Chapter 5 Liev #2
He’s not entirely wrong.
Just the wrong woman.
“You can go,” Mikhail tells her softly. “Ivan will drive you home.”
She hesitates, confused. I don’t know what she thought about being summoned to the pakhan’s house in the middle of the night, but this clearly wasn’t what she expected—but she also knows better than to question him.
She looks at me one more time, and I give her a small reassuring nod.
“Goodnight, Mama,” I call quietly, but I don’t think she hears me.
Once she’s gone, Mikhail turns back to me, all traces of the softness he showed her gone. He leaves the gun on his desk.
“A woman killed Sergei. Don’t lie. Those scratch marks were from long nails, and unless you got a manicure before you showed up here, they aren’t from you.” He steps closer. “You still insist you’re responsible.”
I stay silent. I won’t use my mother as a shield or blame her for something she didn’t do.
“You’ve put me in a terrible position,” Mikhail growls. “Anything else you want to get off your chest before I decide your fate?”
I shake my head.
“I have something to say,” Alex drawls. His tone is calm, almost bored—except I know him too well.
Mikhail’s eyes narrow. “You always do.”
Alex steps forward, shoulders loose, hands clasped behind his back like he’s not trying to save my life.
“It’s about Sergei,” he says in an almost disinterested tone. “About what he’s been doing behind your back. His betrayal. And about Petyr’s involvement.”
Mikhail’s jaw ticks once.
Alex continues, tone still maddeningly casual. “He wasn’t just running his normal side deals or skimming from collections. He’s trafficking women, Mikhail. Against your express wishes.”
He spreads his hands wide. “Everyone in the bratva knows your position on trafficking women and children, and it’s no secret that some are unhappy about it.
Their greed makes them shortsighted, and I’m sorry to say our uncle was one.
To make matters worse, he’s been encouraging some, like Petyr, to defy you as well.
He cared more about lining his wallet than his loyalty to you. ”
Mikhail’s face flushes a deep purple red. “How do you know this?”
“I keep my ears open. I may not be involved in the day-to-day operations of your bratva, but I hear rumors. And when I hear shipments are coming in with Kovalyov connections… through Kovalyov associated supply lines… I listen.” His lips lift in a slight smile.
“Of course, I didn’t want to believe such disloyalty was possible, but… ”
Mikhail’s glare is deadly when he turns it on his younger brother. “You didn’t think this was something you should bring to me?”
Alex shrugs, in that cavalier manner of his that infuriates his brother.
“It’s recent information. I wanted proof before I brought it to you.
” His expression shifts to something shrewd and calculating—the real Alex peeking through his facade.
“These are serious accusations. Betrayal… insubordination not just by a vor, but a trusted blood family member.”
Mikhail’s eyes bulge, his face turning a dangerous hue. His hand flexes at his side, then he turns to me. “Did you know what your father was doing?”
I choose my words carefully. “Not for sure. Not until today. He knew I would never support it, but tonight he needed my help. He’d been working with Petyr, but my father discovered Petyr was stealing.
My father demanded I meet him at the club,” I continue.
“To deal with Petyr.” I keep my expression smooth.
“When I arrived, Petyr was dead at his feet. My father told me to ‘handle it’ and left.”
“And then went home?” Mikhail presses.
I hold his gaze. “You saw the state of my mother’s face.”
His shoulders sag, and in that moment, every minute of his fifty-five years shows on his face. “Why didn’t you mention it when I asked if you had anything else to add?” he spits. “This information would have helped you.”
I remain silent.
The pakhan sighs, long and weary. “You’ll need to make yourself a ghost for a while. There will be questions no matter how well we cover this.”
I nod, expression neutral, not sure I can trust what he’s saying.
“Take the bodies somewhere it’s believable you could have found them. Then, call the cleanup crew. The story will be Sergei discovered Petyr trafficking women behind my back. They killed each other. Keep the rest of it to yourself.”
He doesn’t need to explain the obvious to Alex or me. Even a whisper of my father’s betrayal could undermine Mikhail’s authority. His power.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Stay out of sight for a couple of weeks. I’ll put it out that you’re doing a special project for Alex at Koval Industries and supporting your mother in her grief. I need to root out every man involved and deal with the traitors. I’ll contact you when you can come back.”
It’s not a complete answer. But I can’t find it in me to worry about the future.
Because by some miracle, I’m walking out of this house tonight… alive.
Back in the car, I take my first full breath in hours. “Thanks.” My voice is hoarse. “For coming with me. For convincing Mikhail.” My eyes stay on the dark road in front of us. “I know you didn’t have to do that for me, and I won’t forget it.”
Alex scoffs. “Don’t be fucking stupid. You’ve always been more of a brother to me than Mikhail ever has.”
Something hot swells in my chest.
He watches me for a beat. “I know you’re not telling me everything. I don’t need the details, but you need to make sure that shit is locked down.”
I don’t answer.
“I didn’t take your mother for the hooker heels type.”
“What?” My head swings to stare at him, and he dangles Sera’s broken shoe from his fingertip, the steel tip dark with dried blood.
“I don’t know who she is or why you would—”
“I am responsible for this.” I manage through gritted teeth. I know Alex would never move against Sera, but I still don’t like him knowing another woman was involved. “I should have taken him out years ago.”
“Are we doing guilt?” Alex makes a face. “I don’t do guilt.”
I cock an eyebrow at him. “Really? I’ve seen you turn yourself inside out when Madison’s mad at you.”
He waves a hand in the air. “That’s different. Your self-flagellation isn’t nearly as stylish as mine.”
The club is closed when I back into the alley.
“Returning to the scene of the crime?” Alex murmurs as we get out of the car.
I don’t know if anyone noticed the pool of blood in front of us since closing, but Alex does. Besides, it’s not the first time blood has been spilled here, so even if it had been noticed, I’m not sure anyone would care.
Alex lets out a heavy sigh when the trunk lid opens. “This is seriously beneath my pay grade.”
“Getting squeamish in your old age?” I smirk. “I blame the fact that you sit behind that fancy desk all day.”
“Couldn’t we have done this somewhere less disgusting?” He wrinkles his nose and looks at himself. “This suit is custom.”
I grunt. “Fancy.”
“Well, I thought I should give you something special to look at in your last moments.” He grins, and I roll my eyes. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I have little kids who don’t care if I’ve been out all night disposing of bodies, who are going to want breakfast in a couple of hours.”
With Alex’s help, moving the bodies doesn’t take long. Once we’ve dropped the men approximately where they were when I first arrived earlier, I stretch my back. “I think I might be getting too old for this, too.”
Alex waves his hand at the corpses. “Is this how they were?”
“Close enough. We aren’t reenacting the crime scene. Just making it look somewhat believable so none of the clean-up crew talks.”
“Good point. I’ll make the call.” Alex pulls out his phone, and I pace further into the alley, sweeping the flashlight on my phone slowly from side to side. Leaving the shoes in the car was a mistake, and I need to make sure there is nothing else here that ties Sera to tonight.
Near the steps I see a glint, and when I crouch, I see the bedazzled back of a phone case with one of those stick-on card holders attached to the back. Only a foot or so away is an open tactical strap.
Fuck. What if I hadn’t come back tonight?
Scooping up both, I drop them in my pocket and straighten, aware that Alex is watching my every move.
I start to pace toward him when I see what’s left of the broken heel lying on its side. I add it to Sera’s other belongings. There’s no point in hiding the fact that I’m looking for evidence. Finding nothing else, I join him where he’s leaning casually on the car with an enigmatic look on his face.
“Whoever she is… I hope she’s worth it.”
My jaw clenches, but I don’t say a word.
Because if I do, the truth might slip out… and I’m terrified of what the truth might be.