Embrace of the Russian Tiger (Russian Mafia Kings #2)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

I sat in my office, the weight of everything pressing down on me like a vice around my chest. I stared blankly at the window, the city spread out in front of me, but my thoughts were miles away. Normally, I could compartmentalize my emotions—bury them deep enough so they wouldn’t affect me. But after the punishment I had given Anna, things were different. I had expected satisfaction, control, to solidify my dominance. But instead, I had felt… strange.

Weak.

I’d cut her punishment short, far too early. The moment I’d heard her soft gasps, seen the way she responded to me despite her defiance, something inside me had faltered. I hated that she could make me feel that way—question my control, my decisions. And since that night, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.

It was pathetic. I had underestimated her, underestimated how much she could challenge my dominance. It was infuriating that one woman could make me question my control and decisions.

The sharp buzz of my phone on the desk snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen, frowning as I saw an unknown number flashing back at me. Rarely did anyone call me without clearing it through channels first, and an unrecognized number was suspicious at best. My hand reached for the phone automatically, ready to dismiss the call when hesitation flickered through me.

“ Da ,” I replied, my voice cold, professional.

There was a brief pause, and then the voice came through, warm, casual— familiar.

“Maxim, you old bastard! It’s been a while.”

I couldn’t believe it. It was the voice of my childhood friend, Nikolai. Someone I hadn't spoken to in years, but had once known better than anyone else.

“Nikolai?” I said, surprised by the sudden connection.

He chuckled on the other end of the line, bringing back memories from our younger days. Nikolai had been like an older brother to me and my sister Katya when we first arrived in New York as immigrants. He had looked out for us and taught us how to survive in the harsh city streets. We were inseparable, until Katya's death had changed everything.

“It’s been too long,” Nikolai continued with warmth. “I wasn’t sure you’d even remember me.”

“Of course I remember,” I replied, leaning back in my chair as memories flooded my mind. “How could I forget?”

We had arrived in New York with nothing but dreams and desperation. Nikolai had already established himself in the city's underbelly before we met, and he took us under his wing. He showed us how to read people and situations, how to be street-smart. For a while, I admired him and looked up to him for his easy charm and warmth that drew people in.

But life had changed both of us.

“So, are you back in New York?” I asked curiously, trying to keep my guard up. People like Nikolai didn't just call out of the blue without a motive.

“No,” Nikolai said. “I’ve been on the West Coast for years now. L.A. has its own kind of pull, you know? But I’ve been thinking about old times, lately. Figured I’d give you a call.”

I felt a mix of emotions at the sound of his voice. He was tied to a part of my life that I had buried long ago, a part of me that was more open and less calculated. Before emotion became a liability, and before I lost Katya.

“How’s life treating you, then?” I asked, trying to hide my suspicion. We hadn't spoken in years, and I knew there had to be a reason for this sudden reconnection.

“Good, good,” he replied casually. “Things are different now, but I’ve built a nice life for myself. You always were the one with the sharp mind, though. I hear things about you, Maxim. You’ve done well for yourself.”

I grunted in response, feeling uneasy with the praise. Nikolai was always clever, and there was always a motive behind his charm.

There was a pause on the line before Nikolai's voice softened, nostalgia creeping in. "I still think about Katya sometimes."

The mention of my sister’s name hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn’t heard anyone say her name aloud in years, not since the day she was murdered. It was a wound I had never let heal, a scar that drove every decision I made.

“She was special,” Nikolai continued, his voice filled with a warmth I had long since buried. “She had that fire in her, you know? That spirit. I tried to look out for her, but…” His voice trailed off, and I could hear the regret.

My jaw clenched. Katya had been everything to me, the only person who saw the parts of me I kept hidden from the world. Losing her had changed everything. It had hardened me, made me cold, made me ruthless. Nikolai had been there when we first found out what had happened to her, but he had drifted away after that. I didn’t blame him. Grief does strange things to people.

“She’s gone,” I said, my voice tight. “What’s the point of dwelling on it now?”

Nikolai sighed, and I could hear the sadness in his voice. “I know, Maxim. I know. But sometimes, it helps to remember where we came from. What we lost.”

“I never forget what I lost, Nikolai,” I growled. Then I stayed silent, letting his words sink in. I had spent years trying to forget where I came from, to distance myself from the boy I once was. That boy had been vulnerable, and I had no use for vulnerability anymore. But hearing Nikolai talk about those days brought it all rushing back. The memories of our childhood, of Katya’s laughter, of the three of us navigating a world that was too big and too cruel for us. It was a time when I had allowed myself to feel.

But that was before.

“What do you want, Nikolai?” I asked, cutting through the sentimentality. I couldn’t afford to indulge in memories. Not now.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and then Nikolai chuckled softly. “Always straight to the point. I admire that about you. I was just thinking… Maybe we could reconnect. You and me. We were family once, Maxim. Maybe we could be one again.”

I frowned. “Why now?”

He didn’t answer right away, and I could feel the weight of the unspoken things hanging between us. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter, more serious. “Things are changing, Maxim. You know that as well as I do. The world we grew up in, the world you’ve built—it’s all shifting. I thought maybe we could help each other.”

There it was. The real reason for his call. I wasn’t surprised. Nikolai was older, wiser now, but he hadn’t changed. He was still the same man who always had an angle, always looking for the next opportunity. And yet, part of me felt a strange sense of relief. At least he was honest about it.

“I’ll think about it,” I said, my voice carefully neutral.

“Do that,” Nikolai replied, his tone warm again. “I’d like to see you, Maxim. It’s been too long.”

We exchanged a few more words before I hung up the phone, leaning back in my chair as I stared at the ceiling. The call had dredged up memories I didn’t want to face, but more than that, it had left me with questions.

Nikolai had known Katya. He had been there in the beginning, before everything fell apart. And now, after all these years, he was back. Was it coincidence, or was there something more at play?

And then there was Anna.

I closed my eyes, trying to shove the thoughts of Anna and Nikolai to the back of my mind. I needed clarity, focus. This is difficult with the ghosts of my past resurfacing and with Nikolai back in the picture.

I sat in silence for a few moments after hanging up the phone, the weight of Nikolai’s words still pressing against my mind. The past had a way of creeping up on you, no matter how far you thought you’d buried it. Nikolai’s voice had stirred something I didn’t want to confront—something about Katya, about the boy I used to be, and about the man I’d become.

But I couldn’t dwell on that now. Not when there were far more immediate problems on my plate. Anna, for one. She was unraveling the control I had worked so hard to maintain. And now Nikolai, with his easy charm, was trying to bring back memories I’d long since discarded. I needed to stay focused.

Mikhail entered the room just then, his usual brooding presence filling the space. He was quieter these days, more withdrawn, ever since his own family had fallen apart after his sister’s death. It wasn’t just grief weighing him down—it was guilt. Guilt for not protecting her, guilt for not being able to stop his family from splintering after her murder. It was a burden we both carried.

But Mikhail didn’t complain. He never did.

“You’re deep in thought,” he remarked, sitting in the chair opposite me. “What’s going on?”

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair. “Nikolai called.”

Mikhail raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “Nikolai? From back in the day? I haven’t heard that name in years. Why’s he calling you now?”

“Good question.” I rubbed my temples, feeling the tension building there. “He’s back in New York. Says he wants to ‘reconnect.’”

Mikhail didn’t respond immediately. He was silent, thoughtful, as if processing the news. “And what do you think he really wants?”

“That’s the problem,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Nikolai’s always had an angle, even back then. He’s not the type to just reach out for old times’ sake. He must want something.”

Mikhail nodded. He knew Nikolai too, though not as well as I did. Mikhail had come into the picture a little later, after Nikolai had already started distancing himself from us. But Mikhail had heard enough stories to understand who he was. “You think he’s dangerous?”

“I don’t think he’s a direct threat,” I admitted. “But he’s unpredictable. Back in the day, he was the type of guy who could talk his way into or out of anything. And he had this charm that made people trust him, even when they shouldn’t. That hasn’t changed, I’m sure.”

Mikhail leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “And what about you? You trust him?”

I thought about it for a moment. Did I trust Nikolai? Trust wasn’t something I gave out easily, not anymore. Nikolai had been a friend once, maybe even a brother, but those days were long gone. Too much had changed since then.

“No,” I said finally. “I don’t trust him. Not completely. But I’m curious about what he wants.”

Mikhail gave a small nod, as if that answer made sense to him. “You think it’s personal? Or business?”

“With Nikolai, it could be either.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “But he mentioned the world changing. He’s not wrong. The dynamics in the city are shifting, and people are positioning themselves for something big.”

Mikhail was quiet for a moment, then he asked, “And what if it’s something more than business?”

I glanced at him, knowing exactly what he was implying. “You think he’s trying to bring up the past on purpose.”

Mikhail shrugged. “Maybe. He was close with Katya, too. Maybe her death hit him harder than we realized. People do strange things when they feel guilty. You and I know that better than anyone.”

The mention of Katya’s name brought that familiar pang of grief, but I pushed it aside. I had learned how to live with that pain long ago. But the idea that Nikolai might be motivated by something emotional—by guilt or regret—was unsettling.

I didn’t like the idea of mixing emotion with business.

“I don’t know what his angle is,” I said finally, my voice low. “But whatever it is, I’ll figure it out. If he thinks he can manipulate me by bringing up the past, he’s in for a rude awakening.”

Mikhail nodded, his face serious. “You think you’ll meet with him?”

“I’ll consider it,” I replied. “I don’t want to show my hand too soon, but ignoring him isn’t an option, either. He’s too clever for that. I need to know what he’s after.”

Mikhail leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “Nikolai always had that way about him. He could get into people’s heads, make them think he was doing them a favor even when he was using them. But back then, he didn’t have the power you do now. You have the upper hand this time.”

“I know.” My voice was firm, but inside, the thought of Nikolai still gnawed at me. He had known me when I was young, back when I wasn’t the man I am now. He had known us—me and Katya, together. He had seen parts of me that no one in my current world had ever seen. And that made him dangerous in a different way.

“Keep an eye on things,” I told Mikhail. “If Nikolai is back in the city, I want to know everything about his movements. Who he’s talking to, where he’s going. I don’t want any surprises.”

Mikhail gave a curt nod. “I’ll handle it.”

As Mikhail stood to leave, I felt a familiar sense of heaviness settle over me. This life—this empire I had built—was supposed to be about control, about keeping emotions locked away and making rational decisions. But lately, that control had been slipping. First with Anna, and now with Nikolai resurfacing.

I couldn’t afford to be distracted by the past. I had spent years turning myself into the man I needed to be—cold, ruthless, untouchable. But now, ghosts were rising from the grave, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face them.

“I’ll figure it out,” I muttered under my breath, mostly to myself.

Mikhail, halfway to the door, glanced back at me. “You always do.”

As the door closed behind him, I found myself staring at my reflection in the darkened window. The skyline of the city stretched out before me, vast and glittering, but all I could see was the boy I had once been. The boy who had looked up to Nikolai, who had loved his sister with all his heart. The boy who had lost everything.