Chapter 54
NIKOLAI
“Explain to me again how in the fuck you got away from him?” Mikhail leans back on the white leather seat and stares hard at me over his mask.
I let my gaze wander to the window of the plane as the clouds pass by. Where are we now? Over Canada? Back in the States?
I’m not in a hurry to answer him. He has more secrets than he’s shared with even me.
That hurts. He knows what I lost that night when Katerina died. And, yet, he still chose to think I didn’t need to know about Zoya.
“Tatiana sent in her men.” My palms rest on my sore thigh. It itches deep inside. I know it’s a sign of healing, but it’s an irritation.
“Tell me more about her. How many? How does she lead?” He grips the armrest and squeezes until it squeaks.
I grit my teeth. “Tell me about Zoya, Mikhail. Why is Ivan trying to find a woman who supposedly died five years ago?”
His jaw flexes beneath his balaclava and he sighs. “Because she was there that night, looking for help. That’s why I was there, our mother called me.”
That knocks me back hard enough in the chair to make me wince. Every part of my body is sore. “I suppose that makes sense. No one knew how to hide under Ivan’s nose better than Mama.”
I’m glad Mila is sleeping through this. There’s a part of me that is uncomfortable with her knowing just how evil my father is.
Mikhail nods. “Zoya found out how to get away.” He looks down at his hand and opens and closes his fingers.
In the right light, the faintest of scars are still visible.
“She needed to. He beat her so badly, she thought she miscarried.” His dark eyes narrow. “She was soaked in blood, but determined.”
“Did she? Never mind, I’m sure you don’t know.” That was years ago, and also the night we decided to flee Russia forever.
He flicks his focus up to me before taking a long breath. “She did. A beautiful baby girl. Our sister, Galena.”
That makes me pause. “Mikhail. How do you know?”
He shouldn’t. Unless?—
“I’ve been keeping her safe.”
Anger twitches inside of me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugs. “It wasn’t important. You had the loss of Katerina, and our mother, to contend with. There wasn’t anything you could do, I took care of it.”
“Always the hero.” I’m not sure why that makes me irritable. Maybe because his entire life has been about protecting us. “Where is she? Is that why you chose Vegas?”
He was very insistent when it was time to find a new home.
“No. She’s still in Russia.” He motions for the steward to refill his drink.
It’s only after both of our glasses are topped with bourbon do I ask the question eating at me.
“How are you keeping tabs?”
“Enzo. It’s how we met. I needed someone who could move funds and keep surveillance from a distance.” He clinks the ice in his snifter before downing the last swallow. “He had an extensive network set up there already. I was quite impressed.”
Enzo is a man of mystery. He knows everyone else’s secrets, but no one knows his.
“I’d be curious to know why he was so entrenched there. Isn’t most of his crew in New York?”
“Yes. And, Frankie Falcone is from Italy.” His fingers form a steeple that he presses against his mask. “Interesting.” He sits, immobile as a statue for a moment.
“But, back to that Tatiana character. What can you tell me?”
“Nothing, really. She hired Mila for the USB drive, then Mila hired her for help to rescue her brother.” I’m working on Mila to open up even more, but there’s time. We’ve both gone through so much, it will be a slow process.
She and Daniil are still sleeping. They have been since we boarded the plane back to Vegas.
I just hope that my father gives us a break to heal.
Knowing him, he’s going to come after all of us with a vengeance.
“You don’t remember anything else?” he says gruffly.
“No. By the time I woke up, I was in the back of a van and Alexei was driving. His crazy ass brought me back from the dead because I was afraid I’d die with him behind the wheel,” I chuckle. I don’t tell him it’s because Mila was lying next to me.
I’d fight my way out of hell for her.
“But, did you?” Alexei calls out from the far end of the plane.
“Did I do what?” I yell back.
“Die. All that bleeding stuff happened before I picked you up.” He hasn’t even turned to face me, but his arm shoots toward the ceiling, and his middle finger raises on his hand. “I missed all the fun to be the chauffeur.”
“You weren’t supposed to be there at all. I told you to leave.” I rub my temples from the new headache he’s giving me.
He turns around in his seat, pointing his finger at me. “You’re lucky I didn’t. Who do you think told Tatiana’s men to go back for you?”
Mikhail’s eyes open wider and he turns to Alexei. “Did you see her?”
“Who?” he answers.
“Tatiana.” Mikhail’s voice deepens.
He gets frustrated with Alexei easily.
We all do, but he’s worth it.
“No. Why would I see her? I was too busy trying to load his heavy ass in the van.” Alexei waves his hand at me making air quotation marks. “Have you ever tried to load a limp Russian? It isn’t easy.”
“Very funny. I didn’t pass out because I chose to be stupid and taste a bag of unknown powder.” My arms fold over my chest, but I stifle the wince when I bump my bandaged wound beneath my shirt.
“Eh. Tomato. Potato. All the same.” Alexei shrugs and turns away.
“No. Those are not.” Why do I even bother arguing with him?
Mikhail’s eyes crinkle. I know he’s hiding a smile under his mask. “I’m glad he stayed. Things wouldn’t be the same without you, brother.”
“Ivan has gotten crazier. I’m worried he’s going to double down. Mila and her brother are going to live with me, but I can only offer so much protection. I need your help.”
I can see the balaclava twitch as his jaw clenches.
“How many fucking times did she stab you?” He gestures with his empty glass. “You’re like her very own stuck pig. I worry you’re getting played for a fool.”
It takes two full deep breaths to keep my anger in check. “You don’t know her like I do. I trust her. She’ll be an asset.”
He grunts. “More of a liability.” He runs his thick fingers through his hair, ruffling the slicked locks. “You’re going to make me die young of stress. Do you know what I was thinking when Alexei told me that? Not only did she stab you, what, three times? And, then you went back to her? Only to get caught and let Ivan drive nails into you?” He shakes his head and closes his eyes. “All in the matter of a few days? At this rate, you’ll be dead in a week.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” I hadn’t actually counted until he pointed them out. “You forgot our father shot me, too.” I grin at him.
“Fuck, Niki.” He holds up his hand, the tiniest gap between his thumb and index finger. “That’s how close you were to death. I think you only had a cunt hair holding you back from tipping over the edge.” Sitting back, he lets out another long sigh. “But, if you trust her, I do too. You just better not be wrong.”