NIKO
The last thing I want to do is leave Lyah, but I need to talk to Darian. To warn my men and consider the pros and cons of conferring with our allies.
Fuck my life. Just when we were making some much needed progress.
I press a kiss to Lyah's forehead and gently shift her off my lap. "I need to make some calls," I tell her, my voice tight with barely contained rage.
She nods, her eyes wide with concern. "Niko, what is it? Can you tell me?"
I hesitate, torn between my instinct to shield her and my promise to be more open. "The tattoo you described. It's the signature of a syndicate we thought was long gone. Red Scorpion… the same organization that took Agnieszka from us."
Lyah gasps. “What does this mean?” she whispers, her eyes wide.
“We went scorched earth on them after Agnieszka’s death. Darian and I, and a small, loyal following of younger men, like ourselves, who weren’t satisfied with the bastards flexing their muscles as a way of keeping everyone else in line, no matter that the official line was to turn the other cheek.” I grit my teeth and clench my fists as the age-old anger surges through me. “Not after what they did to Agnieszka. We had a list. Hunted them down, one by one, when they were at their most vulnerable. Then we did to them what they did to her. Showed no mercy.”
Lyah surprises me. Instead of being repulsed by the admission, she wraps her arms around me, and I feel a surprising peace.
“Ukraine wasn’t a safe place for us when we were done. We’d broken too many rules. Caused too much anarchy. Defied our elders and brought too much scrutiny upon ourselves. So my father sent us both here. We didn’t start from scratch, but we certainly took the minor operation that had been developed here and grew it to what it is today. And we did so sound in the knowledge that we’d annihilated Red Scorpion… but with this new development, it would appear not," I growl, already pulling out my phone. "I need to warn the others about this."
She nods understandingly. “Do what you need to do, Niko. I know it’s important.”
Fuck this. It’s not as important as she is.
I dial Darian's number to ask him to call a meeting, but my mind is already made up. If Red Scorpion has truly resurfaced, we're in for a fight unlike any we've seen in years. And with Lyah pregnant, the stakes have never been higher. But running out on her right now won’t change the storm brewing on the edges of our world.
Leaving her alone when we’ve only just connected won’t help the cause. I can only do so much, and what I do need to do, I can delegate to Darian.
“What’s up, boss?” he asks as soon as he picks up, his voice wary.
“There’s been a development,” I tell him shortly. “We need to call a whole organization meeting and maybe contact a few of the allies.”
“Shit,” he mumbles under his breath. He knows without being told this means something big. "What's going on, Niko?"
"Red Scorpion," I say grimly. "I know we suspected, and maybe I didn’t want to believe it, but they're definitely back, and I’m pretty sure the Mutri are more deeply involved than just being hired mercenaries."
There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Fuck," Darian whispers. "Are you sure?"
"Lyah identified the Red Scorpion tattoo on one of the men who abducted her, but from her account, I think he was Bulgarian."
"I'm on it," Darian says, his voice hardening with resolve. I don’t need to say more. He knows what to do. That’s why he’s my avtoritet, my right hand. It’s not just blood.
"I'll start making calls and put everyone on alert.”
“Decide who we should include,” I tell him, and only his silence betrays his surprise that I’ve delegated this to him.
“I’ll make a list and run it past you,” he says, but I stop him.
“No, I trust your judgement,” I tell him. It’s time I brought my brother closer into the leadership of this organization. He’s always been worthy, but I’ve never been good at releasing the reins. Now, with my family growing, I have more incentive.
“Thank you,” he says, almost sounding choked up. I just end the call and turn my attention back to my wife.
“Okay, that’s taken care of, now where were we?”
She looks at me in surprise. “You’re not leaving?”
I shake my head, pulling her back onto my lap. "No, I'm not leaving. Darian can handle the immediate response. Right now, you and our child are my priority."
Lyah's eyes widen, a mix of shock and relief washing over her face. "I... I didn't expect that," she admits softly.
