Page 28 of At Midnight

“I need your support, Uncle Bast. I want to make this bank noble again. I want to kick out the criminals and return us to being an ethical, moral institution. Geneva Trust should be a guardian of the Alps, not a cancer in them.”

“I tried that, Raphael. Valerian sits in the large office, and I run some of the commercial accounts.”

“But this time,you’ll have me. This time, we’ll win.”

Bastien was watching him closely. “When you say it like that, I almost believe you could do it.”

“I can. I have resources. I’ll rebuild Geneva Trust to be a shining example of what Swiss banks should be. We can be proud of what we do. We won’t be criminals anymore.”

Bastien slid the rest of his drink down his throat. “If you have enough votes to kick Valerianoff the board, I’ll support you, but not until I’m sure you aren’t going to get us all killed.”

“I’m waging war for my life, and for my daughter’s, and for my future wife’s.”

Bastien set his glass on the table. “I suppose you do have significant motivation to see this through. Do you think you’re going to marry her?”

“I know I will. I’ll risk everything to save her and Alina, and then I’llmake her mine.”

“She has a habit of divorce.”

“She had excellent cause. I would’ve made her a widow. Just a small opening is all it would have taken.”

Bastien sighed. “I can see you doing that.”

“She and Alina are my whole world. I can’t let anything happen to them.”

Bastien nodded. “I think I’ll send my wife and daughters on holiday for a month or so until the dust settles, if they willgo. They’re all as stubborn as they are well-read.”

“One more thing—”

“Oh, God. What?”

“My father is planning a meeting with me and Piotr Ilyin, isn’t he?”

“He’s made that clear to everyone.”

“I don’t understand why.”

“He has created a win-win situation. If Piotr Ilyin accepts you back into the organization, Valerian looks like a genius for bringing back his favorite lieutenant. If Piotrkills you, Valerian chose loyalty to him over his own son. Either way, Valerian wins.”

“Unless I take the bank away from him.”

“He didn’t count on that. He doesn’t realize how convincing you’ve become.”

“And one more thing—”

“Jesus Christ, Raphael.”

“Alina is my heart, walking around outside my body. I can’t believe my father is planning to turn his son over to a man who will probably murderhim.”

Bastien’s gray eyebrows flickered, a twitch of unease. “From the time your father and I were children, I’ve always known that Valerian was different than other people, certainly different than myself. When I was at university, I studied psychology and learned what a psychopath was, and then I understood. I always assumed that was where you got it.”