Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
A lex stalked down the hallway, his steps echoing sharply off the marble floors in a way that perfectly matched his mood. His assistant’s call had been brief—Mikhail was waiting for him in his office.
An unannounced visit to the Koval International corporate offices during the day was unheard of for his brother. Definitely not a good omen for whatever he wanted.
His jaw tightened as he pushed open his door, but a flash of wide blue eyes and soft, pink lips intruded on his focus.
Madison.
Again.
His grip on his control wavered for a split second before he forced the image away. Alex couldn’t afford to be distracted. It was too dangerous. He hadn’t seen her in two weeks, but the memory of her lingered like a brand on his skin, too often consuming his attention during a time he needed to remain razor sharp.
Mikhail had made himself comfortable in Alex’s desk chair while Sergei sat sprawled in the chair opposite. The two bodyguards by the door gave him a nod as he passed them.
His brother stood, not acknowledging Alex’s arrival, and walked across the room to where Alex’s most recent art acquisition hung. Mikhail’s tailored suit clung to his broad frame and, thankfully, didn’t immediately scream bratva pakhan . Maybe this visit would fly under the radar after all.
“ Zdravstvuy, brat ,” Mikhail waved his hand at the painting. “This is nice.”
Alex strolled to his chair, hiding his irritation. “Misha.”
Mikhail moved closer, eyes sweeping over the office before turning to Alex. His gaze fell on a football in a clear display box behind Alex, and his eyebrows rose. “A football. How… American. Your mother must be proud.”
Alex refused to rise to the bait. Mikhail had been an adult when Alex was born. That, along with his illegitimacy and the way they were raised, had prevented them from ever being close.
“I don’t believe she follows sports,” Alex drawled.
A muscle ticked in Mikhail’s jaw, and his eyes turned flinty. He looked so much like their father in that moment Alex’s blood ran cold.
“His record must remain clean.” His father boomed. Alex watched stone-faced as blood dripped from Mikhail’s nose. Learning of Alex’s participation in the rival warehouse attack and Alex’s bullet wound had enraged their father.
His father wasn’t upset because his son was injured, but because Mikhail had defied his orders.
Mikhail’s jaw flexed, but he remained silent. It wasn’t entirely his fault. Alex had asked to go along, too aware of the divide between himself and the rest of the men in his family. At twenty-one, he knew he would never be accepted unless he engaged in the same violence and bloodshed that was common in all their lives.
“Did you accomplish what you wanted?” Alex realized his father’s rheumy, blue eyes were on him.
He lifted his chin. As much as his father demanded obedience, he abhorred weakness. “Yes.”
A chuckle turned into a cough, and he didn’t miss the look Mikhail exchanged with Sergei. Their father wasn’t well, and it was only a matter of time before Mikhail would be the one issuing orders.
Alex wasn’t stupid. He had no intention of getting on his eldest brother’s bad side.
“How did he do?”
“Well.” His brother’s compliment surprised him.
Alex wasn’t sure it’s how he would have described their night. He had hesitated when the first shots rang out, and one of his father’s men had been forced to shoot the leg of a man who had snuck up behind Alex. The man writhed on the floor—Alex knew his duty and immediately fired. A normal person probably felt bad after something like that, but all Alex felt was numb. In their world, it was kill or be killed, and if he showed any hesitation again, he would become a target himself.
His brother clapped him on the shoulder when the doctor finished stitching the flesh wound closed. “Women like scars, bratan.”
His father grunted. “You’re lucky it isn’t somewhere that will show.” His father was obsessed that Alex be presentable as a respectable member of society, and that meant the tattoos that decorated his father’s and brother’s necks and hands were not an option for him. Obvious bullet wounds didn’t fit either.
Shaking off the memory, Alex asked, “To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Mikhail?”
In a flash, Mikhail’s mood shifted. Which might have been reassuring, but his brother’s mercurial moods were more than a little unsettling, and Alex’s nerves twitched under his skin.
“Straight to business, eh? I admire that.” He moved to the leather sofa along the wall, sitting with the ease of someone who never questioned his authority, no matter where he was.
He leaned back, stretching out. “It’s about Koval International and its subsidiaries.” Mikhail raised a brow, his lips curling into a cold smile at Alex’s silence. “You’re smart, Alexei. You know what needs to be done.”
Alex kept his face impassive, but inside, his mind was racing. He couldn’t afford to offend Mikhail, but he couldn’t bend either—not on this. “What exactly are you asking me to do? Uncle Sergei wasn’t specific.”
Mikhail’s gaze hardened, and the smile disappeared. “You know what I’m asking. Our businesses, the real estate division in particular—are very profitable. But they can do more for the family.”
“And by ‘more,’ you mean use them as a cover to hide your money?”
Mikhail chuckled, the sound dark and low. “ Our money. Don’t forget who made all of this possible.” He waved his hand around the luxurious room.
Alex braced his elbows on the desk, hanging on to his temper by sheer will. “I haven’t forgotten, Mikhail. However, if we move dirty money through legitimate channels, it puts everything at risk. Your entire empire. Our father understood that.”
Mikhail’s expression remained unchanged, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. “Risk is part of life. You’re too cautious, Alexei. You’ve been sitting behind a desk for too long.” His smile turned sly. “What do you do to get your blood pumping these days?”
Alarm sizzled along his nerve endings. His brother couldn’t mean Madison. He hadn’t even contacted her since New Year’s Eve. But still…
Forcing a cocky grin, Alex lifted his eyebrows. “I have no problem keeping my blood pumping.”
Sergei chuckled, and Mikhail glared at him. “I’m not talking about the women you fuck. Though you should be careful. One of those whores is going to get herself pregnant on purpose, and then you’ll have an unwanted bastard to deal with.”
His shoulders stiffened at the insult, but he refused to give Mikhail the satisfaction of reacting. Alex sounded almost bored when he said, “So what is it you want me to do?”
“There is a contract I need you to bid on. Or rather, you need to create a company that can bid on it. It’s a government job.” Sergei tossed a file on Alex’s desk.
Alex waited a beat before reaching for it. His brow furrowed as he scanned the papers. “This is for a landscaping contract at the new government complex.” He raised his eyes to his brother. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
Mikhail waved a hand in the air. “You have a real-estate development company. Just add landscaping to it.”
In actuality, it wasn’t a terrible idea, but…
“And what will this ‘landscape company’ be doing?”
“Landscaping.” Sergei chortled, but Alex kept his eyes on his brother.
Mikhail brushed down the lapels of his suit jacket. “There will be landscaping, but the rates will be in our favor.”
Alex’s brain raced, sifting through one scenario after another. Saying no outright wasn’t an option.
“I suppose I could buy a landscape company as a subsidiary.” That would buy some time. “Or set one up.”
He cocked his head as if he were taking the conversation seriously. “I’d need to know specifics of which part of the contract you are actually planning on fulfilling and how much is just on paper.” Alex kept his voice calm. “We need to be careful.”
He looked again at the documents. “This is a government contract, which means they will perform their due diligence. This new company will need to be squeaky clean with an established financial history, proof of accounting requirements, and oversight. Government auditors are no joke, and not all of our businesses can handle that kind of pressure. If it’s not done correctly, we could lose everything.”
Mikhail leaned back with a sigh. “You worry too much, Alexei. I trust you’ll figure it out. Sergei will get you what you need.”
Abruptly his brother rose to his feet and strode toward the door, Sergei falling into step with him. At the door, he turned. “One more thing. You need to settle down. A wife, children... It would strengthen you. Keep you focused.”
“I’ll get married when I’m ready,” Alex said, his tone sharp. He couldn’t let Mikhail think he’d won too easily.
“At the rate you’re going, you’ll be old and alone. Or dead. A family, Alexei, will give you purpose. Responsibility.”
Madison’s laugh sounded in his ear. “I’ll consider it.”
Mikhail studied him, his expression unreadable, but then it shifted, and there was something predatory in the way his gaze sharpened. “You already have someone in mind. Who?”
His brother hadn’t held on to his power by being stupid.
Alex shrugged, keeping his tone casual. “I’ll tell you when it’s time.”
“You won’t tell me now?” Mikhail’s voice was curious.
Alex smiled. “Not yet.”
Alex held his brother’s gaze. Mikhail might have all the power in the world, but Alex knew how to play the game, too.
“You wouldn’t want me to name someone before I’ve even convinced her, would you? What if she says no? Terrible for my ego.”
For a moment, the air between them buzzed, and then Mikhail’s lips curved into a sly smile.
“You always were a clever boy. Sometimes too clever. I look forward to meeting your bride.”
Alex nodded, forcing a smile.
Mikhail lingered a moment longer, then stepped out, followed by his guards.
Sergei smirked at him. “You’re really getting married?”
Alex nodded. He didn’t like his uncle much, even though he’d been the one to teach Alex how to shoot, how to defend himself in a knife fight, as well as a dozen other ways to protect himself and kill.
“I am.”
“I can’t wait to see the woman who’s agreed to tie herself to you.”
Alex stared silently back at him. After a moment, when he realized he wouldn’t get any more information, Sergei closed the door softly behind him. As soon as he was gone, Alex let out a long breath. Mikhail was appeased—but for how long?
Returning to his chair, he stared out the window. He’d announced his intentions, now he just had to convince Madison.