Page 90 of Feral King

She’s slim and in her late fifties. She’s impeccably dressed in a dark suit with a mandarin collar, her black hair cut into a sharp bob that frames a slim, sculpted face. Two men stand on either side of her, hands folded in front of them—the universal posture of hired guns.

“Mr. Volkov.” She doesn’t stand. “Please. Sit.”

I subtly nod to Ethan, letting him know to hang back. He nods in response, standing by the door as I approach the table and take a seat across from her.

“I was hoping to see Mr. Yang.”

That is true, but I knew the odds of him taking an international trip to meet with me were slim. Still.

“Mr. Yang sends his regards. He’s in Shanghai and won’t be traveling unless circumstances require it.” She pours tea into a second cup and slides it slowly toward me. “I speak for him, as you are well aware.”

“I’m aware that’s the arrangement. What I’m wondering, however, is if our arrangement still holds.”

There’s a slight pause, followed by a micro-expression of anger and surprise blended together. It quickly fades, but I catch it.

“Of course, it holds, Mr. Volkov. Why wouldn’t it?”

I take a slow sip of my tea, then set down my mug as I casually glance around.

“Because the last time I sat across from Mr. Yang in Beijing, we agreed on certain terms. Those terms included Pacific shipping corridors being opened to Volkov operations in exchange for exclusive distribution rights through ourEastern Seaboard network, among other things. These terms were negotiated with Yang—directly and in person—over the course of fourteen months.”

“And those terms remain in effect.”

“Do they? Because I’m having some difficulty reconciling those terms with the fact that Chinese nationals connected to Triad infrastructure have tried to kill me three times in the past month."

Lee’s expression doesn’t change—another red flag. A woman hearing that her organization’s assets have been used in assassination attempts should show some alarm or anger.

But Lee shows nothing. She sips her tea. It all seems so… practiced.

“That’s a very serious accusation, Mr. Volkov.”

“It’s not an accusation; it’s a fact. I have shell casings, traffic camera footage, registration information, and facial recognition. All of it links the assailants to a front company in Flushing that your organization uses for logistics. The same company was flagged in connection with a vehicle that tried to run my girlfriend off the freeway two weeks ago.”

Girlfriend. I suppose that’s the only word that fits.

“Your girlfriend.” She sets down her cup of tea. “The Thibodeaux woman.”

Something about the way Lee says her name makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Another red flag. Lee knows who Lyra is. She’s been paying attention.

“Mr. Volkov, I assure you that Mr. Yang would never authorize action against a partner of the Triads. If these individuals are connected to our business, then they are acting without authorization. I will personally investigate and report my findings to Mr. Yang.”

“When?”

“These things take time.”

“I don’t have time, Mrs. Lee. The Bratva council is in four days. I need to stand in front of nine syndicate heads and present our deal as operational and stable. If Yang’s own people are shooting at me, the deal doesn’t just look unstable—it looks dead.”

“I understand the urgency.” Her tone is measured and calm, the tone of a woman who is in no rush and doesn’t intend to be. “I will look into the matter before I brief Mr. Yang. No need to alarm him prematurely with unverified intelligence.”

Before she briefs Yang. Not at the same time. Not right away.Before.

She’s filtering information, deciding what Yang hears and when he hears it.

“Mrs. Lee, I’d prefer to speak to Mr. Yang directly. This matter warrants his personal attention.”

“Mr. Yang is not available for direct communication at this time. As I said, I speak for him.” She folds her hands neatly on the table. “However, if it would ease your concerns, I will personally attend the Bratva council on Mr. Yang’s behalf. I will confirm the Triad’s support for your leadershipand the terms of our Pacific agreement, publicly and on the record.”

It’s exactly what I need. That sort of in-person confirmation would shut down Dobrov, push Alexander aside, and give me the stability I need to protect Lyra and the baby.