28. Stefan
STEFAN
I hung up the phone after a long call with a designer watch brand rep and tried to remember what I’d spent the last forty minutes talking about.
Glancing at my notes, I saw I’d scribbled the words “modern luxury,” “faces—James Bond-type,” “classy/exotic,” and “multi-function timepieces with sophisticated edge.” That was all I had to go on.
But at least it was a start. Matching the right KZM models to our clients’ project needs was my specialty.
It hadn’t been easy to come into work on Monday and focus after the weekend I’d had.
Not just because of the sex, either. Opening up to Tori had changed everything in my life.
She was no longer simply the woman I fantasized about fucking and had married out of necessity.
Now that I’d finally come to terms with—and admitted—my love for her, had confided in her, she was my partner.
In every way. I had never imagined it could be like this.
But as I sat in my office, taking in the view of Chicago from my floor-to-ceiling windows, I knew I had to confront the reality of our situation.
Of what I had agreed to. Because Tori had told me she wanted to help…
and I couldn’t deny that I was tempted to take her up on her offer.
She was right; she would be a valuable asset.
Yet I also knew that allowing Tori to participate in my plans to bring down my father and the shady side of KZM would mean putting her in harm’s way.
I couldn’t allow that. Worse, I was well aware that if we weren’t careful, my father would do to Tori what he’d done to Anja.
He’d make her disappear. And I couldn’t bear the thought. Not after all we had been through.
Everything about this situation seemed impossible. It didn’t help that whenever I thought of her, my head immediately filled with images of all the filthy things I had done to her. The things I still wanted to do to her. I couldn’t concentrate.
I wished I could take her on another honeymoon. A real one, where we did nothing but stay in bed and explore each other bodies. Each other’s fantasies.
She was so hot. So responsive. Tori might not be a virgin anymore, but she still approached every sexual experience like a beginner.
Everything we did, everything I taught her, was exciting and new to her.
I’d never been so turned on by a woman before.
And without any secrets between us, our newfound intimacy had heightened everything.
We’d practically set the sheets on fire this past weekend, stopping only long enough to eat and talk.
And every time we had talked, Tori had done her best to convince me that she needed to be a part of my plan to see justice served, and to dismantle the sex trafficking aspect of KZM.
She had found numerous ways to be very, very persuasive with her argument.
My mind was replaying some of the more intense persuasive moments when the door to my office slammed open and my father stormed in, in a furious rage. His face was red, his normally impeccable tie askew, and he was clutching a fistful of papers in his hand.
“What the fuck?” he yelled. “Is this?”
I stood from my chair, lifting my hands to appease him.
I had no idea what I was in for, but it was far from the first time I’d been subjected to my father’s rages—he was volatile and unpredictable.
He’d been this way my entire life. Given my familiarity with his temper, I forced my face into a conciliatory, neutral expression.
It never served me to stoop to his level or to show any sign of emotion—especially weakness or fear.
My father was like a bomb, but you never knew what would set him off.
It was best to say as little as possible when he was like this.
“What’s the problem?” I asked.
“This is the problem.” Konstantin slammed the crumpled fistful of papers down on my desk. “What do you know about this?”
As I leaned down to smooth out the pages, I saw that they were photographs. They were so grainy that I could barely make out the details, but I recognized the general features of the faces I was looking at. It was Tori. And that fucking asshole Gavin. Her classmate.
I slid the pictures around on my desk, fanning them out, keeping my expression passive.
“To be honest, I can hardly tell what I’m looking at,” I said.
“Then look harder.”
My father’s face grew redder, and he pushed one of the photos toward me, rotating it so I could get a better look. It was Tori and Gavin sitting side by side, almost on the same chair.
For a moment, I thought they were the same pictures Dmitri had sent from the pizza parlor—the ones that had shown Gavin leaning forward to kiss my wife—but upon closer inspection, it was clear that these were completely different.
Tori and Gavin were in a library. The reason they were so close was because they were huddled around a textbook. Studying.
I stared at the photos, playing innocent, but inside I was fuming.
Was my father spying on Tori as well, or had Dmitri double crossed me?
Either way, he was going to need to be replaced.
Even if he wasn’t sending pictures to my father, he was clearly a shit bodyguard if he hadn’t noticed other people hanging around and taking pictures of my wife.
“Do you know about this?” my father roared, stabbing the page with his finger.
Tugging it out from under his finger, I made a show of examining the photo again.
“I’m not sure what there is to know.” I sat back down in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest, looking him in the eye. “She goes to school. She’s in a study group. This is a picture of her studying, in that group. Is there something significant about that?”
My father looked like he wanted to punch something. Like he wanted to punch me.
“My son is an idiot,” he sneered. He picked up the photo again and held it in front of my nose. “You know who this is? This is Gavin fucking Chase.”
“Okay?” I kept my expression blank, not indicating that I already knew Gavin’s name.
“His brother works for the DOD!” my father exploded. “As an agent against trafficking. And he’s hanging around your wife!”
He was pointing at me now, and I had to shake my head. Inside, I was in shock.
“So what do you think this means?” I asked carefully.
“It means,” he said, pacing the office now, “that this little shit is trying to infiltrate our operations through Tori. Or at minimum, he’s trying to get information out of her.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” I said.
“This isn’t a coincidence, Stefan,” he shot back. “Get your head out of your ass.”
I leaned back in my chair, trying to look casual. It was taking everything in my power to keep the panic from my face. I’d had no idea that Gavin was an actual threat of any kind.
At the same time, I was chastising myself for being so foolish.
My contact at the DOD was Frank Chase. I’d never made the connection.
Chase was a common enough name, and I had never considered the two were related.
How had my men missed this? Obviously the fact had been hidden.
But I couldn’t worry about that right now.
Not with my father raging in front of me.
“They’re study partners,” I said calmly, even though I knew he was right—there was no way this was a coincidence.
“Gavin is one of many people that Tori studies with. And even if he were trying to get information from her, she doesn’t know enough to spill any details.
And she wouldn’t risk telling anyone what she does know. ”
I was lying through my teeth, but the whole plan—and Tori’s life—depended on convincing my father that she wasn’t a threat. That she was harmless.
But I could tell he wasn’t buying it. His fury didn’t abate. Instead, he slammed his hand back down on my desk, crumpling the photos beneath his meaty palm.
“My children are destroying everything I’ve worked for,” he seethed. “I can tell your head isn’t in the game. If it was, this wouldn’t have slipped right past you.”
“Everything is under control,” I told him, keeping my tone as convincing as possible. “I agree, it looks bad, but the reality is: this guy has jack shit on us. He’s got nothing. Zero.”
My father was shaking his head. “It’s you two who are going to bring us down,” he said, grinding out the words.
“I’ve got Luka acting like an ignorant child, drowning himself in booze and blowjobs, when he should be manning up to take a spot at the helm of this business.
And now here you are getting so cocky you’re willing to ignore an obvious threat. ”
Thinking about Luka, a wave of empathy and guilt hit me.
We were brothers, just a few years apart, but we’d always reacted to things in completely opposite ways.
Realizing just how vile the family business was, I had hardened and buckled down, determined to take down my father at any cost. Luke, instead, had cracked.
“I’ll get Luka under control. He’s my responsibility now,” I said evenly, hoping it would appease my father.
It didn’t.
He leaned across the desk toward me.
“Fuck Luka. You have to be the strong one here. Your wife is going to be a liability. You’re enamored with her pussy, but now that she’s not standing in front of you to distract you, you need to remember why you married her—and it wasn’t to get your dick shined.”
I bit back the rage boiling up inside. “Just stop—”
“This is about the company!” he cut me off. “Remember your loyalties here. You need to get your priorities straight and keep your wife in line. Don’t think for a second that she isn’t disposable.”
“My priorities are straight!” I stood up, my fists clenched.
I couldn’t help myself—I’d stayed in line for his man, but threatening my wife was crossing the line.
“My wife comes first, the company second.” Even if the company I was interested in protecting didn’t look like the company my father wanted to run.
“And don’t you dare ever insinuate that she’s disposable again.
She’s part of me, and if you want me at your side, you accept her as well. ”
We glared at each other, at an impasse.
Both of us knew that my father needed me. Even though he still maintained control of KZM, he had conceded enough responsibility to me over the years that he wouldn’t have been able run it without me.
But he was stubborn and cruel and never, ever apologized. I didn’t expect him to back down from his threat, but he knew that he couldn’t do any of this without me, which meant that I had leverage against him. I could keep Tori safe. For now.
My father swept his hand across my desk, scattering the photos across the floor, and then turned to stalk out of my office without a word.
I gathered up the pictures and threw them in the trash.
Nothing was resolved between us, but I was resolved to get the ball rolling on ousting my father from power.
I had allies in place already—and as the adrenaline left my body, I realized that my father had unknowingly given me more than just threats today.
He had given me a lead, a connection that I could use to my benefit.
I knew exactly how I could use Tori now, and keep her safe at the same time.
Sitting back in my chair, I immediately assembled a list of things that needed to be done. The sooner, the better.
First things first, I called Dmitri and let him go. I told him he’d get a nice severance bonus for keeping his mouth shut, and that I’d hunt him down if he didn’t. I knew I’d have to find Tori a new bodyguard, but I could handle that after my next task.
Although I disliked prying into her things, I reasoned that when it came to Tori’s safety, it was okay to do a little digging—so I got on my computer and accessed her cell phone records.
When I had the number I needed, I left the office.
There were too many eyes at work and not enough of them were trustworthy. My father had spies everywhere.
I had my driver drop me off at Maggie Daley Park, and I walked to an empty bench far from other people. I didn’t want to take any chances. Then I pulled out my phone.
I knew I was taking a risk, but I had a feeling this was someone I could trust with Tori’s security, and that alone was enough to make me dial the number.
Gavin Chase picked up after a few rings. “Hello?”
“This is Stefan Zoric,” I said.
“Go to hell,” he told me.
“Wait.” I didn’t blame him for the less-than-warm response. The last time we’d spoken, I had threatened to kill him if he went near my wife again. “I think we both want the same thing.”
“And what’s that?” he asked, his voice more cautious now.
“My wife’s safety,” I said. “And my father’s demise.”