Chapter Six
Back at Nikoli’s hotel, they were all waiting for Felix and Viktor to return.
Felix had let Sergi know they found his son but they weren’t back yet.
Impatient, Sergi paced the security room.
Nikoli and Levin watched him with concerned looks. The man might just declare war-war three if this turned out badly.
Sergi worried something had happened to the group or their rescue plan. He kept looking at the clock and then down at his phone while pacing.
Levin finally glanced up from the monitors and said, “Their vehicles are coming into the parking lot.”
Sergi stood tall and nervously made his way to the private parking lot.
Nikoli followed.
When the vehicles stopped the van with Greta and her family was emptied first.
Greta took one look at Sergi and began to curse him out, “You have not won this, motherfucker. Just wait and see! Our family is everywhere!”
Sergi totally ignored her as if she did not exist.
She was escorted away with her sister and nephew.
When they were gone, Sergi waited for the second vehicle to unload. When Misha opened his door and slid out, Sergi began to breathe again. He stood there staring at his son as if he’d never seen him before.
Misha stepped up and said, “Privet, otets.” Hello father.
Sergi looked stone faced as he replied also in Russian, “Moy syn.” My son. He then grabbed him and hugged him tightly. “You are safe,” he whispered in his ear.
Misha chuckled then turned back to the vehicle. “Da dad, I am safe. And from what I am told... it’s all because of Willy... again.”
Sergi raised his head. “Yes, Briar has spoken of him. He is quite the savior.”
“If you only knew,” Briar stepped up next to them.
Finally, Sergi turned to stare at the second man that exited the vehicle. Then his eyes widened when he saw him. “Wilhelm. Is it really you?”
Willy frowned and stared at Sergi. “You remember me?”
“Remember you?” Sergi shook his head. “I have been looking for you for a very long time, Wilhelm. I feared I would never find you again. Then suddenly, I find you here where I least expect it? I have been wanting to thank you for what you did for my son.” Sergi held out his hand to him.
Willy rubbed his own hand on his pant leg before he took Sergi’s.
Sergi pulled him closer and hugged him.
Finally, Willy stepped back and shook his head as he was very aware of the expensive suit Sergi wore. “Sir, I am too dirty for you to get too close.”
Artem joined Briar and they both watched what was going on.
Sergi turned to her and smiled. “Thank you for bringing Wilhelm in to find my son.”
Briar seemed to have nothing to say just now as she nodded at him, then Artem helped her to the elevator.
After they disappeared inside, Felix stepped over to his brother to show him the pendant.
Kirill gasped and reached out to touch the gold crest of arms. “Where did you find this?” he asked.
“Around Greta’s neck after Briar told us all how she got it.” Felix growled.
“What happened?” Sergi asked.
Felix looked at him and held the pendant up.
“This belonged to our cousin Magna. Our father gave it to her before she got married. It had been waiting for her for years. It was to show her the family name meant something. She died before we could get to her and when we did find her again she was already in the ground and Tiyana...Briar was gone. We never knew what really happened but today when Briar heard Greta’s voice she remembered something painful from her past. She remembered what happened to her mother.
Greta had found her mother and immediately attacked her.
She beat my cousin, who was very pregnant at the time.
After pushing her to the floor, Greta kicked her swollen belly.
Magna went into labor and Greta just left her after half killing her.
Her beating left Magna alone with just a frightened child that could not help her and she and her baby were lost.” Felix shook his head.
“No one knew what happened to Magna until now.”
Sergi slowly shook his head upon hearing such a horrible story. “Then let us discover what else happened that day. We need to know all the facts.”
Everyone took the elevator and went upstairs.
Sergi wanted to know the full story, so they found Briar and Artem in their room.
They both sat on the couch. Briar’s face was wet with tears.
Felix went over and knelt in front of her. He grasped her hand gently and asked her, “Can you tell us what happened? We never really knew how Magna died.”
Briar raised her head and looked around the room.
Kirill was there as well as Sergi, Misha and Willy.
Felix tapped his brother’s number on the screen of his cell.
He spoke in low tones to Kosta, who was currently in New Orleans.
He told him that may have finally found the truth behind Magna’s death.
He sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Briar as he kept the sound on so Kosta could hear this as well.
Briar held her hand out to Willy and when he took it she drew him down to the sofa. Looking into his eyes she said, “I guess I have to face my past too.” She shook her head slowly. “Although I think I have a reason for not talking about it.” She sighed heavily.
They all waited for her to start.
Finally, she spoke, “I was only five. My mom and I were just finishing lunch when the door flew open and that woman, Greta, rushed inside. She looked at mom and began screaming at her. At first, I didn’t know what she was saying but my mom got up and began telling her off.
Greta was slapping my mother and calling her terrible names.
Mom fought back but she was very pregnant and she couldn’t really move well.
” Briar looked over at Sergi and said, “Greta was screaming something about my mother sleeping with her fiancée and I heard her call him by name. It was Vitali. My mother said he was never Greta’s man.
But Greta said he was supposed to marry her then he found my mother and he walked away from his vows to be with her and then she called my mother a home wrecker.
That soon the world would know she was nothing but a whore.
My mother told Greta she wasn’t a whore.
That she and Vitali loved each other and that the son in her belly would be Vitali’s heir.
Greta shouted that her baby would never be born and then she began beating on my mother.
Then when my mother fell to the floor she was kicking at her belly.
My mother screamed and it wasn’t until her belly began to bleed that Greta stopped kicking her.
Then she reached down and tore the pendant from her neck. Greta finally left.”
“And Vitali?” Felix growled. “Where was he all this time?”
Briar shook her head. “He finally got there but it was too late by the time he arrived. He checked her first then he picked her up and tried to carry her to his car but my mom opened her eyes and she told him she wasn’t going to make it.
And the baby wasn’t going to either. She told him it was Greta who beat her.
Then she closed her eyes and she never woke up again. ”
“And what did Vitali do about that?” Sergi finally asked.
Briar shrugged. “What could he do? My mother and his child were dead. He knew he couldn’t stay there any longer.
He panicked and grabbed me. Then we drove away.
I didn’t want to go with him but I was only five and he was an adult.
He didn’t really give me a choice in the matter.
The next day we got on a plane and I had no idea where we were going.
When we finally reached the City, I had no idea where we were.
I tried to keep up with him but he was rushing so much I fell behind.
Then I got lost.” Her words were spoken softly yet everyone in that room could hear the fear in her voice.
“I just sat down. People came and went but they all ignored me. I was so scared that I couldn’t even cry.
I think I sat there for the rest of that day, then it got dark and I still couldn’t move.
I think it was the next day and almost dark out again before anyone stopped and asked me if I was lost.” She shook her head.
“I never saw Vitali again until that day many years later in the restaurant.”
Willy looked up and said, “A friend of mine, a man named Pippy found her wandering around. He took her back with him. He made sure she was fed and had something to drink. I know it doesn’t mean anything but he kept her with him for as long as she wanted to stay, Pippy isn’t the kind to hurt kids but he kept her safe and close. ”
Felix glared at his brother Kirill then he looked over at Sergi. “Can I kill him now?” he demanded.
With a sigh, Sergi tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling.