Page 14 of Deadly Legacy (The House of Matvei #3)

N ikon had lain awake almost all night, too tense to sleep. Every time Reuben shifted in bed, he seemed to keep a deliberate distance between them, even while unconscious.

When morning came, nothing had changed. Before dawn, Reuben got up without a word, took a shower alone—breaking their usual habit of sharing one—and disappeared into his home office.

Their argument from yesterday hung in the air like an invisible curtain, with neither man willing to make the first move to tear it down.

The coffee machine released a final defiant hiss as the elevator announced a visitor with its distinctive chime.

Nikon glanced at the security panel, his lips thinning at the sight of Alexei’s face.

His brother seemed to possess an uncanny talent for materializing at Nikon’s penthouse precisely when tension ran highest.

“Your timing is as perfect as always.” Nikon stepped away from the security panel as Alexei swept in, designer coat draped over one arm.

“Where’s your better half?”

“Working.” Nikon nodded toward the closed office door.

“I see.” Alexei moved to the kitchen, helping himself to an espresso from the machine that had just finished its cycle. He set the cup down with a soft clink against the marble counter. “The air in here feels thick enough to slice.”

“There’s no tension.” Nikon folded his arms across his chest, keeping his voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry to the office. “We’re just giving each other a little space.”

“Space?” Alexei’s lips quirked upward. “In a penthouse? That’s a new one.”

Nikon’s jaw tightened. “Did you come here to analyze my relationship, or do you actually have business?”

“Both, as it turns out.” Alexei pulled a tablet from his leather messenger bag. “Though you might find this more useful than my relationship advice.”

“I doubt that, given your track record with—” Nikon stopped as Alexei turned the tablet toward him, displaying surveillance photos.

“We found Andrey.”

The name landed between them with the weight of concrete. Nikon’s throat tightened as he took the tablet, scanning the images.

Nikon’s youngest brother stood behind Dmitrii Miroslav in various settings, unmistakable despite the changes months of exile had carved into him.

“When did you get these?”

“First confirmation came yesterday. These go back about two weeks.”

Nikon’s fingers tightened on the device. “Does Grigorii know?”

“He’s on his way over.” Alexei glanced toward the office. “Should I get Reuben for this, or would that be stepping into your... space?”

The jab hit its mark, but Nikon swallowed his retort. “This might involve Quantize Guard and Wallace. He needs to be here.” He turned toward the office, then hesitated. “And Alexei, don’t—”

“Don’t what? Point out how ridiculous you both look walking on eggshells? Mention that you’ve handled federal investigations with less stress than this little argument?”

Alexei’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, but carried a familiar teasing glint. “Wouldn’t dream of it, brother,” he added with exaggerated innocence, the slight tilt of his head pure brotherly mockery.

Moments later, Nikon rapped his knuckles against the office door twice before turning the handle. Reuben sat at his desk, blue tie hanging loose at his neck, shirtsleeves rolled to expose his forearms as he leaned over financial projections.

For a beat, Nikon paused in the doorway, taking in the familiar details; the slight furrow etched between Reuben’s brows, the rhythmic tap of his fingers against polished wood when a number didn’t align.

“Alexei’s here,” Nikon said. “We have news.”

Reuben looked up, his green eyes meeting Nikon’s briefly, before glancing away. “About Wallace?”

“About Andrey.”

The name changed something in Reuben’s expression. He stood, straightening his tie with a quick, fluid motion. “I’ll be right out.”

Back in the living room, Alexei had made himself comfortable on the leather sofa, flicking through the tablet. He looked up as they entered, eyes moving between Reuben and Nikon with a little too much perception.

“So,” Alexei said, “after months of searching, the wandering Matvei has finally resurfaced.” He extended the tablet to Reuben.

Reuben took the device, his face neutral as he studied the images. “He looks different.”

“He’s thinner,” Alexei said, his voice softening. “That expensive suit hangs on him now.”

Nikon leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest as he watched Reuben swipe through the photographs. Each image showed Andrey in increasingly subservient positions; holding doors, standing in corners, fetching drinks.

In the last photo, Andrey stood with his shoulders hunched, head bowed in subservience during what appeared to be a business meeting, his face carefully blank.

Dmitrii had casually placed his tumbler of amber liquid on Andrey’s stooped shoulder while continuing his conversation, treating the once-proud Matvei as nothing more than a convenient side table.

Despite the humiliation, Andrey remained perfectly still, forced to maintain the degrading pose lest the glass fall.

The elevator chimed again. Nikon checked the security panel, a muscle twitching in his cheek as he recognized his eldest brother’s imposing figure.

“Grigorii,” he said, pressing the access button. Alexei raised an eyebrow but said nothing, moving to pour himself another espresso while they waited.

A full minute passed before the door announcer gave a soft ping. Nikon crossed to open it manually—a courtesy rarely extended even to family. The faint scent of Grigorii’s signature cologne announced his arrival before he even entered.

His broad shoulders filled the doorway, expression stern as he surveyed the three of them. “Alexei texted that you found something.” His voice rumbled low in the quiet penthouse. “About Andrey?”

Nikon nodded once, gesturing toward the living area where Reuben still held the tablet.

Grigorii moved across the marble floor, each step intentional as if assessing the situation before fully committing.

When he reached them, his eyes fell first on the tablet in Reuben’s hands, then moved to Alexei.

“How certain are we?” he asked, directing the question at his younger brother.

“Confirmed through two separate sources,” Alexei replied, then gestured at the tablet. “Plus, we’ve got visual verification.”

Only then did Grigorii turn back to Reuben, his expression tightening. “Let me see,” he said, hand extended, his tone authoritative yet restrained.

As Reuben passed him the tablet, Nikon noted how his lover’s demeanor had shifted from business partner to observer. Reuben had developed an instinct for when to step back during family matters, when to watch and listen before offering his perspective.

Grigorii’s nostrils flared as he studied the photos, the tendons in his neck standing out like cords. “He made his choice,” he said flatly, though his knuckles bleached white around the tablet, betraying more emotion than his words.

“This isn’t justice,” Alexei countered, leaning forward on the sofa. “It’s humiliation. Whatever he did, he’s still family.”

“He betrayed family,” Grigorii’s voice rumbled low like distant thunder. “He put a gun to Reuben’s head. He sold our weapons to Dmitrii.”

Nikon pushed away from the wall, his body moving on pure instinct at the mention of how Andrey had once threatened Reuben’s life. He positioned himself slightly in front of Reuben, angling his broader frame between his partner and any potential danger—a reflexive shield against a memory.

Catching himself, he shifted to stand beside Reuben instead, though Nikon’s muscles remained coiled with tension. “The timing is too perfect. Months of nothing, and now suddenly Andrey reappears, being publicly humiliated right when we’re closing in on Quantize Guard?”

The leather of the sofa creaked as Alexei shifted. “Dmitrii wants us to see this. He’s trying to throw us off balance.”

“Playing games,” Grigorii set the tablet down hard enough to make the glass coffee table vibrate. “Dmitrii parades our brother like a dog to get under our skin.”

Reuben cleared his throat, drawing all three brothers’ attention. “The Quantize Guard founders are still weighing up options,” he said. “Wallace’s company has name recognition on their side, but their recent money problems make Matthew Capital easily the safer bet.”

“Unless Wallace has promised them something extra,” Nikon suggested, thinking of Dmitrii’s resources.

“Exactly.” Reuben nodded, meeting his eyes briefly before looking away. “That’s why I’m meeting with each founder individually this week to address their specific concerns.”

Grigorii’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and frowned. “Security team needs me. Wait here.” He strode toward the penthouse terrace, phone already at his ear.

Alexei stood, giving Nikon a meaningful look. “I’ll go with him. You two... take a minute.”

When the terrace door closed behind his brothers, Nikon finally had a moment alone with Reuben.

Reuben twisted the watch on his wrist. After a long beat, he spoke. “Family complicates everything.” His eyes stayed fixed on the timepiece.

Nikon’s eyes drifted to the tablet, where the image of his youngest brother still displayed. “Yes,” he agreed, his expression troubled. “But it’s also why we fight.”

Those words seemed to ease some of the tension between them. While neither had quite apologized, they’d taken a small step toward understanding each other again.

Nikon stepped closer to Reuben. “The Quantize Guard meetings start tomorrow,” he said, checking his security calendar. “I’ll coordinate with Stepan about rotating the surveillance teams. We don’t want Dmitrii’s people identifying any patterns.”

Reuben glanced at him. “You’re staying out of the meetings?”

“Do you want me there?”

Reuben’s fingers traced the edge of the table as he thought about it.

“Your business insight would be valuable,” he said. “But I think I need to handle these negotiations my way.”