Page 12 of Ruthless Rustanovs

ALEXEI had just received a text from Emilio to say the plane had landed at LaGuardia and Eva was on her way to their Midtown office building, when Emilio got on the line to say his uncle was calling from Russia and wanted to talk with him.

There were few rules from his crime family days that he still adhered to, but one of them was when an older family member calls, the younger family member must drop everything and pick up.

“Uncle,” he said without preamble in his native Russian. “What can I do for you?”

“Google Alerts just informed me you have bought Drummond Oil. I would like to talk about this with you.”

“There is nothing to talk about, Uncle,” he said wishing Sergei had never had the bright idea to subscribe to Google Alerts about his nephew.

His uncle wasn’t that great at keeping up with the company’s business reports, but receiving Google Alerts every time Alexei’s name came up in the news made it easier for him to poke his nose into Alexei’s personal life and business.

“It is a good investment and I like good investments.”

“When our advisors said we should invest in oil over here, you said no and you chose to focus on other natural resources,” his uncle said.

“Why then are we getting involved with oil now and with such a little company? Does this mean we will no longer be investing in Matsuda Steel, and the Sinclair Industries deal is off the table? Will we be expanding into oil in Russia, too? Because I have contacts from the old days who will can help us with this.”

Alexei closed his eyes in irritation. This was exactly why he’d refused to deal with oil in Russia.

It could be very lucrative, yes, but his uncle would have insisted on doing business with the same people they’d done business with when they were a crime family.

No matter how many millions of rubles had flooded into his bank account, because of Alexei’s decision seven years ago to decriminalize their family business, Sergei continued to argue for a return to the old ways.

But Alexei realized he had no one but himself to blame for this call. Buying Drummond Oil gave his uncle the excuse he needed to push his agenda once again.

“No, Uncle. The Matsuda deal is still on the table and I fully intend to focus mostly on metals and natural resources outside of oil. Do not concern yourself with this new purchase. I only plan to hold on to the company for a little while before selling it again.”

“You bought a company only to resell it? Why?”

Alexei wasn’t about to tell him the true answer: revenge. Instead he said, “I have my reasons.”

“I will start looking into possible investments over here,” his uncle declared.

“Maybe you will extend these reasons to the companies your old uncle would like you to look at as well? I was more than an enforcer, you know. I advised your father and I kept this family going while you were off having your American adventure.”

That’s what his uncle called working like a mule to get his MBA.

For a moment, Alexei’s temper flared. He loved his uncle but sometimes he suspected the man resented the profitable direction in which Alexei had taken the company.

If it were up to him, they’d still be scrapping in the street like dogs.

But then again, who was he to judge his uncle for living in the past?

He had just spent millions of dollars on a small oil company in order to get revenge against a woman he should be beyond caring about.

There was no reasonable way to explain that, and even he could see this landed on the wrong side of obsession.

He comforted himself with the fact that it would be over soon.

He’d have his revenge, and Eva would be sorry she ever crossed the “fresh off the boat” Russian who had given her his heart.

“Uncle, I must go. I have an important meeting.”

“I will make that list and call you back,” his uncle said. Then he hung up, not waiting for Alexei to agree or disagree.