Chapter 18 - Mikhail
The news comes in just after six in the morning.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, serving as my wake-up call. Somewhat groggy, I push the sleep from my system and answer before the screen can go dark again.
“What’s going on?”
Ivan’s voice comes through, clipped and tight with urgency. An immediate red flag.
“One of our trucks was intercepted before it could finish the route to Buffalo. They took out three of our men and half of the supply. Backup was sent out to retrieve the rest.”
Sitting up, a fresh sheet of ice moves through me. I try to keep my voice hushed. “Nikolaevs?”
“Seems that way,” he murmurs, letting go of a tense breath. “It wasn’t subtle.”
Of course not.
Maxim has never known the meaning of subtle. Every time he does anything, it has to be loud and done in the open like the jackass he is.
And now, after months of managing to bide his time in silence, he’s back making noise all over again. Explosive, dangerous noise.
If someone like him were to end up getting nabbed by the authorities, it would only be a matter of time before he pulled everyone else down with him. That we cannot have.
“Fucking Maxim,” I mutter, running a palm down my face as I get up. “Are the others on the way back?”
As I quietly move across the room, Lily stirs in bed, but her breath stays shallow and even. She’s still asleep.
Good. I don’t need her hearing any of this.
Moving over to the window, I peer through the closed blinds and stare out at the grey sky overhead.
The Nikolaevs have been quiet for too long, only tripping up on a few occasions and putting us back on their trail. We’ve shaken down as many of Maxim’s men as we could, but none of them have squealed on him. Somehow, he has their lips sealed tight.
Whether he promised them limitless wealth or something akin to godhood in exchange for serving his cause, I don’t know how he has such loyal men by his side, willing to die before they utter anything remotely useful to us.
Either way, we need to know more, and we need to make sure Maxim isn’t gaining the upper hand on us.
“They’re twenty minutes out. I’m waiting to do a proper count,” Ivan says. “It sounds like the hit was more coordinated than usual. I’ll see the full damage soon enough.”
Absently rubbing at my chin, I turn away and leave the bedroom, closing the door softly behind me. “Maxim’s obviously upping his ranks, but we need to know by how much and what else he might be planning.”
“Not to mention how he’s even managing it.”
“That’s right…We need more eyes on them. Maxim may be better at hiding these days, but soon enough, we’ll find him,” I say, hoping that voicing it might bring the notion to fruition.
“I’ll do some digging and see what I can find.”
“Good. If you find anyone connected to Maxim, don’t hesitate to pull them off the streets. Nik will have some work to do,” I murmur, knowing he’d like nothing more than that.
“Got it.”
I hate every moment of knowing that bastard is out there making these bold moves against us. Intercepting our shipments and claiming half.
That’s far more than he should ever have.
I don’t know where he’s getting these reinforcements, but he sure as hell didn’t disappear just to lick his wounds.
He has more up his sleeve, and he’s waiting.
But the problem is, I don’t know what for. And the moment Roman catches wind of what happened, he’s going to be pissed.
***
When work wraps up, I meet Lily back at the condo before taking her out.
Even if the issues with the Nikolaevs have been on my mind for most of the day, I don’t tell her about any of it.
I simply tell her I need a distraction, and that we’re going to a gathering at a private lounge.
Since it’s one of ours, it’ll be private and high security, and at least then, I’ll be able to take a breath or two.
Lily puts on a deep green dress with a flattering neckline that certainly serves as its own kind of distraction. It’s understated but fits her perfectly, and I can’t keep my eyes off her.
She doesn’t say much on the way there while she stares out the window, seeming tired, and as if she’d rather be anywhere else.
I imagine she’s tired from school, and a touch of guilt moves through me at the thought, but I don’t say anything.
I try to ignore it, and the subtle disappointment at knowing spending time with me isn’t exactly high up on her list of wants.
As we arrive, music drifts from the rooftop terrace. It’s jazzier than our other spots, alive with the hum of expensive conversation. Glass chandeliers gleam in the low light, crystal glasses clink in the distance, and the scent of cigar smoke lingers from within those hidden corners.
It might seem like a bit much to Lily, especially given the hours she has already spent with her nose in the books, but it’s familiar. It’s more refined than the club, and at the very least, I hope that makes being there easier for her.
Sergey’s already here, sitting on a leather wraparound couch with a drink in one hand and a young woman draped over his other side while they chat—shameless and typical.
He grins as we approach.
“It’s about time you showed up,” he says, taking another sip from his glass before handing it to the woman. “I was already preparing a search party.”
“I’m sure you were,” I say, vaguely amused by his buzzed state.
Lily hangs back somewhat, still more reserved around my siblings. As friendly as Sergey can be, I don’t blame her for being more hesitant around him. His charm isn’t always as innocent as it seems, and it certainly comes with an edge sharpened by excess.
“You’re a vision, Lily,” he says, rising to kiss her cheek with careful affection. She just barely flinches, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
But of course, I do. My jaw tightens.
“Thanks,” she manages to say, taking a small step back for distance.
“No wonder my brother insists on taking you out as often as he does,” Sergey teases, lightly nudging my arm.
I exhale, vaguely annoyed but also a touch humored by his carefree attitude.
Lily sits beside me stiffly while we join them, and Sergey goes on about everything and nothing at the same time. It’s mostly business talk that I hardly doubt either of the women here would care about, but I let him carry on anyway.
I’m listening, but I keep most of my attention on Lily.
It’s not out of the ordinary for her to be tense in these situations, but she seems to be even more so at the moment. Her fingers tighten in her lap, and I eventually notice how her skin looks paler than it had only moments ago.
While the other woman asks Sergey something, I lean in and murmur lowly so only Lily can hear me. “Are you alright?”
She nods too quickly and seems to throw herself off balance in the meantime. She swallows hard, and her gaze looks less focused than usual. “I’m fine…I think I just need some air.”
But she doesn’t get up. Instead, she just lingers, looking like she’s not entirely in the room with us.
It lasts long enough for Sergey to notice through his tipsy state. His brows furrow with subtle concern. “Lily, are you feeling okay?”
This time, she doesn’t say anything. Instead, her shoulders stiffen, and without warning, she doubles forward.
Instinctively, I grab her arm before she can go too far, then it happens in a blink.
One moment, she’s completely still, and the next, she’s vomiting. All over Sergey’s polished shoes as he stares down in horror.
“For the love of—” he yanks himself back despite the damage already being done, cursing in our native tongue. The woman beside him squeals and gets out of the way.
Concern floods my system as she loses her dinner right then and there, and I grab the ice bucket, dumping the contents before holding it out for her. She clutches it tightly and continues to retch.
“Fucking hell,” Sergey mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Despite my brother’s complaints, I gently keep my hold on Lily’s arm, seeing just how clammy and flushed her skin is as she pulls back up again.
She’s mortified immediately, but more so than that, she looks plain sick. Not hungover or anxious—sick.
As she lets go of a shuddery breath, I carefully help her up while she holds the bucket close to her chest. “Come on…”
Not resisting, Lily manages a small nod before shuffling forward, tucked beneath my arm.
Other patrons stare and murmur among themselves, but I shoot Sergey a sharp look.
“Handle it.”
Instinctively, he nods and sighs, and as he continues to mumble about his new shoes, I guide Lily out.
Keeping a steady hand against her back the whole time, I lead her to the Range Rover waiting for us and help her climb in the back. The driver heads for home, and I rest a hand on her covered thigh.
She leans her head against the cool window and keeps her eyes shut, not saying a word the whole way.
And by the time I get her inside, she curls up on the couch, still staying quiet.
I don’t like the way the color doesn’t return to her face, especially not while she trembles faintly beneath the blanket.
Lily can be many things, and she can certainly be closed off when she wants to be, but never like this. Not without a scowl or the occasional glare to let me know she’s annoyed with me.
This is different.
“What are you feeling?” I ask while sitting beside her, not letting her out of my sight for a moment.
“Just tired,” she murmurs, barely loud enough for me to catch.
“Just tired? You vomited in front of a quarter of our investors and partners.”
“Don’t remind me,” she returns, sounding nothing short of exhausted. She sighs and rubs at her temples while keeping her eyes closed.
I study her closely for another moment, but when my concern only grows, I pull my phone out. “I’m calling the doctor.”
Lily opens her eyes just enough to glare at me. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.”
She grits her teeth. “I said I’m fine.”
“Lily.”
At my firm tone, she falls silent, then leans back against the couch and curls up again.
While she rests in her place, I call up the private physician and have him come out as soon as he can make it, then I place my phone to the side and glance back at her.
The living room is silent aside from her occasional murmur of discomfort.
I stay by her side, close but not exactly touching her. “You scared me tonight.”
She keeps her eyes closed. “You aren’t someone who scares easily.”
“You’re right, I’m not. That should tell you something.”
With a touch of defeat, Lily keeps her mouth shut and doesn’t say anything else.