Nikolai’s eyes fall flat. He turns away from me for a moment before whipping around again fast. “Sobakin is doing the same thing that he did back then. You know why he succeeded? Because he fought his battle from the shadows.”
“He might be, but the bottom line is that he won. So what does it matter how he won?”
I scowl. “It matters to me.”
“It probably mattered to Otets, too. Now, he’s dead.”
I slam my fists against the table and launch up to my feet. “Don’t.”
Nikolai’s eyes burn with fury, but this time, that fury is directed at me. He straightens up, wobbles a few steps back, then takes a deep breath. “It’s your call.”
“That’s right. It’s my f*****g call.”
Nikolai sighs and, just like that, he’s my brother again. “How’s Polina doing?”
“She’s fine. She’s a tough kid. But I think s
