Hostile Ground (The Arsenal #7) - Cara Carnes Page 0,13

to spend with his woman. Perhaps then he’d not worry about who rides my dick.” Kristof shifted in the seat. “She is useful in many ways and needs the money. I grew bored. She entertains me.”

Kostya laughed. The sound boomed within the vehicle’s interior. Kristof joined along. “You’re more like me every day. There’s nothing quite like watching the fire die from their eyes. That look when they realize they’ve lost. That you can have everything you want of them.”

Kristof maintained eye contact and ignored the rage rolling in him as the glimmer appeared in his father’s gaze. The bastard never missed a chance to poke at the wound he’d created twenty-two years before.

“Perhaps I should meet this Iriana. It’s been too long since I’ve found a woman with that hunger for survival. You’re lucky, son. You’ve never met one like your mother. She set the bar high before she betrayed me. No matter how much they fight, the others after her never came close to her natural survival instinct.”

Rage stifled his reactions, kept him locked into place. Over two decades, and the anger hadn’t calmed. It’d festered, an untreated wound packed with endless hours, days, and months of planning and subterfuge.

You’ll be avenged soon, Mama. Forgive me for what I have done.

“Learn from my mistakes. Things didn’t end the way I wanted with your mother. I fell for her pretty face and those sexy tears and screams. I didn’t sense the treachery.”

“You’ve taught me well, Father.”

“I have. Don’t forget where your loyalties lie. Ivan is worried you’ve spread yourself too thin as of late. This mess wouldn’t have happened if you’d held the auction as I directed you to.”

“Yesim’s new faction has created problems. Authorities have raided two of their auctions—ones they held without my protection and approval.” Kristof ran his hands down his thighs. “They’re a problem.”

“Perhaps. What will you do about it?”

“Whatever I must. They don’t control the underground. We do.”

“I’ve heard you’ll be at their next auction.”

Ivan had a big mouth and missed nothing. Kristof clenched his teeth and nodded. “A client wishes to purchase an item they’ll have. We were paid well for it, and it’ll be the perfect in to handle Yesim afterward.”

“Very good. I’m afraid I have men devoted to other ventures right now, but I can spare a few if you wish.”

“I have it under control, but thank you.” Kristof took a deep breath. “I’ll have your money this evening.”

“Very well. Bring it to the compound.” He took another sip of his drink. “You’re overdue for a visit with Olaf I believe, though I don’t know why you bother.”

“For the same reason you keep him alive. He betrayed us, but he is still blood.” Kristof shrugged. “Seeing me keeps what he lost alive. That’s his true punishment. Death is too easy.”

The lie slid out easily enough, thanks to years of practice. He’d honed the performance over the past four years since Olaf’s imprisonment. Just a little longer and he’d be free. All Kristof had to do was play Father’s game and wait.

“Spoken like a Sidorav. You’re close to earning my name back. Perhaps then you’ll stop using that whore’s name.”

He’d never take the Sidorav name again. Kristof clenched his fists and forced back the rage. Mama wasn’t a whore. “It’s suited our purpose. No one knows I’m your son and that gives us more reach and power.”

“You have learned a lot from me.” His father laughed. “Go. Clean yourself up and rest. You’ve done well today.”

“Perhaps you could share that with Ivan. I feel I’ll never gain his approval no matter what I do.”

“He sees too much of that cunning whore in you. You have her fight, but I’ve honed it into a weapon for me. He’ll see that soon enough.”

Yes. Yes, he would.

“Be well, Father.”

Kristof exited the car and made his way toward his own. He felt like he’d danced on a knife’s edge too long. Father would handle Ivan as he always did. For all the man’s strengths, his one weakness was Kristof’s only solace. Father wouldn’t ever accept that Kristof was more his mother’s son than his.

“I’d already briefed your father,” Ivan growled.

“We had other issues to discuss. Take us home,” he ordered.

Kristof entered his private study and made his way to the shelf along the back wall. It’d taken two hours to rectify all the problems created by Gavriil’s rogue. His longtime friend hadn’t taken Kristof’s solution well, but he’d agreed for the greater good. They’d both done