Where the Sun Hides (Seasons of Betrayal #1)(56)

Grabbing his gun from the glove compartment, he checked the clip before holstering the weapon. It was now or never.

The front door was open when he tried the knob, not all that surprising since it was pretty well known who the house belonged to.

He crossed the floor to the spiral staircase, heading upstairs to the second level where Vasily’s office was located. Though the door was pushed closed from what Kaz could see from down the hall, the gruff, but soft voices could still be heard.

Rapping his knuckles twice against the door, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. There were five men in attendance, his father included. Raj stood off to the side looking disapproving—probably because Kaz had arrived after him, though they had left from the same place. Two more men were seated against the back wall, not speaking. And last, there was Andrei who was standing across from Vasily, his gaze shooting to Kaz the moment he entered the room.

“Good of you to finally join us,” Andrei said, condescension dripping from his tone.

Kaz’s brow rose as he regarded the man, but he kept his mouth shut. He and Andrei had never gotten along, in part because the man felt Kaz didn’t deserve the spot he had. Andrei had been a part of the brotherhood for more than two decades, had even spent a tour in a Russian gulag back during the fall of the Soviet Union, and yet he was still occupying the same position as Kaz.

Of course, he couldn’t voice his anger to Vasily—not if he wanted to live—but he lived to make Kaz’s life difficult every f*cking chance he got.

“Sorry, Mom,” Kaz said. “Next time I’ll call to let you know when I’ll be late for dinner.”

Chuckles arose, making Andrei’s face mottle with red. “You little—”

“As entertaining as this has been,” Vasily interjected. “We need to get to business. Take a seat, Kazimir.”

Kaz quickly surveyed the available spots left in his father’s office to sit, noting the only seats would put his back to someone else, or a window. Standing where he was, his back was only to the door, and that was better than it facing men he didn’t trust all that much.

“I’ll stand,” Kaz said.

Vasily passed him an indecipherable look, but settled on a nod. “Fine. Last night—”

“I still think we should send a message to the Italians,” one of the two men standing against the wall said.

“I’m going to speak without interruption, or the next time someone jumps in on my conversation, I will have their tongue removed and bronzed for a paperweight,” Vasily said rather dryly.

Any and all sounds in the office silenced instantly.

Vasily wasn't known for idle threats, and he always had a certain flair when it came to making a point.

“Good,” Vasily said, pleased with the quietness around him. “As I was saying, I wanted to revisit the attack on Ruslan last night, and what I have decided to do about it.”

Kaz shoved his hands in his pockets, curious but wisely choosing to stay quiet. It would do him no good to open his mouth at that moment, and he was well aware of that fact.

“And, what of it, boss?” Andrei asked.

Vasily picked up a mail opener from the desk, and fiddled with the dull knife. He spun the tip against the pad of his index finger as he spoke again. “You have to understand the way the Italians work, especially one like Alberto Gallucci. A man like him understands the value and weight of a proper apology.”

Kaz’s irritation jumped a notch.

His father seemed entirely unfazed by what had happened to Ruslan the night before as he set the letter opener down, and picked up his phone. Swiping at the screen, Vasily passed it a look before turning it off and setting it back down with a nod.

“And while I would usually send out a message of my own after something like this happens, I have chosen not to this time,” Vasily said, eyeing each man, but lingering a little while longer on Kaz when he finally came to him.

It was like his father knew the rebuttal was right on the tip of his tongue.

“Do you have an opinion on that, Kazimir?” Vasily asked.

Kaz kept his cool demeanor firmly in place. “I have an opinion on my brother being attacked, yes.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

That was the only answer Kaz was willing to offer.

His nonresponse to his father stretched on for a long while until Vasily let out a heavy, annoyed breath and rested back in his large chair.

“I have reason to believe the attack was misguided, and appropriate action will be taken,” Vasily informed.

“By whom?” Kaz dared to ask.

Vasily smiled. “Men who understand the value and weight of an apology. Only if I do not receive what I want, then I will revisit this discussion and Ruslan’s attack again.”

Kaz didn’t like that statement at all, but what could he say?

His father made the calls.

And if, after everything was said and done, and nothing happened to Ruslan’s attackers, Kaz could always handle the issue himself. If he felt the punishment he might receive for doing so would be worth the reward in the end.

Vasily drummed his fingers to the desk and said, “For the next little while, I want everyone to be careful and quiet about business. Be mindful of the territory we have, as there is no need to begin pushing against someone else’s lines when we are perfectly capable of working within our own. At least until the dust settles, and I have gotten what I wanted.”