Hard to Resist

by Lauren Landish

  But our ‘friendship’ only stretches so far, and Nikolai won’t give up what I truly need from him without a hefty price.

  Normally, I’d take Caleb’s feelings on the matter into consideration, but in this instance, I simply can’t. Insuring our relationship with Nikolai is merely step one in a complex situation, every step hinging on the last, and all of them are dependent on Nikolai’s giving in.

  Something Caleb fucking knows but refuses to admit.

  “It’s not up for debate, Caleb. We have to do this and you know it,” I say, not wanting to rehash the fight again.

  But Caleb doesn’t suffer from the same desire. “He’s a notorious scumbag, and he can’t be trusted. You know this, but yet you’re trying to get his word that he’ll give you safe passage into his territory on a harebrained mission for a gem that only exists in fairy tales and late-night gem dealer bullshit sessions. It’s the fucking Holy Grail, except it likely never existed. And even if it does, it most likely got our father murdered. This is madness.”

  Though argumentative, I can hear the concern in Caleb’s words. He’s worried I’ll end up with the same fate as our father, and I can’t promise him I won’t.

  But I have to see this through. Following Dad’s footsteps is the only way to find out who killed him, which is my true goal. The idea of a massive diamond would simply be a bittersweet memento of the journey.

  “Nikolai wouldn’t be so stupid as to start a war on American soil, not when the government is salivating for a reason to take him into custody,” I remind Caleb. “While he’s here this month, we need to take advantage of his proximity. There’s no other way. If we can gain his favor while he’s here, he’ll grant access to the cave system and we can search. For clues and maybe more. That’s why we need to throw this party and gift Nikolai with these diamonds.”

  Caleb chuckles bitterly. “Who’d have thought I’d be the one telling you not to throw a party and you’d be the one bound and determined to host a raver?”

  I shake my head, and despite his mocking tone, I’m amused at his choice of words. “Not a raver for sure. But a classy get-together where we can talk to Nikolai. I’ve got everything covered, food, drinks, music, and guests.” I pause, my mind attaching to something that I’d set aside earlier in my preparations. “Actually, we might need a better balance on the guest list. It’s a little testosterone-heavy.”

  Digging into my desk drawer, I pull out a small black book. “Hold on to your arguments for a moment. I need to reserve a few hostesses to work the party. I’ve used one company before.” Before I can dial, Caleb balks.

  “Oh, c’mon, Nathan! Hostesses? Are we running a brothel now? Throwing Nikolai a party, giving him expensive gifts, and now supplying the pussy. Why don’t we just throw him a damn parade too?”

  I raise an eyebrow. “You know it’s not like that. The girls are merely for the headcount and conversation, and the diamonds are a gift, though one that comes with strings. The strings we’re going to pull like puppet masters to get what we want.”

  “What you want, you mean. I don’t want any of this and you damn well know it,” Caleb spits out. “Father’s killer? I’d shake the man’s hand. The so-called priceless gems he chased all over the world? They had a price. He wanted them more than he wanted us, devoted all his time and energy to finding the next big discovery. Like an addict, he sacrificed his family, everything that should’ve mattered, for something that never even came to fruition. And just like the dutiful son you are, you’re picking up the pieces and carrying on, continuing his legacy even though it only brought pain and death to this family.”

  Caleb’s words are hard to hear, but if I’m honest with myself, his assessment is correct. My father was a cold, business-minded man who gave little more than a passing thought to his sons. I turned his dismissal into a fire to conquer, while Caleb was younger and felt the rejection more pointedly.

  I give him an olive branch, because there’s another price that was paid, not by our father, and the weight of it is upon my shoulders even now.

  “Caleb, I share the same misgivings you do about Nikolai. Still, I need to see this through. He might’ve been a bad father, but Dad deserves someone to avenge his murder. If not that, I at least need to know why. Like you said, he sacrificed everything. I need to hold what he valued so dearly in my hand, really see what’s so great about it, so I can begin to understand why it was more important than we were. I’m not trying to complete Dad’s work in some wild attempt to receive his favor from the grave. I’m doing it to show how worthless it truly was and that he would’ve been better served with us, with nightly dinners around the table, playing catch with us in the backyard, just being a family. Especially after Mom killed herself. It should have been the three of us against the world. But he ditched us with nannies to go gallivanting around. I just need to understand. Then . . .”

  “Then what?”

  “Then I might just take a sledgehammer and smash the fucking thing into a million pieces,” I admit. “Let the dust blow away in the wind.”

  I swallow thickly, surprised at what just came from my mouth. Though I’d thought those things over the years, I’d never actually put them into words before, especially not aloud to another person.

  But of anyone on the planet, Caleb would be the most likely to understand.

  He eyes me for a moment, testing the truthfulness of my confession, and then sags. “Fine. I’m behind you then. Not for the famed Michael Stone or for his name to be cleared of the mud, but for us. Just you and me. We deserve a name that stands for something. We deserve some answers. We deserve the truth. And if this is how we get it, then throw the damn party for Nikolai. I’ll find the girls.”

  I nod, accepting his agreement graciously because it’s not a victory worth celebrating. It’s just a cog in the wheel, one step of many in the plan. “We’ll throw the party and give Nikolai the stones to secure safe passage and access to the caves. It’s as simple as that.”

  He shakes his head. “It’s never simple. Not when the Russians are involved. Don’t fuck with them, Nathan.”

  “I won’t,” I assure Caleb. “I have no intention of double-crossing Nikolai. Just trust me. That’s all I ask.”

  Caleb sighs and rubs at his temples, something I’ve seen him do for years when he’s working a problem out in his mind. His idiot façade intentionally covers his intelligence, his brain the one thing he’s selective in showing.

  “I was afraid you were going to say that. Brother, remember . . . pride goeth before the fall. This is not some step-by-step mission you can outline with target points. This is a whole system you’re trying to manipulate by working Nikolai. A system his people designed, built, and strengthened while you and I were off shooting people and blowing shit up. And he likely knows what you’re up to. You’re at an inherent disadvantage and he’s well aware of it.”

  I nod, but at the end of the day, I’ve weighed the potential risks and possible benefits. And whatever the outcome, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.

  One way or another, permission granted or not, I intend to gain access to those caves.

  Read the Full Book HERE.