Chapter 43
OCTOBER 14 – TUESDAY 8:33 PM
L iam
Just when I thought I’d seen the worst family dynamics possible, the Mikhailovs took it up another notch. It was like Dimitri looked at Lawrence and smiled as he said, “Hold my beer.”
Reading a room was easy for me, but in this case, it gave me so much information for going forward. Nash wanted to know who he could trust and who he should stay away from.
There was a very distinct divide in this family, and as dinner progressed, it became glaringly obvious that half the people sitting at the table were only here for Ren. I would’ve also put money on Helena being the one to call for a favor, despite Dimitri’s crying act outside.
Did I doubt the emotion he’d shown? No. It was genuine, but so was the rift down the center of this family. Dimitri was too arrogant to set that aside for Ren, but Helena…she would.
Ronan, who I was quick to dislike, was the heir to his father’s throne. He would stick by Dimitri’s side no matter what the fight was about. Ass kisser? Maybe. It seemed more opportunistic. Whatever way the wind blew best determined his course.
Aaron was seated at the table when we came inside. He was another cousin, but from Dimitri’s younger brother, who died in a car accident. Helena and Dimitri took Aaron in at seven and raised him. If there was a Switzerland in the group, it was him. Aaron had an important job with Dimitri, but Nathaniel seemed to be his closest friend.
Kaylani worked for Nathaniel and was obviously upset with her father about something, but it was easy to tell she still loved Dimitri despite his flaws.
Helena was the peacekeeper. She wanted tonight to be special, and the stress and worry of complete chaos breaking out was in her eyes. So far, everyone had been on their best behavior. Her wringing hands did make me wonder how many times a gun had been pulled at dinner.
The last three people at the table, if you didn’t count Cutter—who was genuinely a cute kid and not yet touched by the dark insanity of our world—were Titus, Nathaniel, and his wife, Savannah.
This dynamic…was the most intriguing.
Titus wouldn’t even look at Ronan. It was as if his brother simply didn’t exist. He spoke to and answered any direct question from Dimitri, but the responses were formal, cool even. It was obvious that he didn’t want to be here, and when Dimitri asked where Fawn was this evening, I thought Titus would grab a knife and leap across the table. His eyes had hardened, and the tension turned dense like fog. Shockingly, when Titus spoke, his voice remained calm like he was unfazed. He said that she was in the middle of exams and couldn’t make it but sent her apologies to Ren. I didn’t know who Fawn was, but now…I wanted to find out.
Nathaniel and Savannah were quite the couple. I understood the tension between them and Dimitri immediately.
Savannah had been an FBI agent, and it was obvious that no matter what she did, Dimitri would never trust her. From what I could tell, despite whatever had transpired between them, she and Nathaniel were happily married. They had one son together, and Savannah was eight months pregnant with their second child.
It was also just as evident that the mistrust and hatred ran in both directions. I was dying to know what Dimitri had done to cause the disdain in Nathaniel’s eyes. I knew from rumors and the tiny bit of interaction I had with Nathaniel in the past that he wore his emotions on his sleeve, which made him an easy target at the poker table. If he was pissed, you knew. If he wanted you dead, you went missing. He had the hardest time playing nice at dinner tonight.
Nathaniel and Savannah were there for Ren and only Ren. The moment we left, they would be gone.
This was also news to me. The last I’d heard, the Mikhailovs all lived on the property, under this roof, but in different wings. That was no more. When Dimitri talked about families divided and fracturing all the time, I wondered if he was talking in general or was making a point about more than just Ren.
If that was the case…then who were the new alliances, and could we take advantage of the divide? I’d side with Nathaniel and Titus over Dimitri and Ronan any day. I didn’t trust the other two as far as I could throw them, but I needed Dimitri’s position for my plan. Now that dinner was over and he was a few drinks in, it was time to make my move.
Leaning closer to Dimitri, I smirked. “Mr. Mikhailov, I’d like to speak to you about an opportunity to make some easy money and have a bit of fun while we’re at it.”
He polished off his drink and grabbed the bottle. “Is this a conversation for the cigar lounge?”
“I’ll leave that up to your discretion.”
It didn’t really matter to me where we were or who heard, but he seemed the type that liked a good mystery.
“Interesting.” He pushed his chair back and stood. Surprisingly, he didn’t wobble or waver like I expected after drinking three-quarters of a bottle of whiskey.
I nodded to Nash and followed Dimitri out of the dining hall and up a set of stairs to his Man Cave, as Ren called them. This one room was bigger than all our father’s lounges put together. How many people did he host in here?
“Would you like a drink,” Dimitri offered.
“Thought you’d never ask,” I said, and he snorted.
“Yes, my wife doesn’t like to serve minors. I prefer not to start a fight.”
“Completely understandable. I’ll have whatever you’re drinking.”
He went over to the bar in the corner and grabbed two fresh glasses. After a generous pour, he brought them to the leather couches and offered me a glass and a seat beside a crackling electric fireplace. We were in California, and it was warm out, so this struck me as bizarre, but it did offer a certain level of unexpected ambiance.
Dimitri was easy to pin down. He liked to be in control, loved to feel like every great idea was his, and would stab you in the back if things turned against him. But…he was also the only way I was getting into the game. So, I waited for him to speak.
“Alright, you’ve intrigued me. What do you want to talk to me about?”
I sat back and swirled my drink around, letting the firelight catch off the golden color.
“A high-stakes poker game is being held here in Cali on Thursday night—for the very elite only. I’m sure you’re aware of it?”
“I am,” he said. “I’m allowing them to host here,” he said, making sure to let me know his position and power.
“Are you attending?”
“I hadn’t decided yet. Why? Do you want in?”
“I wouldn’t decline an invite,” I said, smiling, and he laughed.
“Do you really think you have the chops to take on these players? We aren’t talking small sums of money. Do you have the million buy-in?”
“I do, and I’m pretty confident that I can walk away with the pot,” I said, sipping my drink.
“You do seem confident. But how much of that is youthful exuberance and bravado? If you lose and then have a youthful tantrum after I extend an invite, it will reflect poorly on me. Why would I take that chance?”
I smirked at the word youthful that he made sure to use twice.
“What if I provide compensation for the invite? Regardless of the outcome, and I assure you there will be no youthful, outbursts.”
He chuckled deeply, a move meant to unnerve an adversary, but I wasn’t intimidated. I smiled and waited for Dimitri to stop posturing.
“You’re very interesting, Liam. I like your style.” He slid forward on the leather chair, and I knew I had him in the palm of my hand. “Present your offer.”
“Name your amount,” I countered, and his eyebrows shot up.
It was widely known that Dimitri played for more than money. He’d won property, rights to deals, and even daughters—that he used and sold again, from what I’d heard. He wasn’t exactly a trafficker, but he rode a razor’s edge at times.
Dimitri currently had three mistresses that he kept at condos in different parts of the city. Each was at least a forty minute drive from the house, which most wouldn’t notice, but I did. Everything mattered. His businesses, although still successful, had taken a massive hit when Nathaniel pulled his legitimate operations a few months ago. The reasoning was unknown, but I’d find out.
He was as arrogant as Lawrence and, in some ways, twice as deadly because he had the extra power and influence with the Head Council to destroy anyone who owed him.
That was where Lawrence had fucked up. He was so busy opposing the Council that he pissed off the man holding his debt. That had created an opening for Nash to align with Nathaniel, who was all too happy to bolster his income and enter a long-term arrangement.
Our world was like an onion. For every layer peeled, there was another. Families were either in debt or collected. We were near the top but not at the highest point. At the end of the day, Lawrence owed the Mikhailov family.
His interest in Ren was clear now that we knew her mother’s lineage. Marrying her gave him an equal right to a seat at the table. He would instantly peel off the last layer of the onion.
She must be protected at all costs. Lawrence couldn’t get his hands on her.
“Alright, I’ll get you into the game. I want half a million, win or lose. If you don’t have my money, then you’ll pay me back in other ways.”
I drank down the rest of the whiskey and set my glass aside.
“You underestimate me. I’ll give you a million.” Standing, I buttoned my suit jacket and smiled at his shocked expression. “I always play to win. Oh, and Dimitri…Ren will be attending with me. If you hear of anything shady, I’d kindly ask for and expect a warning. It’ll be a shame if something happens to her.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, probably wondering if that was an accusation. It wasn’t, but I wanted him to know that I was watching everything.
Ren didn’t know it yet, but from what I’d dug up, it was Dimitri who helped Yulianna escape Russia. The only question left was, why? I had my theories, but I played my cards close to the vest and never jumped the gun on going all-in.
“Have a good evening, Mr. Mikhailov. I’ll meet you at the Rosemont Hotel at eight o’clock sharp.”
“How do you know where it’s being held? Those emails are only sent to invited members.”
I smiled. “A player never reveals the ace he’s holding. Have a good evening.”
Before he could question me further, I walked out. Step one was done for my initiation. Now, I needed to win it all, and it was a good thing I brought my lucky rabbit with me.