Chapter 29
RUSLAN
“How does this just happen? They spend all this time at each other’s throats, blaming one another for the plane crash and every other fucking thing that’s happened, only to turn up at the funeral as allies?”
“Ruslan,” Valentina warns, grabbing me by the arm. “Lower your voice!”
“Why?”
“Because Ivy has just fallen asleep. She’s had a tough enough day already, don’t you think?”
Another wave of fury almost overwhelms me, but at Valentina’s scolding, I snap my mouth shut and allow her to pull me from the hallway and into the kitchen. My mind races, thoughts tripping over themselves as I replay that fucked up display at the cemetery a few hours ago.
Russians and Italians side by side by side calling for Ivy’s head.
“Drink?” Valentina’s at the fridge pulling out a bottle of wine. At my nod, she grabs a beer and offers it to me when she sits at the table.
The cap crumples in my palm, and I take a long, deep drink, focusing on the chill malt flavor and then savoring the ever-so-light burn of alcohol that follows.
“Ruslan?” Raven enters with a yawn and rubs at her eyes. “I’ve got something.”
“What is it?”
“Bradley’s spent the past hour speaking to the respective Pakhan and Don of each family, and long story short, they’ve both completed their own investigations to prove that Ivy isn’t one of theirs.
And those investigations seem to be enough to satisfy both parties so they’re now claiming Ivy is a member of a third party trying to bring them down, and they want her dead to send a message to whoever she works for.
Here.” Raven offers me her electronic tablet. “It’s all on there.”
Taking it, the screen lights up at my touch with a transcript from Bradley’s meeting. “We all know this is bullshit, right?” I glance up between Raven and Valentina. “There’s no way this is real.”
“You think someone fudged a report?” Valentina asks.
“Of course they did,” I snap, unable to restrain the surge of annoyance that rises. “We’ve been through her life with a fine toothed comb. This?” I brandish the tablet then toss it onto the table with a clatter. “One of them is lying and the other is too dumb to see through it.”
“Just so we’re clear…” Raven’s lips purse. “We’re not handing Ivy over, right?”
“Of course we’re fucking not!”
“Okay!” She raises her hands in defense. “I needed to hear you say it, that’s all.”
“Ruslan, you know what this means, don’t you?” Valentina says, swirling her wine glass around. “We have two families with peace on the line because of Ivy. If we don’t hand her over, then we’re poised to upend this entire organization. You know how fragile the power balance is.”
“You think I should have her over?” Heat licks at my words as my gaze snaps to Valentina.
“No,” comes a deep voice from behind us. We all turn as Bradley walks into the kitchen, massaging his jaw with one hand. “It doesn’t need saying, but we are not handing her over, and we’re not toppling ourselves either.”
“You have a plan?” Valentina asks.
“No,” he replies, walking to the fridge.
“This is Ruslan’s lead. But we have to make it clear where we stand.
” He retrieves a beer from the fridge and faces us.
“Someone tried to kill Cassian. Tried to kill Ruslan. Peace between the Russians and the Italians doesn’t just wipe that from the board.
I don’t care if it’s one of them or a third party.
Ivy is not moving from here until I know the truth.
Someone is confident—no, arrogant enough to think they can get one over on us. ”
“They’ve done a good job so far,” Raven murmurs. “Can you imagine how this would have gone if Ruslan hadn’t gotten to Ivy in the hospital when he did?”
“Exactly,” Bradley replies. “We have hundreds of families that rely on us for support and protection. More than I care to count. Someone has made it pretty clear that they see us as a target, and I’m not letting that slide.
Whether it’s because they have an issue with us or they’re just stabbing in the dark, I don’t care.
Finding peace with one another doesn’t take them off the board of suspects. We have to get to the bottom of this.”
Whether it’s Bradley’s voice or simply his warm understanding, when he finishes, my anger has faded somewhat. Bradley leaves the kitchen and Raven follows not long after, leaving Valentina and me to mull things over.
“How was she? Ivy, I mean. When you looked in on her?”
“She asked for you, but I think exhaustion got the better of her,” Valentina replies. “It’s been a long, hard day for her. I can’t imagine this makes it any easier.” As she speaks, a soft jingle rises from her hip and she pulls out her phone.
I drink slowly, watching her thumb tap rapidly over the screen as she texts someone back. I need a plan, but at the moment I can only think of two things—kicking down Kraven’s door or taking Ivy and running away with her. None of these is a good solution.
“Hmm. As I thought,” Valentina murmurs as she finishes texting.
“The Russians are using their police contacts to divert their attention away from the Italian airline. That must be why the Italians are willing to believe the Russians are innocent. Thanks to Kraven, they’re able to get back to work and salvage their original peace deal. ”
“So the Italians just roll over like that?”
She scoffs and sips her wine. “They were in a really tough spot. An investigation like that would have gone on for years and the airline would crumble. So would their route for product in and out of the country. It could be the Russians making a good gesture to prove they really are innocent. A goodwill move.”
“But why?” I lean forward and something clicks in my mind. “If they’re innocent, then why would they soothe things with the Italians? Logically, if the Russians truly had nothing to do with this, then they would know it really was the Italians who screwed the deal.”
Valentina’s glass pauses halfway to her mouth. “You think it’s a move by a guilty conscience?”
“It has to be, right? They’ve bloodied their hands and we haven’t let it go, no matter how many threats have come knocking down our door. What better way to get rid of the last link than soothing things with the Italians and coming after Ivy as a united force?”
“But why?” Valentina sets down her glass. “This whole time we’ve been missing the why about everything. Why her? Why that plane? Even your theory about her being the target is missing the why.”
“I know. Fuck, I know.” Shaking my head, I lean back in my seat. “Okay… okay.” As a plan starts to form, I learn forward eagerly and tap my fingers against the beer bottle. “I need you to go and talk to the Romas.”
“You think they’ll suddenly decide to tell me the truth?”
“Maybe. But I want you to go and tell them that we’re freeing up their airline, not the Russians.
I can put in a couple of calls to make the entire thing go away.
I can even get the press on our side. That’ll take the Russian boot off their neck, so to speak.
I also need you to get a sworn statement from Florence.
Every single detail. We need it on record. ”
“And what are you planning to do?”
“I’m not letting Kraven lie to me again. If we take away their power over the Italians, then they have no one to back them up.”
“And if the Russians are telling the truth?”
“Then whatever the Italians have on them to force them to use their contacts to free up the airline won’t matter anymore.”
“Alright. How honest do you want me to be?”
“Whatever makes them talk, I don’t care.”
Valentina picks up her phone and starts typing away. “Ruslan?”
I’m halfway to my feet when I pause. “Mmhmm?”
“Be careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bradley’s right. Someone taking shots at us is beyond serious, so when you speak to Kraven, take backup. Your being the Ace won’t protect you if he’s really got it out for us.”
“I will. And you.”
Valentina scoffs softly. “I’ll be fine.”
Rolling my eyes, I abandon my half-drunk beer and wander into the hall to make a few calls.
It doesn’t take long for my contacts to pull everything they have on the airline and ensure those files remain lost forever.
Once secure, I send a quick text to Valentina so she’s good to go, and then I call Kraven.
“Are you calling me to hand her over?” Kraven asks as soon as he answers my call.
“No,” I reply, walking slowly toward Ivy’s room. “I’m calling because I’m coming to see you.”
“And you’re telling me ahead of time?”
“It’ll be an official visit, Kraven. The Suit is making a call to your residence.”
Kraven is silent for a few long minutes. “How many times must we go over this?” he mutters. “Does it matter at all now I am ending my tirade against Nico?”
“Nico will be visited too,” I assure him. “This is just a courtesy call.”
“So the Ace is finally making a real move.”
“Understand this, Kraven. If I find out you’ve lied to me? I’ll kill you with my own hands. See you tomorrow.” I hang up without giving him a chance to reply, pocket my phone, and slip into my room.
Ivy’s on the bed, wide awake and staring blankly out the window with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her spark has faded, crushed under the weight of her grief, and my heart pulses painfully as I slowly walk toward her.
“Ivy?”
She doesn’t speak. She doesn’t even look at me. Her hair is gathered to one side and caught in one fist atop her knees while she stares out at the night sky. Not even a tear glistens in her eyes and the silence surrounding her is daunting.
I can’t soothe her.
I can’t take her pain away and I hate it.
“Ivy… do you want anything to eat? Or drink, maybe?” Stopping at the side of the bed, I gaze down at her while searching my soul for the right thing to say. Everything sounds too cliche or dumb, unable to provide the depth of comfort she deserves.
After a few long minutes, Ivy blinks slowly and turns her head to face me. Her eyes are a window to the abyss inside her and my heart breaks at how utterly defeated she looks.
“Hand me over,” Ivy says with a strained voice. “I can’t do this anymore. Just hand me over to them and let it all be over.”