Where the Wind Whispers (Seasons of Betrayal Book 3) by Bethany-Kris, London Miller Page B

anything Vasily did, yet he had managed to stay under the radar until he had been ready to make an appearance.
    “We’ll have answers soon enough,” Kaz said beneath his breath as they entered the office.
    And even if they didn’t get answers, he was just ready to put Vasily in the ground—it was long overdue.
    “Kazimir,” Vadim greeted with his trademark smile, rising from the chair behind his desk to come around and pull him into a hug, clapping him on the back. “It’s been a while, no?”
    While it wasn’t easy to get in the good graces of Vadim Boykov, once you were, he treated you like family. But the second that trust was broken, there was no getting back in. That was why he still welcomed Kaz with open arms but vowed to kill Vasily on sight.
    “How’s your wife?” Vadim went on as he reclaimed his seat, gesturing for Kaz to take the one opposite him.
    “She’s fine.”
    Vadim’s smile grew just a bit, though there was a coolness to his voice as he said, “I’m glad to hear. I’ve been trying to convince Konstantin here that it’s time for him to settle down, find a nice girl to make a home with.”
    Something akin to horror crossed Konstantin’s face, but he tempered his reaction when his father looked at him. “Yes, find is the operative word. Perhaps, if you stop interfering, I may be able to work on that.”
    Vadim tsked but didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he focused on Kaz. “What do you have for me? When your brother called, the last thing I expected him to say was that your father was here, considering our last meeting didn’t go over so well.”
    Right … when threats of death were issued, and Vadim had gone as far as to pull a gun on Vasily, intending to shoot him at that moment before Kaz and Konstantin got between the men.
    Sometimes, when he thought about that night, Kaz wondered why he hadn’t just let Vasily die that day.
    “He’s desperate,” Kaz supplied, setting the camera on the desk between them and pushing it across. “I originally suspected he might have gone home to Russia—he still has contacts there—but one of the few still loyal to him told me he was here in Chicago, and this footage confirms it.”
    He didn’t explain any further, letting the Chicago boss see the evidence for himself without any input, but almost to the second that he pressed play, Vadim was shaking his head as he pointed at the man Vasily was having a meeting with in the restaurant.
    “That’s Collins’ political advisor,” he explained.
    If there had been any lingering doubt as to the validity of what Kaz thought, it was gone now. “Collins may have a lot of reach,” Kaz said after a moment, “but there’s only so much he’ll do to protect Vasily.”
    “Especially if we’re taking care of a problem for him,” Konstantin added. “He’ll be glad to hand him over should we pay him a visit.”
    Only once the tape stopped playing did Vadim give Kaz back his attention. “Should you find your father— if this was not merely a stop before he leaves again—what do you intend to do with him?” Before Kaz could respond, Vadim held a hand up. “I know your intentions, but we often think we can betray blood, but that proves harder when you’re staring down the barrel of the gun at them.”
    Without a word, Kaz drew the edge of his collar down, unveiling the scar he was careful to keep hidden. Though it had healed with time, it was still prominent. “Trust me, there’s nothing left.”
    Sitting back, Vadim steepled his fingers. “Konstantin, call your brother. I’m sure he would like to be a part of this. Kazimir, I’ll make a couple of calls. We’ll have the location within the next two hours.”
    And within the next three, Vasily was a dead man.
     

     
    The Gallucci mansion was brought to life by the decorations coloring up the halls and the twinkle lights strung up along the vaulted ceilings. Violet didn’t know what occasion warranted the catered party, but she was