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“Ah? The fuck you mean, ah?”
“I suspected you knew about that but I hadn’t been able to confirm it.”
“I know everything!” Despite the grief carving me up inside, anger floods through me so I cling to it. “With everything going on, it didn’t take me long to work out that the only person my father would have trusted with such a disgusting scheme was you. So yeah, I know you were his partner in those twisted, twisted plans to start trafficking children, you disgusting roach! I know you’re the one who’s been trying to kill me ever since I stepped into power. I know you’ve been pushing back against everything I’ve been trying to do, and I know you’re the one who just slaughtered everyone at the gala!”
Viktor slides his gun back into his hip holster, then loosely begins to clap his hands. “Well, well. You really think you have itall figured out. Do you really think I’ve spent this entire time just trying to kill you?”
“Yes!” I yell. “I know the truth!”
“No,” Viktor snaps, suddenly advancing toward me. “You only think you do.”
“Then correct me,” I spit out. “You love doing that.”
“It’s true, I am the one behind the attempts on your life, but it wasn’t because I wanted you dead. Well.” He pauses and clasps his hands together. “I did. But I wanted you humiliated and then brought before the other families to be executed. How else was I easily going to step into your role? So the attempts on your life were only for one reason. To drive you into Erik’s arms. He was doing a terrible job at getting close to you, so I orchestrated a few scenarios that would force you two together. And it worked!”
“Why?” I blink furiously, trying to clear the tears as Viktor’s truth becomes clear. “Why not just kill me and take power?”
“You forget, Anastasia, how close I was with your father. The deep respect I had for that man…” Viktor breathes deeply. “I owed it to him to make sure you were completely and utterly humiliated, and then killed fairly. Proving you killed him, however, was more difficult than I imagined.”
“And this?” I cast an arm toward the city, fighting to ignore Erik’s nearby body. “Is this just another thing to blame me for?”
“Naturally,” Viktor replies. “You should have just admitted things and taken a clean execution. Now hundreds are dead because of you. Which will make it easier for me to take control. No one will care that you are dead.”
“And how do you suppose you’ll be able to lead with the police on your tail? Not exactly good for business.”
Viktor scowls. “I can fix that.”
“Can you? Your trigger-happy guard ensured that the Italians will do everything they can to put me in the ground, to put all of us in the ground.”
“What?” Confusion passes over Viktor’s face. “What are you talking about?”
I laugh humorlessly. “You don’t know?Oh, that’s just perfect! Are you really so in the dark?”
Viktor closes the gap between us and grabs me by the throat, drawing me to my feet. “Speak plainly, girl.”
“I invited the Italians to the gala,” I croak through his grip while winding my hands around his wrist. “They were there. Rocky Barati was there, and your fucking guard shot him. How many Italians do you think lie dead in that rubble, huh?” I gasp as his grip tightens further. “You’re fucked.”
“You little—” A sudden buzzing cuts Viktor off, and he releases me in favor of answering his phone.
I hit the ground hard, and pain shoots up my knees. The strangulation aggravates the tender inflammation in my throat caused by the smoke inhalation and I erupt into a sharp coughing fit, bringing fresh tears to my eyes.
“What is it?” Viktor barks, his phone on speaker.
“Mr. Petrov,” drawls an unfamiliar voice with a Mexican twang. “Our deal is off.”
Viktor goes rigid. “What?”
“When we agreed to blow the gala, you didn’t tell us the police would be present. You’ve brought too much heat to this entire shitstorm,” the voice continues. “The cops are onto you. You’re on the Most Wanted list and that shit ain’t good for business. So the deal? It’s off. Keep your tainted money. We want your fucking head instead. You’ve fucked us around enough.”
Money? Is he talking to the Cartel?
So, he made a deal with them behind my back. Is that why my recent request to meet with them went unanswered?
Catching my breath, I glance up as Viktor stumbles over himself. While he’s distracted, I subtly slip off one of my shoes and reach under my skirt to grasp it. The moment it’s in my hand, I surge upward with a cry and slap the heel hard into Viktor’s shoulder. Unable to tell whether it did damage or not, I throw my whole weight behind shoving it into his body. Viktor yells in pain and stumbles backward, the phone falling from his hand.
As we tumble together, I snatch up the phone and scramble to my feet.
“My name is Anastasia Remizova. I am the Godmother of the Remizova family and I have your payment in full, with interest. I’m not on the wanted list and I don’t want a war. The cops are working for me. You need to contact Tatiana Yegorov, and she will pay you in full as long as you kill?—”