Chapter 11 #2
“We handed them the opportunity on a silver platter.” I took a deep breath. “Where are the caterers?”
Jaxon’s nostrils flared. “Those who are left alive are waiting in the kitchen.”
“That’s how they got in,” Alexsey gritted out.
“Likely,” Jaxon answered. “I checked the records at the front. They used two huge vans and another arrived late.”
While we’d vetted the company, one we’d used before, it was next to impossible to hand select their workers. Not practical. Not usually necessary.
“Get the owner on the goddamn line!” I was headed to the top of the stairs just as three of our men were half carrying the still shaken assailant from the playroom.
“No need. She’s downstairs,” he said. “She’s very shook up. Be gentle with her, boss.”
Gentle? Right now, I could torch the fucking world.
I took long strides, ripping off the duct tape from the asshole’s mouth. “Who are you?” Blood was caked on his face, his eye swollen almost completely shut from where Lainey had smashed the bat against the side of his face, yet he was able to smile. That was enough for me to react.
The hard punch went straight to the middle of his face. I threw another into his gut just because I was pissed off.
“Enough,” Alexsey growled. “Not like this. Not when we could have prying eyes.”
He was right. We had no idea which guests were still hiding in rooms. “Jaxon. Sweep the house and grounds for any remaining guests. If their names match to the list, let them go.”
“What if they talk?”
We hadn’t faced being worried about witnesses in a long time. “Let them,” Mikhail answered before I had a chance to. “We faced a home invasion. It’s happened before. That’s what we’re going to tell the police and any reporters. Go spend time with your family, Sasha. You’ve been through an ordeal.”
“Not until I talk to the goddamn caterer.” I’d been the shy kid, the one who’d shied away from every aspect of our family for as long as possible. Hell, I’d never raised my voice to Mikhail or questioned anything he’d commanded since becoming Pakhan.
Maybe because I’d lived as a shell of a man, the last seven years making it impossible to care enough about almost anything outside my home to keep me enraged.
Everything changed today.
While he didn’t try to stop me from jogging down the stairs, I knew he’d follow. I headed into the kitchen by slamming my hand on the door. All eight of the remaining caterers jumped. They were all standing as if in a lineup, uncertain what fate awaited them.
I noticed the owner right away. Mary Tyler had catered a half-dozen events in Dreamscape over the last year, more at the other resorts over the last five years.
Her food was the best in the business, her professionalism without question.
While she’d been second choice based on Halle’s recommendation, I hadn’t thought twice about making a phone call and asking for a favor.
Which was why when I noticed the terror on her face, I immediately softened.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Dmitriyev,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.”
There was an ache behind my eyes, the dull throbbing making it impossible to think clearly. I was right in that Mikhail was close behind me. Since the only time he’d seen me this way was after Selena died, he had a right to be concerned.
“Were they your regular employees?”
“No, sir.”
I felt the same pull toward uncontrollable violence just like before. I closed my eyes briefly, allowing Lainey’s face to push into my mind. I was also able to hear her voice as if she was singing right next to me. “What happened, Mary?”
“You’ve always been such an amazing client so when you called, I couldn’t say no. We simply didn’t have enough regular employees for your party and another that had already been booked. My partner contacted a firm we’ve used before. They only hire fully qualified people.”
Mikhail was suddenly right beside me, taking his time staring at the group of younger men and women in the line. I recognized at least four of them.
“Are any of them in this group?”
She shook her head and the look on her face indicated she’d connected the dots. “These are my regular employees. They’d never do anything like this.”
“As you might imagine, we’ll need the names of the employees and your contact at this agency.” Mikhail’s voice was on edge, but at least he could offer her a smile.
“Of course. Anything you need.” She was white as a sheet.
I placed my hand on her arm. “It’s okay, Mary.
It’s not your fault.” Right now, I was still at the point of destroying anyone who got in my way of discovery.
I’d never been this angry. “Why don’t you and the staff collect your things and head out?
I have a cleaning crew on the way. I’ll make certain your chafing dishes and anything else we find is brought back to you tomorrow. Okay?”
“If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. This has been a difficult day for everyone.”
Until we’d had a chance to check the bodies and deal with the police our way, I didn’t want anyone else on the premises taking pictures or finding additional dirty laundry for the internet.
Although I was almost certain news had hit social media already.
That’s how people were. They couldn’t care less about the living people involved in a tragedy.
“I’m headed outside,” I told Mikhail, at least waiting this time until he nodded.
Once I was standing on the pool deck surveying the carnage, I realized just how quiet it had become. Where there were screams and wails before, gunshots penetrating the beautiful afternoon sky, now there was only the light breeze and the sound of Nina’s favorite wind chime.
The bar set up for guests was a complete disaster, bottles tossed, glasses smashed.
With chairs tossed to the side, tablecloths strewn across the ground, two tables crushed from where bodies had fallen against them, and blood splattered throughout with bodies littering the ground, there was no denying what had occurred.
What struck me harder than anything had nothing to do with the dead man in masks. It was the fact that the three present tables appeared undisturbed, as if there’d been some divine intervention in protecting them.
I tipped my head a few seconds, finally chuckling although nothing about this was amusing in the least. “Are you going to keep following me?”
“I will if necessary,” Mikhail said while following my gaze.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re anything but fine. If something happened to Bristol and my little boy, I’d be flying off the rails, but at this point it won’t do any good.”
“Was anyone else hurt? The family? Guests?” I’d yet to ask. What the hell did that make me?
His sigh was as heavy as the weight on my heart. “One guest was shot in the arm, another trampled, but he’ll be fine. No one in the family was hurt.”
“Then it’s true. They wanted the two little girls, not to assassinate the family. That’s what Lainey mentioned.”
“I wouldn’t draw any conclusions yet. Maybe they hadn’t been prepared for our calculated reaction.”
“That’s not the behavior of any organized group of assassins, which I think they were. And I doubt Damien did this.” Although I still had the desire to beat his head into a pulp.
Mikhail chuckled, but his voice was as strained as I felt. “I’d already heard about your interaction with Damien Kane at the bar and I did a little checking. He’s an asshole and has been for most of his life, but he’s incapable of planning something so highly organized.”
“You knew I’d confronted him.”
“I am the Pakhan. Plus, I know Jeremy Sutton, the owner of the hotel where Damien is staying.”
That didn’t mean the asshole wasn’t working with someone. No, he was right. I was stretching things to find a neat and tidy fit when I knew like everyone else there wasn’t one.
“Did you call the police?” I wasn’t certain I wanted to hear the answer.
We might control the police department, the sheriff considered a good friend, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t expect hours of interrogation.
I wouldn’t be able to handle it without losing my cool.
There was no doubt either this had been a test or a warning.
Something much worse was coming.
“I haven’t authorized doing so, but my guess is that a guest did since they’re on their way. So are a couple ambulances. I’ll handle the police. You try and calm down. See to Lainey. We can’t have her blabbing to the press.”
“You don’t know her, Mikhail. She won’t do that.”
“You might need to ensure she doesn’t.” His look was more commanding than before. He was talking about keeping her against her will if necessary.
That wasn’t anything I wanted a part of, but I nodded. There was no sense in making things worse than they already were.
“I also need to talk to the surviving son of a bitch.” That much was going to happen.
“Not now.” He tipped his head with a demanding look in his eyes when I dared question him with my expression alone. “Not a good idea until you’ve calmed down. Keeping him on ice might provide more incentive. Talk to Lainey. Try and dispel her fears.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Look, I understand what happened today likely brought back memories, but you need to try and keep control. We must keep up appearances. I know that sounds crass, but that’s the way it is.
There will be sharks circling the waters hoping for chum.
We’ll also need to temper what we say to reporters.
Then in about five days, the news cycle will switch.
That’s the way of the world. In the meantime Lainey is obviously very special to you. ”
“I—”
“Don’t interrupt me. You can try and deny it all you want, and I can understand why. That doesn’t change what I’ve witnessed already between the two of you. That’s called undeniable chemistry.”
“What if I can’t protect her the way I couldn’t Selena?”
“A wise man once told me that shying away from everything I wanted for fear of losing it was nothing more than throwing my life away. The time for mourning and guilt is over. Admitting your feelings for that woman doesn’t diminish your love of Selena or her memory.”
“But you still want to ensure she doesn’t talk badly about us.”
“You’re such a stubborn asshole. No, we can’t allow that to happen, but I meant what I said.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. He was right.
I’d felt a growing bond, a connection few people found even once in their lives.
Lainey had experienced it, but how could she accept even taking a step forward after witnessing this horror show?
“Bringing anyone into our world right now isn’t good for them.
The target is too large. We need to discover who is constantly attacking us.
This was a goddamn children’s birthday party, for fuck’s sake.
Why would anyone put the lives of children in danger?
Why? How can there be so much hatred for what we do to endanger lives? ”
“I wish I had a life-altering answer for you, but I don’t. What I do know is that sometimes hatred is as lasting as the act of love. But here’s something you should know as well or even better than I do. Love can brutalize your soul, but it can also conquer all.”
I threw him a look. “A little sappy there, cousin.”
“Maybe so, but also true. Now, take Lainey and Nina. Grab a suite at Ecstasy. Stay a couple days until you decide where to land at least for a week or so.”
I knew what he was getting at. While I’d yet to see what damage had been done to the house, before I brought Nina back home, it would need to appear as if nothing had happened.
The last thing I wanted was for her to be afraid in her own home.
Plus, taking Lainey with me would prevent her from talking.
“Both he and Nina already have somewhere to stay.” Hearing Lainey’s sweet voice brought another wave of angst.
We both turned toward her and while she was able to look me in the eyes, I could tell where her line of sight had gone.
To the carnage.
I stepped in front of her and she seemed briefly startled. “Why aren’t you inside having a drink?”
“Because I wanted to make certain you were alright.”
“I’m fine.”
“Go with her. Continue celebrating Nina’s birthday,” Mikhail suggested as he started to walk by.
“I need to be here.”
He stopped long enough to smile at Lainey before addressing me. “I’m not suggesting or even asking. I’m telling you as your Pakhan. You’re not needed here.”