Chapter 32
Thirty-Two
Amara
The police dropped the charges against Luka. It was easier than I thought. They had acted on an anonymous tip. Since Luka’s bail hearing, there was no new evidence, and the case was weak already. My admission to our relationship and the closeness we shared with our personal and business lives, cleared him with just my statement. I walked through the doors, expecting to bring him good news. For once in days, there was something to be happy about. A brief ray of light. A sliver of hope. God, we needed some hope. I was shocked with what I received instead.
Katya and I sat in complete disbelief as Luka told us about his run-in with Inna Petrov that led to the revelation that Anna Novikov and Anthony Gardner had plotted the kidnapping and assassinations on Enzo and me. I couldn’t stop shaking. Nothing could keep me warm after I learned the truth. And yet, I didn’t think I had the right to be upset. Katya had lost Enzo. I was alive. I had Luka.
“I’m going to go lie down,” Katya volunteered. “I can’t think anymore.”
“I could go with you,” I offered.
“No. Thank you. I’m going to turn all the lights off and play some music. I read it was good for the baby. I think the baby needs something soothing right now. God knows that’s not me.”
I nodded, trying to understand what she was going through. I was a wreck inside, but I wasn’t trying to support another being at the same time. My responsibility was only to myself. What she was experiencing was impossible.
I watched her walk away as quietly as a ghost. I was worried she was losing weight. She looked pale and there were circles under her eyes.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Luka was worried.
“I can check on her in a few minutes.”
“I think we should leave her alone for today, anyway. But thank you. She’ll come to you before she comes to me if she needs something.”
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m angry. I wanted to strangle my mother today. That’s not a good feeling.” He grimaced. “I don’t want to talk about Anna anymore. She’s dead to me. Dead to this family.”
I approached him. “She’s still your mother, even if you cut her out.”
“I didn’t cut her out. I banished her. I exiled her.” It was important to him to make the distinction. The justice he had served in Enzo’s name was permanent. There was no way for Anna to crawl back to her children.
“I know. I know.” I wouldn’t make the mistake of mentioning her again. Not at Christmas. Not on birthdays. Not at weddings. Not when the baby was born. The woman didn’t exist for anyone under my roof.
“We have a meeting today,” he announced. His voice was flat. The encounter with Anna had drained him. Saddened him. Made him ruthless in a way he wasn’t ready to accept.
“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting an abrupt change in direction. “What kind of meeting?”
“The contracts are ready for the building.”
My throat clamped shut. “You want to move forward with the merger now?”
He withdrew his hands from his pockets and snaked them around my waist. “Baby, you’re shaking.”
I bit my lip. “I’m fine. Tell me about the contracts.”
“The BONO merger with Amato Global. I looked it over last night when I couldn’t sleep. I emailed a copy to Barbara as well.”
“What?” I gasped. “You’re putting the tech on the table. It’s part of this?”
He nodded. “Look at it this way. The timing today is either perfect or fucking awful. But, does it matter? We’re alive. We’re together. And I’ll put the treasure tech in the deal if you’ll sign. I want the partnership. I believe more than ever that this city needs us. We have to weed out the evil. We have to make the changes to bring the families forward. It’s going to take both of us. And you need the tech to say yes. So, the tech is in the contract.”
“You want access to everything. The shipping? The tunnels? The distillery?”
He grinned. “Kotyonok, you’re getting a multi-million-dollar piece of equipment. But you want to keep your whiskey barrels?”
I scrunched my nose. “I want all of it. You know that. I don’t share well.”
“And I do? I’ve never shared in my life.”
“Then what makes you think we can be business partners?” I asked.
His thumb raked up and down my spine. “Because we’re the only two still standing.”
I looked into his midnight eyes. I didn’t need another trip through hell to know how much I loved him. I didn’t need more loss and pain to remind me how happy he made me. I didn’t need him to make one more sacrifice to prove he wasn’t going to leave me again.
“Okay,” I whispered. “I’ll sign.”
He grinned. “Welcome to BONO.”
I laughed. “Don’t you mean, I’m so happy to be at Amato Global?”
He chuckled. “Maybe we need a name change and some rebranding.”
I tipped my lips upward. I didn’t care about the name right now. His lips blistered mine and I kissed him like this was the first time, not the last and we had made it through to the other side of the darkness.
We turned at the knock on the door. I was surprised to see Ciro.
“You shouldn’t be up. Why aren’t you resting?” I asked.
“I need to speak to you. Alone.” I glanced at Luka. I didn’t want to leave.
“Okay. But only for a minute.”
Luka was reluctant to let me out of his arms. “I’ll wait here.”
I met Ciro in the foyer. “Come with me,” he instructed. We walked to the reading room, which always remained closed. It was an odd choice for the meeting.
When the door closed behind us I sighed. “Is this about my so-called sister?” I asked.
Ciro shook his head. “You can’t marry Luka Novikov.”
I exhaled. “I was hoping after everything you had been through together that maybe the ice would thaw. That you would see the Bratva aren’t what you think they are.”
Ciro cleared his throat. “I wish that were true. But the Bratva are everything I know them to be. He is the head of the snake.”
I didn’t like his tone. I snorted. “Please, Ciro. The feud needs to end. Luka and I are merging our lives. I would appreciate you easing up.”
The way he looked at me, I began to shiver. Something was off. This was not another lecture. This was not a standard warning.
“Wh-what is it?” I didn’t want to know. For a few more minutes I wanted to be happy. I wanted to know the love I had with Luka. His protection. His devotion. Whatever Ciro said next was bound to destroy it.
“Luka Novikov ordered the execution of your father, Amara. He had Joey killed.” The room began to spin. I reached out for a wingback chair, tufted in green velvet. Ciro caught me as the next sentence spilled from his mouth. “Luka kidnapped you. You were his prisoner.”