Page 123 of Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan

“I think you should be the one watching yourself. Have you considered this being for the best? Her exit is the best, least messy way to end things.” He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Genevieve is a great girl, but you and I both know how this ends if she stays, and maybe her running now, before things go further, is the mercy neither of you would’ve chosen.”

“Find her first. I’ll decide what qualifies as mercy when I see her.”

Nikolai’s expression froze. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I held his gaze, making sure to infuse how serious I was into the next words I said. “It means, find Genevieve.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You can’t… Kaz, it’s a blood agreement.”

The door opened before I could answer him.

“You really should teach your security to announce visitors properly.” Svetlana walked in with a slim leather folder under one arm, her expression arranged into something that almost looked like sympathy but sat wrong on her face. “Though today, a little extra caution might have served you.”

“What are you doing here, Svetlana?”

“Is that any way to greet me?”

“Why are you here?” I repeated, my voice conveying every bit of irritation I felt.

Her lips curled into a sardonic smile and she let out a soft sigh.

“Because I heard your assistant resigned and you’re currently on a hunt.”

“Spit it out and get out before I drag you out myself.”

Her smile deepened. “So much energy for a warm pussy.”

My feet moved faster than my brain, but Nikolai stopped whatever was coming.

“If you have something to say, I suggest you say it before it gets ugly.”

She let out a loud gasp. “Why is he so agitated? Those were his words, not mine.”

“Svetlana.” Nikolai’s voice was a low rumble.

“I just find his actions a bit… intriguing.”

I forced myself to stay calm. Her words gave her out and I realized what this was. She had come to bait me and possibly assess the extent of Genevieve’s importance. It’s not every day I send out a search team.

“I am a man with many enemies; a missing assistant is not something I should ignore knowing she is privy to sensitive information.”

“I understand,” she replied. “Which is why I’m here. I thought you should see something before you spend the next week tearing the city apart.”

She set the folder she carried in on my desk. “You’ll want to sit down for this one.”

“Quick question,” I said, lifting my eyes from the file to her. “How did you hear about Genevieve so quickly?”

“You’d be surprised how fast news travels when it involves you.” She opened the folder before I could push further. “But that’s not the important part. This is.”

I looked at the file, and on the front page was a bank statement. An account under Genevieve’s maiden name.

“Genevieve has a hidden bank account.” Nikolai faked a shiver. “Shocking.”

I tuned out of their squabble, focusing on the name at the bottom of the ledger that made the room tilt slightly.

Volkov.

“Three deposits,” Svetlana’s voice echoed over my head. “Each one made within days of a meeting she happened to be present for. Meetings where sensitive information was discussed.”