Chapter Fourteen
After The Darkness Fades, A Shining Beacon Of Truth
Willow
E veryone turns to stare at me, not the big Russian. Thalia looks both pissed off and terrified at the same time. I want nothing more than to draw her into my embrace and hug her until all of this is over.
“What will this information cost us?” Dom asks, breaking the silence that has descended over us all.
“An alliance,” I say, watching Rafe closely.
Bogdon and I have already discussed everything in the hours we spent waiting for my husband and I know what I want to do.
But I also know that we are stronger together and I need to run this past Rafe before diving in head first. I’ve made mistakes, and my errors have gotten people hurt and killed.
I don’t want to go through that again, and Rafe will be able to help me see more clearly instead of just following my need for vengeance and bloodshed.
“Let’s move to my office,” Bogdon says when no one speaks. “I’ll have some coffee brought in and we can discuss in detail what we all want out of this situation.”
Taking Rafe’s hand in mine, I lead him down the hallway to where I know Bogdon’s office is. We are once more cloaked in silence as we wait for the young man to deliver the coffee, although I’m sure all of us would have preferred something a little stronger.
The same young man from before enters the room and places the tray down before taking a seat.
“This is my son, Dima,” Bogdon introduces. “He has been working at my side for years to collect the information required so we can finally get vengeance for Ania.”
Dom and Rafe nod. Everyone sitting in this room has done something in their lives to take revenge for either themselves or a loved one, making it easy for us to understand the compulsion.
“Tell me,” Rafe says calmly as he stares at the man who saved my life, “why would I consider aligning myself with you? I don’t know you, and I sure as shit don’t trust you.”
I want to hiss at him for being his regular asshole self, but Bogdon’s booming laughter silences me.
“I see why you two are feared by others in the underworld, dikaya koshka .” His smile is directed at me and I can’t help but return the gesture. “Neither of you have any fear or any filter.”
“What did you call my wife?” Rafe asks, his voice low and menacing.
The phakan raises his hands with a chuckle.
“It means wild cat,” his son supplies. “It’s what all of the bratva calls her.”
“All?” I ask in shock, at which he nods. “I don’t understand...”
“There is a story about the wife of a don,” Dima explains. “A woman that had abusive husbands served as wedding favors.”
“You respect her?” Dom asks in shock.
“If she was not married to Rafael I would be trying to marry her myself,” Dima replies honestly.
Thalia giggles, drawing all our attention. She waves us off, fighting to stop the laughter. She seems like a complete nut until I see my husband’s face and join in the laughter. He is glaring at the young man who is probably closer to my age than his but I know where his mind has gone.
“It’s not funny,” he grumbles. “When are we going to meet a man that doesn’t want to steal my wife away?”
“Technically,” Bogdon counters. “I don’t want to steal your wife. I bought her to return her to you. Now, all I want is your help so that we can kill the podonok Kirrill.”
“How do you propose we do that?” Dom asks. “You know that we have hunted him for years. The closest any of us have gotten to him is Willow, and I would prefer not to put anyone, especially her, through that again.”
Everyone nods in agreement with his words. I know that neither Thalia nor myself ever want to repeat our experiences with Singleton again, no matter the situation.
“It’s a nice thought,” Thalia says softly. “And I know that I would sleep better tonight if I knew that animal was dead. But it’s impossible.”
“Not really,” I counter. “Bogdon is part of Kirrill’s inner circle. It’s how he was able to get me out.”
“I wondered,” Rafe starts, but I cut him off.
“The man paid twenty-five million to get me out of that place. He was one of three men given the chance to buy me before the auction,” I say, looking into his eyes and making sure that he hears me. “He has been buying girls for years and helping them start new lives.”
“So you have the inner track.” Dom muses.
“ Da. I have spent a small fortune working my way into his good graces.”
“And what do you need us for?” Rafe asks,
Bogdan looks at me, waiting on me to make my move. It is my plan after all.
“There’s a party...”
“No.” Rafe cuts me off this time.
“It will be at an undisclosed location,” I continue. “Bogdon will be invited. He will be taken there. And I will accompany him.”
“Fuck no,” Dom says loudly, standing from his seat. “We just found you.”
“And I’m not going missing again,” I say calmly. “We will stay here, bring our trusted people over, and set the perfect ambush.”
“If we don’t know where to go we can’t do shit,” Rafe says, squeezing my thigh roughly.
“When I was there, I remember a story I once heard. About how a husband found out his wife was cheating,” I explain. “He had put a tracker in a bracelet he gave her. I thought to myself, I wish Rafe had thought of that.”
Rafe’s grip softens slightly as he shakes his head. “They’ll find a tracker, Willow. And then you’ll both be burned.”
“Not in this,” I say, fingering the necklace he gave me, the same one I’ve worn since the day we got married.
“The composition of the materials interferes with any of the scanning equipment they could use,” Dima explains.
“You can’t guarantee her safety,” my husband accuses, glaring at the two Russian men in turn.
“Neither could you,” Thalia says softly.
Rafe turns his glare on her and I pinch him, hard.
“Don’t do that, Rafe,” she says. “We all know the moment Kirrill finds out Willow is back by your side he will come for her, and this time he won’t leave anyone alive to find her.
We need to kill him, even if it means putting Willow in danger. Even if I never find my daughter.”
“We know where she is,” Dima says softly.
“What?” she asks too loudly.
“Kirrill raises her as his own,” he says sadly. “Her name is Hope.”
The moment the words leave his lips, I know that we are going to do this. No one is going back to the regular chaos of their lives until Kirrill Singleton is dead and his entire empire is burned to the ground.
“This is the best chance we have at ending this,” I say softly, staring at my husband.
“If something happens to you...”
“It already happened, Rafe. And we are here together. Nothing can keep us away from each other.”
“Willow...” He sighs loudly before turning to Bogdon and Dima. “We need to start planning.”