Chapter 19 #2
“Two days ago.” I explained everything, right down to the last detail, leaving nothing out. I gave him every bit of information I had, including how Lukyan’s stalker had infiltrated Sergei’s estate to—we assumed—gather information.
Aleksandr listened to it all without interrupting.
“Hold on,” he said after I’d finished. A few beeps came through the phone, and then he was back. “Okay. Nikolai and Illayana are here.”
“What? Where?”
“Take the phone away from your ear, Father,” Illayana’s soft voice followed.
“Why would I do that? I won’t be able to hear you.”
“Just do it,” Nikolai grunted.
I took the phone away. On the screen were Aleksandr, Nikolai, and Illayana, spliced into three boxes. Their backgrounds showed they were all in different places. “Oh. Hello.”
Illayana smiled, waving her hand. Nikolai nodded.
“Repeat everything you just said for them,” Aleksandr said.
I did. Autumn’s hand caressed up and down my back in a show of support as I spoke, which I greatly appreciated. It was hard for me, having to relay again and again how I’d failed to keep Lukyan safe, but it had to be done.
“Fucking hell,” Illayana blew out after I was done. “I fucking told him she was bad fucking news. Why couldn’t he, for once, just listen to reason?”
“He wouldn’t be Lukyan if he did,” Nikolai commented. “So what happens now? What resources has Grandfather offered to help locate him?”
“A few men, and even that was barely offered. We can’t rely on him.
We have to pool our own resources. Aleksandr, get on the phone with some of the other families in the Bratva.
See what they’ve heard and what’s circling the streets.
Whatever information they have, I want it, no matter how inconsequential. ”
Aleksandr nodded, writing something down.
“Nikolai, I need you to scour the CCTV footage from the venue as well as Sergei’s estate. See if you can track her movements and possibly get me a fucking ID on her. She has to show her face somewhere. Once we have a face, we should be able to get a name.”
“On it,” Nikolai grunted.
“And me?” Illayana asked.
Nikolai answered before I could. “Nothing. You’re useless.”
Illayana’s eyes narrowed. She got up, disappearing out of the frame, reappearing in the open doorway behind Nikolai a moment later. She marched right for him, slapped him on the back of the head, spun, and marched right back out.
Nikolai grumbled, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
Illayana walked back into her frame and sat down with a smile on her face.
“I was thinking I can reach out to some of my Cosa Nostra contacts,” Illayana began, as if there’d been no interruption.
“Arturo has connections with border security and aviation. If she’s left the country with him and comes back to the states, we need to know so we don’t waste time looking for him in the wrong place. ”
I nodded. “Smart idea. Time is of the essence. This woman is too unpredictable to try and anticipate what she will do next.”
“Do you think she’ll kill him?” Illayana asked, voice filled with worry.
I didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know. If Lukyan refuses to comply, she might. So we need to find him before that happens.”
“And what of our other…issue?” Aleksandr knew better than to say it outright, especially given where I was. Who could be listening.
“I’ll handle it.”
“How?” Aleksandr questioned.
I locked eyes with Autumn and nodded once.
She smiled, throwing me a wink before she turned and walked behind me.
I continued on. When our guard detail tried to follow, Autumn stood in their path, blocking them.
The harsh sounds of a fight came next. I glanced over my shoulder to see she had already subdued some of the guards, two of them lying unconscious on the floor.
She had the third in a choke hold while the fourth was circling her.
The man in her arms slumped, knocked out.
Autumn dropped him and sprang forward, catching the fourth guard completely off guard with a tackle.
She choked him out just like the others in record time.
Springing back to her feet, she skipped back to my side and slipped her hand in mine, smile still firmly on her face.
“With Lukyan’s kidnapping, the plan will have to change,” I said, bringing Autumn’s hand up to place a soft kiss on her skin in thanks. She beamed up at me. “I’ll have to handle it myself.”
“Again, I ask, how?”
“I’ve been in touch with my contacts in Sergei’s ranks.
” I made eye contact with one of them off in the distance.
Rurik Gusev. He stood on the verandah surrounding the house, arms folded across his chest. He’d witnessed what just happened, and like I’d hoped, he did nothing to interfere.
I nodded. He nodded back before turning around and walking back into the house.
“He’s one of Sergei’s brigadiers, and has information about others within the Bratva who are willing to fight for a change in leadership.
My father has not been treating his people right, but they’re too scared to stand up to him.
That’s where I come in. I’ll present them with another option.
If I can get enough of them on board, I can overthrow him without a single loss of life. Well, except for Sergei’s.”
“Why wasn’t this the plan to start with? We could have just done that instead of risking Lukyan.” Illayana’s disapproval was clear as day.
“Because it’s risky,” Nikolai answered instead.
“Father is suggesting making a move while Sergei is still alive. That has the potential to be disastrous. If Sergei was dead, there would be no fear of reprisals. The fact that he will still be alive presents the fear element. He’ll still hold incredible influence over them, and that fear could make his people second-guess their decision for an overthrow. ”
“He could literally scare them back into submission,” Autumn added.
“Yes.” Nikolai nodded. “Having Lukyan kill him beforehand eliminated that threat. His people would have nothing to be scared of. They would accept the change in leadership without any issue.”
Illayana blew out a frustrated breath. “Okay. I get it.”
“I’m still being watched like a hawk,” I said, scanning the grounds.
Some of the other guards had noticed our security detail was out.
It wouldn’t be long before a new one was issued to us.
Rurik could only hold it off for so long without arousing suspicion himself.
I knew that. “I’ll have to do it carefully and discreetly, but for now, that’s the new plan.
It goes without saying, though, that finding Lukyan is the main priority.
This shit comes second. Reach out to all your contacts.
See if anyone has heard anything about this situation.
Ask them if there’s been a woman hanging around they don’t know.
Fucking anything. I don’t care. Find me some sort of information. I’ll do what I can from here.”
They all nodded.
“Go. Report back as soon as you have something.”
Aleksandr clicked off first. Then Illayana. Before Nikolai could disappear, I said, “Nikolai, wait. I have a job for you.”
He frowned. “Yes?”
“I’m going to send you a photograph of someone. I need you to dig up as much information as you can on him.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Vernon Miseris. I don’t know who he is.
That’s why I want you to find out.” Over the past few days, I’d studied him with Sergei.
Their relationship was strange. It was almost as if Vernon was watching him.
All the time. As if he was keeping an eye on him for some reason.
I wanted to know why. “Dig deep. Find out everything you can.”
Nikolai nodded. “Leave it with me.”