He looked at his family with the kind of possessiveness I had never seen on another man, certainly not my own father.

But then, it had been established my father was a son of a bitch, and I supposed he’d had a huge role in the way Luis had turned out.

I shook my head.

It didn’t do me well to dwell in the past.

Especially when that past brought nothing but nightmares and traumas, I would much rather forget.

* * *

I satin the first-class lounge while I waited for my flight.

I had the laptop open, with the numbers in the reports of my more legitimate side of the business on the screen.

Most of the accounting for the business was taken care of by Thiago Greene, a slick son of a bitch who was damn good with numbers.

But I still oversaw everything.

I wasn’t going to slack off when it came to my dynasty, and both the legitimate and illegitimate businesses were included in that.

The small recliner chair across from me squeaked as a man took the seat.

I glanced up at him dismissively before looking back down at my screen.

“You’re a hard man to track down, Mr. Mendez.”

Slowly, I looked back up at the man, taking a closer look at him. Dark hair, pale skin, and light-green eyes.

He spoke with a Russian accent.

“And how did you find me?” I asked, ignoring the name he used. Mendez was my father’s name. It was the name I shared with Luis, and it was the name I used working asEl Despiadado.

It was also a name not many knew me by, while the Cadorna name was my mother’s maiden name, and it was the one that helped me keep some anonymity in the world of monsters.

“I watched the Bratva. And when their lifelong friend came to visit them, I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste.”

I leaned back in my own seat and took him in. “I think you have me at a disadvantage. You seem to know me, but I don’t know you.”

He shot me an oily smile. “My name is Ivan Antonov.”

He leaned forward and held out his hand for me to shake. I looked at it, then back at him, not doing anything. After a small beat of awkwardness, he pulled his hand back and sat back in his seat.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Something I think you’ll find interesting.”

“I doubt it, but why don’t you humor me?” I answered, letting boredom show in my voice. Something flashed in his eyes. Something that looked like anger, and I smirked at that.

“Cut ties with Bratva.”

The words were said so self-assuredly, it was hard not to find amusement in this cocky,stupidman.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because I can make you a lot more money.”

“Again, I doubt it, but I’ll bite. Tell me how you would make me a lot more money.”