The Spy by Sophie Lark
13
Ares
Ifucked up royally with Hedeon, and with Nix, too.
Throw Cat in the mix while you’re at it.
I saw her and Hedeon walking into the annex together and I knew, I just fucking knew, that Cat was going to spill the truth. Call it a sixth sense, or simple intuition that those two wouldn’t be walking around together at 9:00 at night for no reason.
My only solace is that while Cat may have guessed Hedeon’s mother, she doesn’t seem to know his father just yet. But I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time.
Cat is so fucking relentless.
I panicked. I didn’t know how to stop what was happening right in front of my face.
And now I’ve made myself look suspicious, in front of Nix no less.
I was never meant for all this sneaking around.
My mother is pissed when I tell her.
“I should have let Rocco Prince skin her alive in the library,” she grouses, fully annoyed with Cat’s meddling.
I know she doesn’t mean that. Well—not entirely, anyway.
“What do you think I should do about it?” I ask her.
“Stick close to Hedeon. If he talks to Ilsa Markov, try to convince him not to spill what he knows.”
“What about Cat?”
“Stay away from her. She’s got the worst kind of radar—you don’t want to be on it.”
My mom is in a hell of a mood. She’s stalking around the library, flinging books into bins willy-nilly. It’s the middle of the night, no other students around. Still, it’s unlike her to behave so recklessly, tossing off her Miss Robin demeanor like a stifling fur coat, the real Sloane emerging from underneath.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her.
“Everything,” she seethes, raising her hands as if she’d like to strangle someone. “Dom called me today. Abram Balakin has finally seceded his position in Moscow. Danyl Kuznetsov is taking over as Pakhan.”
“Why does that matter?” I ask, confused.
Danyl was Abram’s lieutenant. He’s been eagerly anticipating Abram’s retirement, and his promotion was expected by all the Bratva bosses.
I’ve never met Danyl, but I know Dean Yenin owes him two years’ service when he graduates from Kingmakers—payment for Danyl’s sponsorship when Dean applied to the Heirs division.
“Danyl is calling another meeting of the high table,” my mother explains. “He’s insisting that all the Pakhans attend.”
My stomach twists. That means they’ll expect my father to be there. We already sent Dom in his place last year. The bosses are getting suspicious.
“You think Danyl’s doing this on purpose?” I ask.
My mother paces restlessly.
“Most definitely,” she says. “He’s buddied up with Foma Kushnir. Foma’s been tracking our withdrawals from the Gazprombank. He knows something’s up.”
“Yeah, he thinks Dom’s stealing money,” I snort, remembering how Bodashka Kushnir accused my cousin Kade of treachery and embezzlement.
“They’re not stupid,” my mother warns me. “They’re putting it together.”
My head is pounding, my blood pressure at a constant high for three fucking years now. I don’t know how much more I can take.
Forcing my voice steady, I ask her, “When’s the meeting?”
“The first week of January.”
I’m trying to think strategically, the way my mother would think.
Slowly, I say, “Dean knows Danyl, and he used to be friends with Bodashka Kushnir, though I don’t think they’re as close anymore. If Danyl plans to make a move, Dean could keep us informed . . .”
“How are you going to ask him that as Ares?”
“I’m not gonna ask him—I’ll tell Kade to do it. Dean likes him. He defended him to Bodashka last year.”
My mother considers this carefully before nodding.
“Talk to Kade. Don’t let Dean know you have anything to do with it. And for god’s sake, don’t let Cat hear about any of it.”
If only it were that easy to hide things from Cat Romero.
* * *
