Logan sobered. “None of your business.”
“I thought so.” Rumor had it Logan had fought during the last war and was a hell of a soldier. “Stays with you, doesn’t it?”
“Fuck you.”
Ivan smiled. His phone buzzed, interrupting his fun. He sighed and glanced down to see Phillipe Sadler’s contact information. Slowly, he lifted the phone to his ear. “Have you found your brother?” he asked without preamble.
“No, but I’m tracing his whereabouts, and if you hurt him, I’ll end you,” Phillipe said, his voice a throaty threat.
Ivan sighed loudly. “I don’t kill my business partners, and if your brother met with trouble, it’s more likely that the enforcers tracked him down.”
“You know, I think you’re full of shit, Bychkov.” A rustling echoed over the line.
“I don’t know where Rudger is,” Ivan said evenly. “If he’s working against me, or if this is some sort of power play put on by the two of you, then I’m going to come at you with everything I have.”
“Is that a fact?” Phillipe asked. “Do you really think I’ve just been on a wild ride trying to find him?” Another rustle came over the line, and a woman’s low cry pierced Ivan’s ears.
“Ivan? I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what—”
Ivan shut his eyes. “Millicent?” The stupid cow. She’d seen Rudger’s corpse and had cleaned up the blood.
Phillipe came back on the line. “If you want her back, you’ll meet me in Seattle.”
“Kill her.” Ivan ran scenarios in his mind. “Your brother was weak, and you’re definitely the brains of the duo. Don’t let emotion rule you right now.”
“You killed my brother.”
“Yes, but he was an idiot. I’m sorry he’s dead, but you and I have a business to run.” With the young demon watching him alertly, Ivan kept the conversation as vague as possible and tried to hide the flush of anxiety roaring through him.
Phillipe coughed. “I’m going to find you, and your death ain’t gonna go easy.”
The line went dead.
That stupid woman. He should’ve killed her the second she’d finished cleaning up the office. Now he had the demon nation, the Coven enforcers, and Phillipe Sadler after his ass. Not to mention the consortia members. He needed to mate Felicity Kyllwood and move his next plan into motion. “Your mother had better show up.” If nothing else, just having her captive would give him leverage until he could take care of his enemies.
Logan snorted. “My mom is gonna be pissed, asshole. Believe me, you do not want her to show up.”
Ivan frowned. “You know how weak she is.”
Now Logan full on laughed. “Man, don’t let her size fool you. You’re pretty much a dead man sitting there talking to me.”
Impressive. Such loyalty and blind faith from a real soldier. Ivan smiled. “Well, she’s mad at me anyway.”
“I’m sure.”
“Considering I killed your father.”
The atmosphere altered. The young demon changed into a soldier right before Ivan’s eyes. “Excuse me?” Logan asked.
Ivan forced a smile. The promise of death in the kid’s eyes didn’t unnerve him even a bit. “You heard me.” He expected an explosion and a string of threats. What he got, instead, was dark silence.
He swallowed. Maybe he would have to kill the kid before Felicity arrived.
Chapter 24
Daire’s penthouse was still smoky, and the boarded-up window turned the place a little dark and gloomy. He ignored the state of his once pristine place and concentrated on his mate, nudging her toward the bedroom. The talk with Zane had exhausted her, and she’d been through enough of an emotional turmoil for now. So it was time to take care of her.
Zane sat in an only slightly damaged chair by the stone fireplace, reading property records, while Felicity had been drinking tea in the kitchen. When she’d returned, she’d looked pale and wan. “You need a warm shower and some sleep,” Daire said.