot and make so much noise, so I don’t always take their word for granted.”
“You wouldn’t have mentioned it if you didn’t already suspect something.”
“This is why I like you.” He snaps his fingers. “You’re quick-witted and understand the situation just like that.”
“Does the compliment mean you’ll tell me?”
His lips move in a soft smile, which completely contradicts the tales I’ve heard about how he mutilates his opponents with his sword. He takes his love for kendo to another level that I’m sure isn’t instilled in the noble form of the Japanese martial arts.
“What if I told you there are some illegitimate ties?”
“Illegitimate ties?” I repeat.
“As you said, I wasn’t present. I’ve only heard passing birds talk about things that might not be true.”
“What type of things?”
“Things that include secret alliances and meetings in the dark.”
“Between who and who?”
“Someone Irish and someone Russian, and by someone, I mean they held—or hold—some importance in both organizations.”
“And I guess you’re not going to divulge the names?”
“I’m afraid my birds aren’t that talkative.”
More like he is not that talkative. He’s keeping his cards to himself and won’t reveal them unless he deems it necessary. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You seem quite stressed about this situation, and I don’t like my partners stressed. See, that takes away from their efficiency.”
I raise a brow. “Am I supposed to take that as a jab or a compliment?”
“I prefer the latter. I don’t mean to offend you.”
“Then there’s no offense taken.”
“Good, good.” He savors his tea. “Now to the reason I’m here.”
I place one leg over the other, getting comfortable. “Pray tell.”
“Are you going to sell me more shares at a price fit for partners?”
The clever jerk. Kai knows V Corp’s net profit will keep on rising, and he’s one hundred percent behind profit. He will keep his octopus