Chapter 28
Alexsey
“Alexsey,” Halle said loudly enough I heard her clearly.
Even with the single word, there was much emotion, so much so the sound created a tightness in my chest.
Halle.
Seeing her standing in the back of the bar with her arms crossed had a very strong effect on me.
First, I was thankful she was safe, unharmed by a man she’d placed her trust in.
Second, I was furious she’d disobeyed me, putting her life on the line.
Third, I wanted nothing more than to drive my fist into Liam’s face first before shooting a bullet between his eyes.
“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing how my voice boomed inside the pub.
“Better now that you’re here.”
Not one of the assholes in the bar dared grumble their fury with her statement. They were all wide-eyed, uncertain of our intentions.
I took a deep breath, studying the two dozen customers now all standing in the small bar. Almost all had bristled as if prepared to start a war. Somehow, I had a feeling they knew they’d lose.
Yet when I took a few steps inside, they were happy to back away, creating a walkway toward where Liam, two of his men, and my beautiful captain were standing.
I’d known instinctively where she’d gone, daring enough to pretend to be her sister. At some point, I’d praise her for her creativity.
After I spanked her into full submission for putting her life at risk.
Liam had been backed into a corner, pushed even harder by her visit. I’d seen it before and often it didn’t matter the relationship.
With my brothers, cousins, and enough men to tear the place apart in minutes behind me, I glanced around the room before issuing my demand.
“Here’s how we’re going to play it. Either you can leave and go about your day, or you could find yourselves in a situation you will likely regret. Those are your choices.”
It didn’t take long before the customers began to file out the door, forced to slide between our soldiers.
Liam stood stoically, now joined by three other men and a rough-looking bartender.
Mikhail chuckled from behind me. It had been a long time since he’d seen me with my anger barely in check.
Once the customers had left, I took methodical steps toward Liam and the lovely woman peering at me with just a hint of amusement in her eyes.
“We’re going to talk, Liam. Without your goons.” I nodded toward the open door, the room where they’d walked out of a few minutes earlier.
He stared at me, never blinking before nodding to his other men.
“Halle. Go with Mario to my car and wait. I won’t be long.”
As expected, she folded her arms, giving me that look that drove me absolutely nuts. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until I hear whatever excuse Liam was trying to make. And I won’t tolerate any lies, Liam. Not one. I’ve had it with you and the bullshit.”
God, I did love the ballsy woman to death.
I thought about her request. “Alright. You deserve that much.” With another harsh glare toward Liam, I waited until he finally acquiesced, heading into the room.
Halle remained where she was as I approached, her eyes lit up with the same fire and conviction, but also a hint of relief.
“You’re a very bad girl,” I said quietly.
“Not any longer.”
Chuckling, I tipped my head over my shoulder. Mikhail had every intention of being involved in the meeting. Kazimir, Vissarian, and Sasha would wait in case anyone dared try to attack while we were engaged in our conversation.
After motioning for Mario and one of his top soldiers to come into the room with us, Mikhail closed the door and we waited for a few seconds. Liam was uncomfortable as hell, but he tried to act as if our unannounced visit wasn’t bothering him in the least.
“What do you want, Alexsey?” Liam asked as a start to our conversation.
“It’s my understanding that you misappropriated funds earmarked for Halle and her daughter. Did you take the money and perhaps use it to fund your gambling habit?”
At least he had the good graces to appear uncomfortable, but he didn’t answer right away.
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with bullshit. “If I need to ask you again, you won’t like how I do it.”
“Answer the question, Liam. There’s no reason to lie any longer. You’ve done the damage. There is no coming back from what you did.” Halle was as emotionless as I’d seen her, yet I could feel the hum of electricity just below the surface.
She could easily fly off the deep end.
Not that I would blame or stop her.
“Fine. I took the money.” His statement was simple and honest, but I had a sense there was more to the story.
“Two million goes a long way toward paying off debt and from what I’ve heard, you weren’t in the hole that much with the Papadakis brothers, so that led me to the conjecture that you were using the money as collateral.”
“To purchase drugs,” Halle added. I had to give the girl credit. Even in the face of what she was dealing with, she hadn’t lost her spunk.
I’d simply need to temper that a little.
Regular spankings would help.
“Well, Liam? The lady deserves an answer. Am I to assume you’re working with the Greeks against us and perhaps in conjunction with your old buddies the O’Shaughnessy clan who has been itching to control this town for years?
Your father and Tristen O’Shaughnessy went to school together. They palled around together.”
He appeared even more nervous, but I’d be damned if he didn’t act as if he had plans on stonewalling us. I reacted without thinking about the fact Halle was still in the room, ripping out my weapon and pointing it directly at his head.
“Alexsey. Don’t.” Halle placed her hand on my arm. “Don’t hurt him. I’d be happy to.”
“Talk, Liam. I don’t like to disappoint my lady.”
The twitch in the corner of his right eye meant I was getting to him. “You’ve got it all wrong. My father and Tristen had a falling out years ago. Right about the time they wanted to destroy what we’d built here in Las Vegas.”
Now we were getting somewhere.
“Go on,” Mikhail directed.
Liam flicked him a quick look. “I don’t know all the particulars, but Sean did.”
“Meaning what?” Halle pressed.
“Meaning Sean had been groomed to take over for our father.”
“Groomed. To take over. You mean as some crime syndicate leader.” She took a step closer to him, her entire body tensing.
“Yes. Then suddenly Sean didn’t want anything to do with the family because of you.” I’d expected to see a hateful glare, but I was wrong. There was something more along the lines of jealousy. “He wanted a family, a normal life.”
“But something happened, didn’t it?” she asked.
He closed his eyes briefly. “My gambling habit interfered. Papadakis was breathing down our necks. Tristen was trying to drag me into an alliance and I couldn’t take it any longer.”
“You lost yourself in gambling.” My words were also said with no emotion.
“Everything was spiraling out of control. That’s when Dad contacted Sean, putting pressure on him to come back into the family and run the operation. Yes, Halle. Our family had been involved in illegal drug activity for a decade. Sean wanted no part of that either, but he felt obligated.”
She looked at me, not nearly as surprised as I’d thought she’d be. “That’s why Sean and I argued. He was being pressured.”
“Yes,” Liam said quietly.
“You were jealous, so you arranged to have your own brother killed,” Mikhail tossed out.
“Everything was going just fine at that point. You paid off your gambling debt with Papadakis and in the meantime, you used an idea of going into business together, eventually using the settlement money as collateral.” He was fishing, but the thought process sounded accurate.
Yet it horrified Liam more than I would have expected. I’d seen men trying to lie their way out of something. I knew the facial tics and could read body language from a hundred yards away.
Liam wasn’t showing anything I was used to. “That’s not right. Not exactly. You just don’t understand.”
“So you keep saying. Explain why you took my child’s money. Why? Don’t you love your niece at all?”
“Of course I do and I already told you I’d never do anything to hurt Emily. The settlement is protected. Even from me. It’s in a trust fund.”
The admittance shocked all of us.
“Yes, I paid back what I lost from the insurance money. And yes, I used the settlement money to bait Viktor Papadakis into going into business. And not just to cut ties with O’Shaughnessy.”
“What else?” I gritted out. “Why? Finish it, Liam. Tell Halle what she needs to know.”
He was in obvious distress.
“You killed your own brother out of jealousy!” she threw at him, getting in his face. “You deprived a little girl of a father.”
Liam looked away.
“Tell her, Liam. Now,” I growled.
“I didn’t kill him. Papadakis ordered the hit. That’s why I tried to work with him to prove it.”
Liam was completely exasperated.
Halle took a deep breath, backing away and turning to look into my eyes. Maybe seeking my advice. Maybe looking to see if I believed him.
In truth, I did.
“Why was it so important to you, Liam?” Mikhail’s voice was barely audible.
“Because I lied to him. I betrayed him with gambling. I was so jealous of my own brother I was blinded by my anger. I was the reason he died. My wife left me, Halle. She fucking left me. That’s why I never go home.”
“Why do you say that?” I pressed.
He looked at me and I could tell he was resigned to whatever life would dole out given his confession. “Because Sean went to see Viktor, telling him the gambling debt would be dismissed or he as the new head of the family would destroy the Papadakis family.”
Halle turned completely away. “I hate you, Liam, but you’ll be forced to suffer the consequences of your actions for the rest of your life. For that, I feel sorry for you.”
The moment was full of tension. We weren’t finished with our conversation. Not yet.
“Mario. Take the woman I intend on marrying to my car. And lock her in if necessary.”