Chapter 27 #2
The goddamn silence was incredible. At least a few of the bastards appeared uncomfortable, but after a few quick looks, they even started talking again.
“She is family. She has Irish blood in her.”
“Yeah, well, you should have thought of that before fucking some Russian.”
I wasn’t entirely certain who’d tossed out the horrible barb, but it just didn’t matter.
That did it. I grabbed an empty chair, using it to climb onto a table where two of the biggest assholes were sitting. Finn suddenly disappeared from behind the bar. Likely to try to strongly encourage me to get the hell out. He’d need to drag me out at this point, I was so angry.
“Who I date is none of your goddamn business. Now, you are going to listen to me. I don’t care who you think you are, if you were a part of or condoned having my daughter being kidnapped and I find out. You. Will. Suffer.”
At that moment, a shift on the television caught my eye and I turned toward it. With the silence continuing in the bar, I was able to hear what the reporter was saying.
“While the information is unconfirmed, there are reports that the two people arrested for the kidnapping of a local kindergartener died while in the custody of the police.”
What?
Holy crap. Whoever was doing this was tying up loose ends.
My mind immediately drifted back to my sweet Emily. This was bad.
I knew the reporter was still talking, showing a picture of the jail where the man and woman had been taken, but I was suddenly lost in a fog. They’d been murdered. My God. What in the hell was going on? A trickle of fear skittered down my spine.
Trying to control my breathing became impossible.
I shouldn’t be here. That much had just been made perfectly clear.
I had no backup and even Kristine didn’t know where I was going.
I hadn’t told her in case the men protecting me somehow figured out I was missing.
My God. What the hell was wrong with me? My bravado might get me killed.
As someone started to clap, I bristled, slowly turning toward the sound.
There stood Liam with a smug look on his face. Behind him were two goons that I’d never seen before.
He walked closer, still clapping. When he was a few feet away, he sighed, making the sound as exaggerated as possible. The expression on his face was off, cold and distant. Whether to annoy me or to let the others know he was irritated didn’t bother me. The look in his eyes did.
They were completely devoid of emotion.
Everyone in the bar was on edge, their heads all turned toward Liam. He’d never looked more in control than he did today.
“Very nice performance, Halle. Now, I assume you came here to talk to me, perhaps to resign since you didn’t bother to show up for your shift last night. Why don’t we have a nice conversation in my office, so we don’t bother my paying customers.”
I’d never been the kind of girl to back down from any confrontation. My personality didn’t allow it, but given the look on his face and the fact the men flanking his sides were carrying weapons, I’d suddenly began to realize my plan hadn’t been thought through very well.
The customers resumed drinking and talking, now acting as if I wasn’t even there. I’d never felt so small or lonely before. Mostly because of how obvious it was they didn’t care about Emily in the least.
I climbed off the table, immediately moving toward Liam.
He gave me a onceover before nodding to the two men, who backed away so I could pass between them.
I followed Liam into what he called his office, which was a former storeroom he’d converted into his poker playing room.
Even now, the round table held half consumed drinks of the three men.
The stench of cigar smoke hit me in the face.
“Sit down,” Liam demanded.
“I’ll think I’ll stand. This won’t take very long. Why don’t you ask your goons to wait outside.”
He snorted as if he didn’t know how I dared make the suggestion, but I wasn’t budging. I folded my arms, standing where I could see the three of them.
Cursing under his breath, he nodded to the two men. “As the lady said. This won’t take very long.”
It took a few seconds for the men to leave, closing the door behind them.
The silence was almost as deafening as what I’d experienced outside.
“What is this about, Halle?”
I took a step toward him. “This is about you stealing the insurance money from me, using it to gamble and losing.” For the first time that I knew of, I shocked him.
Liam tried to recover quickly, but I’d seen the flash in his eyes. And if I wasn’t mistaken, I’d noticed a hint of fear. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Call the attorney. He’ll tell you the reason for the holdup.”
“You mean he’ll lie to me again. I have called him.
Several times, and at this point he’s avoiding my calls altogether.
It took someone who cares about me to discover the truth.
You stole the money including the settlement.
Two million dollars, Liam? That would go a long way to ensuring Emily has decent medical care and a future.
But you don’t care about that. Why? Is it because you’re involved in selling illegal drugs and needed money for product?
” I tossed out the scrap knowing I’d be able to tell whether he would try to lie to me again.
This time, he got angry. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”
“Gee. Which aspect of the past few days are you talking about? The part where I had to save an innocent victim from a raging fire started by gasoline? Or maybe that I was almost gunned down outside a hotel where I was enjoying an evening with a very nice man? Or maybe the one where my daughter was taken by two people who mysteriously died while in the custody of the police? Which one, Liam? What are you involved in? It is drugs. Isn’t it?
Other than your horrible gambling habit.
Is that why you and Sean didn’t talk for a couple years?
Are you somehow involved with the Greeks, the Papadakises or whatever the hell their name is?
Are they behind Emily’s kidnapping, or are you? ”
My accusation seemed to catch him off guard. Instead of him lashing out, he seemed startled, as if I’d thrown a punch. Groaning, he turned away briefly, raking his hands through his hair. When he turned toward me again, his face was red, and he pointed his finger in my face.
“I would never place Emily’s life in danger. Never. She is my niece, my brother’s daughter.”
“She’s my daughter too. Mine. You took my money for gambling. You’re working with the Greeks. You’re nothing but a criminal.”
“Do you even have any idea who Alexsey Dmitriyev is? The family he comes from? He’s not some innocent victim, Halle. Don’t fool yourself.”
“I’m not blind or stupid, Liam. I know they’re Bratva, but I’ve been treated much nicer by his entire family than I have from what I thought was mine. I just don’t get it. Why are you doing this? Do you hate me that much? Is this about Sean marrying me?”
When he didn’t answer, I had a feeling this wasn’t as much about me as it was about Sean betraying his family.
I’d had a horrible gut feeling since Sean died. “Sean’s death wasn’t an accident. Was it?”
He cracked his neck then rubbed it, not able to look me in the eyes.
“Was it?” When he still didn’t answer, I jerked his arm from his neck, getting in his face. “Did you kill him? Did you?”
The fact he paled meant he was scared of facing the truth.
“Answer me!”
“No! Okay? No.”
I had to grip the table to keep from falling. “What… Who? Who killed him?”
“As I said, there are some things you don’t know. Sean refused to listen to me. He wanted to live his own life.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“That means he was born to lead. He refused to do that. At least at first.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Born to lead. Are you talking about your family and your criminal activity?”
His exhale was deep. “Things got out of hand.”
“Talk to me. What are you trying to say?”
The sharp knock on the door interrupted us.
“What?” Liam barked.
Just then the door was flung open, one of the two men from before sticking their heads inside. “Boss, need you out here.”
“It will wait!” Liam hissed.
“No, boss. I don’t think so. We’ve got company.”
Liam threw me a look then sighed. “Stay right here.” He pushed his way past me, heading out the door.
Did he really think I was going to stay behind after the bombshell he’d just left? Clenching my fists, I followed behind him into the main part of the bar.
While the sunlight from the open door created a solid haze across half the room, there was no doubt who was standing in a semicircle just inside.
Members of the Dmitriyev family and their soldiers.
And the man standing in front?
Alexsey.