Chapter 7 - The Sister’s Ledger
Viktor answered the call, pressing the phone to his ear without saying a word. The background noise on the other end was not the sound of frantic escape, but the crisp, quiet ambiance of a climate-controlled office.
""You always were impossible to kill, Viktor,"" Sofia’s voice came through, smooth, melodic, and devoid of fear. ""I suppose I should have sent eight men instead of five.""
Viktor’s grip on the phone creaked under the pressure of his fingers. ""Mother is alive. Elena is alive. You failed, Sofia.""
A brief pause hovered over the line. When Sofia spoke again, her tone was chillingly pragmatic. ""Elena is a stray dog you picked up from an alley, brother. You elevated a girl with no name to sit beside our throne, and you thought your weakness wouldn't be noticed? The Council wanted you removed the day you started letting her dictate your decisions. She made you soft.""
""She took bullets for our mother while you hid behind mercenaries and bought off Alexei,"" Viktor said, his voice dropping into a lethal, hushed baritone. ""Where are you, Sofia?""
""I’m where you can’t touch me,"" she replied calmly. ""I’m sitting inside the Central District Federal Courthouse. The U.S. Marshals are processing my protective custody paperwork right now. Along with your ledger, Viktor. In three hours, the grand jury convenes. The Rostov name ends tonight.""
""You think a badge will stop me?""
""I know what you are, Viktor,"" she said softly. ""A beast that only understands fire. But if you step foot near this courthouse, the state will authorize the National Guard. You’ll die in the street like a rabid animal, and Elena will wake up an orphan all over again.""
The line went dead.
Viktor lowered the phone, his face an unreadable mask of stone. Marcus stepped beside him, having heard the exchange through the high-grade speaker. ""Boss... the Federal Courthouse is a bunker. Attacking it directly is an act of war against the state.""
Viktor looked at his mother, who had closed her eyes in silent prayer, and then down at Elena, whose hand twitched weakly against the bedsheet. He reached down, wrapping his large, scarred hand around her fragile fingers until she stirred, her hazel eyes opening a fraction.
""Viktor..."" she breathed faintly.
May you like
""Don't speak,"" he whispered, leaning down. ""Rest. When you wake up, there will be no more shadows.""
He stood up, buttoned what was left of his blood-stained jacket, and looked at Marcus. ""Call the old guard. Bring the heavy munitions from the armory. We’re going to court.""
