“I just have to talk to my father. When I get back, we’re going home.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her,” Sophia cuts in.
“Thanks, Sophia.”
I leave, following my father out of the room, but when I look back, Adriana is staring after me, and fucking Ivan is looking at me, too.
Father and I head to his office on the ground floor, where we sit together.
He has that weak look again, like he’s had enough.
I’m sure he has.
“Well done, son. She’s a nice girl,” he states. “I’m sure we’ve enraged many in Raul’s alliance just for having her.”
“I’m sure we have.”
“Are your plans still the same?” He raises his thick brows.
When I posed my idea to him about killing Raul and marrying his daughter to get control over the cartel, the plan was to either kill Adriana as soon as I didn’t need her or dispose of her by some other means. Of course, killing her would be the ultimate ending of revenge. In just one week, my mind has changed.
I can’t kill her, but I can’t see myself keeping her, either.
I still don’t know what I’ll be doing when I cross that bridge of marriage yet.
“I’m playing it by ear,” I decide to say.
“I leave it in your good hands, my son. What you’ve done so far is the sign of a good leader.”
“Are you dropping hints, Father?” I decide to aim for lighthearted so he can take the heavy stuff easier when we start talking about it.
He chuckles. “No, I’m not dropping hints.”
“But you already know who the next Pakhan will be,” I state bluntly, and he nods.
“I do. I always did. I did years ago. But this part is necessary to seal the deal. My decision can change like the wind.”
“And you want to meet me at the lake house because?” I quirk a brow.
“We won’t talk about that tonight. That’s an important meeting I want to have with you just not now.”
“Okay, I’ll wait.”
His expression grows serious. “You’ve found something more to worry about, haven’t you?”
“I have. It’s not good, Father.”
I quickly fill him in on what’s been going on but leave out the part about it being someone inside the brotherhood. I’m saving that for last because he’s not going to take that well. He’s spent his life as Pakhan establishing loyalty among the ranks. It’s what he’ll be remembered for.
By the time I finish, he looks like he’s ready to breathe fire.
“So, we don’t know any more about this contract?” he demands.
“I believe it’s someone from inside our brotherhood,” I finally say, and the blood drains from his face.
“Our brotherhood, Mikhail?” His nostrils flair.
