Page 57 of Crimson Oath
“Oleg, did you have time to discuss the matter we spoke about earlier?”
He had no idea what Ivan was talking about, but he didn’t let on. “Of course.”
“Peter and Gabriela, be well.” Ivan pointed at the couple. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, eh? You promised a cake for me.”
“Of course, Mr. Sokolov.” Mrs. Goretski smiled broadly. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“I hope not.” Ivan patted the man on the shoulder before he walked toward Oleg, joining him as they strode from the room.
They were out the door and walking down the marble-clad stairwell before Ivan spoke again. “You’ve been spending a lot of time in Georgia.”
“Have I?” His actions outside the territory were none of Ivan’s business.
“These hijackings, they’re mostly in Polina’s and my territory. But if there are issues on the eastern border, you know that I can take the lead on these matters.”
I’m sure that’s what you want.
“It seems to me that Polina has the matter well in hand.” Oleg kept his voice easy. “She’s dealt with the group. The criminals who were attacking the trucks were eliminated.” Oleg paused on the stairs and turned to Ivan. “Do you have reason to think there is a larger organization behind them?”
Ivan’s eyes glittered. “If your daughter has killed them all, I would not worry. She is as brutal as her sire.”
Oleg took the compliment even though it came from Ivan. “Thank you.”
“I just know that sometimes it’s easy to miss a snake in the grass.”
Ivan and Oleg were nearly the same height, which meant that when Ivan threatened Oleg with a smile, he met his brother with merry eyes.
Oleg smiled back, showing a hint of his fangs. “I would never underestimate the ability of a clever snake to hide.”
He started down the stairs again, and the hair on the back of his neck stood at attention as his amnis reacted to Ivan’s badly veiled threats.
“Then again” —Oleg paused at the base of the stairs— “there are fewer and fewer clever snakes still lurking around Moscow, aren’t there?” He glanced over his shoulder and just barely caught the look of disdain on Ivan’s face. “You’ve killed anyone smarter than you.”
Ivan was not particularly intelligent, but he carried a brutal, scheming ability to manipulate people, and he was adept at seeing weaknesses.
“I heard a rumor that Zara’s clever bookkeeper is in the Fire King’s court.” Ivan swerved to a topic Oleg had not expected. “Oddthat she would be there. Arosh has no modern business presence that would necessitate someone with her skills.”
Oleg frowned, pretending to be confused. “Are you talking about Zara’s youngest? The young woman who was working with Elene?”
Ivan’s eyes narrowed, and his lips curved in a satisfied smile. “You know exactly who I’m talking about. Perhaps she is Alina’s now. How did you let a little bit of a girl slip from your control?”
“Zara’s daughter is always welcome in our territory, Ivan, but she is very young. I am not a captor for young vampires who want to roam.”
Oleg could say more, but he knew when Ivan was trying to bait him. The worst thing he could do was reveal how much he was paying attention to Tatyana Vorona.
She would immediately become Ivan’s target.
Ivan took another step toward Oleg. “So you’re not trying to get her back?”
Oleg shrugged. “What is she to me? When she has finished her time in the Fire King’s court, she will likely return home. Our kind tend to return to their roots, do they not?”
Ivan was certainly in touch with his roots.
Oleg was more and more convinced that leaving his brother alive after Truvor’s death had been a mistake. If Truvor had an heir in brutality, it was Ivan.
“A pretty little thing and a computer genius too, from what I hear,” Ivan said. “Perhaps she’s the person you’re looking for to take Elene’s position.”
“I’m sure she’s very bright, but we need a human for the role.” Oleg leaned into Ivan’s turn of conversation. “So who are your candidates?”
