Chapter 31 Asher
ASHER
Blood drips from my hands. I wipe them on a towel Declan hands me, his split knuckles mirroring mine.
Alan sits slumped in a chair, his head hanging low, lulling in his unconscious state.
My last right hook to his face was a little more than he was able to withstand, and at this point, I don’t know if it’s worth bringing him back around.
He’s given me fuck all for information, but with what a whimpering pussy he is, I’m starting to believe it’s because he doesn’t have it.
All he’s told me is that Janet is out for my blood, and she has allies on the board.
As if I didn’t already know that.
“We can’t get rid of Janet easily or quickly. She holds too much sway,” Declan murmurs, almost to himself.
“No. I’ll let her hang on for a bit. But I need to know who else she has in her pockets before she’s gone. I want all the rats off my board, and I can’t do that if I don’t know who they all are. But I’ll start with Alan. He’s not leaving this room alive.”
Declan shifts, surprised by my words. “And how are we going to frame this?”
“I’m going to take Ella’s advice. She said we needed to create gossip and scandal for Sergei so that when he falls, there is a pattern of behavior to explain it away.
If his fall from grace doesn’t come out of left field, people are less likely to ask questions and look for answers.
So, it looks like Sergei is going to be the prime suspect for Alan’s murder. ”
Declan flashes a sinister smile. “Your girl is brilliant, but you know that already. So, what’s Sergei’s motive?”
“Revenge. Alan also has a useless son who likes to party. He obviously supplied Dimitri with the drugs that caused the overdose.”
I pull out my Glock and put a bullet through Alan’s chest. Anyone who hurts or threatens Ella in any way no longer gets to breathe. And Alan is the first to go.
I turn to Declan. “I’m heading back home to check on my girl. You and Sterling make that story happen. Spread it far and wide.”
“Will do.”
I’m barely back in my penthouse before the doorbell rings. I groan. I wanted some time to check on Ella without an audience, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen. Ella’s mother has been beside herself, and she and Lucy flew in to check on Ella.
Before I can even make it to the front door, Lucy barges through, having been let in by security.
“You have some explaining to do, Langford,” she sneers. “Where is Ella?”
I’ve only had the misfortune of speaking to Lucy over the phone, and now I get to see her in person. Oh joy. I had hoped Declan’s description of her as a hellcat was hyperbole, but unfortunately, it looks like it’s not.
“She’s in our room, resting.”
“I want to see her.”
Natalie, Ella’s mother, and Zahra file in after Lucy.
“This way,” I say, leading them to our bedroom.
“How could you let this happen?” Lucy demands, hot on my heels. “I thought your family was untouchable. Do I need to send some of my men to help your asses protect her?”
“That won’t be necessary. And what do you mean by your men?”
We stop at the door, and Lucy rolls her eyes and clucks her tongue. “Clearly your buffoon of a brother didn’t get through to you. I am a Morozov of Chicago. So, yes, I have men.”
Understanding clicks into place. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I growl. The Morozovs are one of five major Russian mafia families. They are cousins of the Antonovs.
“I’m not kidding. And I would flay my men alive for allowing harm to come to someone like this.”
“I have it handled. Something like this will not happen again.”
Lucy huffs and narrows her eyes, clearly not impressed by my answer.
I take her by the elbow and pull her out of earshot of the others. “Maybe instead of grinding my balls about this, you should talk to your goddamn cousins.”
“Get your paws off me, Langford,” she hisses. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
I pause. Sterling will be pissed when he finds out I told her, but if Lucy has any sway with the Antonovs, it’s worth the risk. “The Antonovs are responsible for this.”
Lucy’s brows shoot up. “Which Antonovs?”
“Sergei.”
“TDC Oil, Sergei?”
I nod.
“Fuck. What does he have on you?”
“Nothing. He wants something from me.”
“Then you better give it to him.”
“Can’t do that. But I will do whatever it takes to keep Ella safe.”
“You’re a fool. Sergei plays the harmless gentleman, but he’s a very dangerous man. He doesn’t get his own hands dirty often, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t rivers of blood spilled on his orders.”
“Then I’ll spill his blood.”
She scoffs. “A Langford ordering a hit? I thought your family was too moral for such things.”
If only she knew. “We typically are, at least the last couple of generations of us. But you should know as well as anyone that my family’s fortune was built on blood.
I’m not proud of it, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
I want to do good in this world, but I’m not above getting my hands dirty if I’m forced to. ”
“So, what do you plan to do, Langford?”
“I’m not about to reveal my plans to the cousin of my enemy.”
Lucy narrows her eyes. “I would never do anything to hurt Ella.”
“I may be forced to have you around because you’re Ella’s friend, but I don’t trust you enough to give you any information.”
“I would never compromise Ella.”
“Your last name is Morozov, so I will be keeping my cards close. Nothing you can say will move me on this. I’ll tolerate you, but if I find out you’re helping your cousins, willingly or not, there won’t be a place on earth you can hide from my wrath.”
Lucy’s brows raise. “Maybe you are worthy of her after all.” She pats my shoulder. “Time will tell.”
With nothing else to say to the viper, I lead her back to the bedroom where the others are gathered around a sleeping Ella. Natalie reaches down to stroke her cheek, and Ella stirs. A moment later, she blinks awake.
A sigh of relief rushes through me. Ella’s hardly been conscious since Alec took her off the sedation meds, and I haven’t even spoken to her about what happened.
Alec and Brenda, the nurse, have taken turns to be here around the clock, so I’ve been assured many times that she’s okay, but seeing her awake helps to calm the nonstop anxiety I’ve felt since Sterling told me she’d collapsed at work.
“Ella!” Natalie rasps, sitting down on the bed next to her. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
Ella blinks slowly. “Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie. It’s me.”
“Why are you all here?” Ella slurs, her glazed eyes taking in the women standing over her.
“You were in the hospital,” Natalie says. “You’ve . . . been sick.”
Ella tries to speak again, but only gibberish comes out. Her eyes roll back into her head, and she dozes back off to sleep.
I stand over her, annoyed that she’s being disturbed. “Okay, you’ve all seen her. She’s alive and in one piece, but she obviously needs rest.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Zahra asks Alec.
“She’s fine,” he says in his reassuring, doctor voice. “Her labs all came back normal, and she’s doing very well. She’s just still very groggy, although I’m not sure why. I took her off her meds last night.”
“You know she’s a lightweight,” Zahra says.
He chuckles. “I forgot just how light, so this isn’t abnormal for her. I’m not concerned; she just needs to sleep it off.”
“Yes. Come back once she’s slept it off,” I say. These women’s presence is already overwhelming, and they’ve only been here for five minutes.
“You’re in a hurry to push us out. Why?” Lucy demands.
“Because I don’t want you all overwhelming her.”
“How can she be overwhelmed while she’s sleeping?”
“If she wakes and you’re all hovering over her, she will be overwhelmed.”
“I don’t like this,” Lucy hisses. “I don’t like that she’s trapped here with you, and I don’t like you lording over her, pushing her family and closest friends away. This is all your fault, Langford. If she weren’t with you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Lucy,” Zahra grumbles.
“What? I don’t like this arrangement, and I think it’s time you terminate the contract. This is a nightmare.”
“What contract?” Natalie asks.
“The dating contract.”
“What?” Natalie looks bewildered.
“Oh, shit. You don’t know?” Zahra says.
“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter under my breath.
“What is going on, Asher?” Natalie asks me.
You can’t throttle one of Ella’s best friends, I remind myself as I shoot Lucy a glare. I repeat it to myself two more times, just to be sure I remember it.
Resigned, I make a motion to follow me out of the bedroom.
“Ms. Graham?” I call out, and a second later she appears in the living room. “Would you mind setting out some food and drinks for our company? It looks like we’re going to be here for a bit.”
“Of course, sir.”
Five minutes later, we’re all sitting on the couch with refreshments set out on the coffee table, and I explain to Natale the beginning of Ella’s and my relationship.
Forty minutes after that, we’re still here because I’ve re-explained, and explained for a third time—because Lucy kept interrupting me with questions and comments—everything I can about the situation.
“And the contract is now void?” Lucy asks for the fourth time.
“Yes,” I snap. “But Ella and I are not over.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m in love with her!” I shout, my patience finally snapping. “I don’t know how to make that any more fucking clear to you Lucya Morozov! Ella and I may have started as some twisted arrangement, but within that arrangement, we fell in love.”
“And if that love fades? How will you ensure her protection? Did that idiot brother of yours bring you my terms?”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “He did. And I not only met them, I exceeded them.”
“I want proof.”
“Fucking hell, woman.”
The women all stare silently as I grab Ella’s phone out of the kitchen and log into her banking app.
I hold up the phone for all of them. “You can see this is Ella’s account, and only Ella’s account. I have no access to it.”
“But you just logged into it,” Lucy argues.
I bite my tongue, and my nostrils flare. You can’t throttle one of Ella’s best friends.
“I’ll make sure Ella changes her password when she’s feeling better,” I growl. I stand over Lucy and thrust the phone in her face. “Satisfied?”
“A hundred million dollars?” she whispers.
I smirk. All those millions are worth it to get this demon of a woman to quiet down.
“What?” Natalie gasps.
Natalie and Zahra stare at me with open mouths when I hold the phone closer for them to see.
“I transferred the money into her account the morning we ended the contract. The money should never be necessary since I plan to marry her and she’ll never want for anything ever again, but I also know that my lawyers will push for the fiercest prenup they can.
But regardless of any of that, I want Ella to have her own safety net in case anything happens to me or between us to end our relationship.
I know you think I’m some incompetent, sadistic monster, Morozov, but I’m not.
I love Ella, and I will do anything to make her happy and keep her safe. ”
“Well then . . . we’ll just come back when she’s awake,” Zahra says, grabbing Lucy by the elbow and hauling her to her feet. “It looks like Ella’s in good hands.”
Lucy looks like she’s going to argue, but Zahra shoots her a look that shuts her up.
Thank the lord.
I promise Natalie that I’ll call her as soon as Ella is able to stay awake for visitors and do my best to herd them to the door without looking like I’m rejoicing in their departure.
I should probably offer Natalie a room, but I’m a selfish asshole, so I set her up in a five-star hotel instead.
I don’t want to share Ella once she’s awake.
Visits will have to be good enough for everyone.
I let out a long breath once the three of them are gone.
I’m not used to having to explain myself to people, and I find it fucking tedious.
And I find Lucy beyond fucking tedious. I’m already thinking of ways to make sure I’m not around when she visits.
If I never saw that woman again it would be too soon.
I’m glad Ella has family and friends who fiercely protect her, but Lucy just feels like cruel and unusual punishment.
I strip out of my clothes and slide into bed. I hold Ella to me, just like last night, and breathe her in. After a moment, I’m finally able to calm down. Because everything is always better when it’s just Ella and me, and she’s in my arms. Exactly where she’s supposed to be.
I just wish her safety wasn’t on the line to be there.