Chapter 41
Leo
A s we move through the busy members-only sex club, my hand remains firmly around Nora’s waist, making it clear that I’m not up for sharing.
The men who eye her hungrily quickly avert their gazes as I glower at them, moving on to more willing recipients.
This isn’t the sort of place I ever imagined bringing Nora, but needs must, and it helps make our cover story more believable.
Nikolai and Tatiana are regulars here, so we can talk freely in a private room without the risk of prying eyes and ears.
Nora looks truly ravishing tonight, and I have to work hard to remain alert and ready for an ambush with her nearby.
I remind myself that we’re here to work, not play.
I have to admit, I’m curious about what Nadya is going to reveal.
It had better be worth the risk. She’s lucky Nora didn’t burn the letter without reading it.
I certainly wouldn’t have overlooked her betrayal as easily as Nora seems to have.
Nora’s compassion, understanding, and capacity for forgiveness will never cease to amaze me.
After reading Nadya’s letter, her only concern was for her friend.
I hope her trust is not misplaced and that this isn’t a carefully laid trap set by Quinn.
But I trust my wife’s judgment. After all, I can’t exactly judge Nadya, I didn’t meet Nora under normal circumstances either.
I knock three times on the door in quick succession, followed by two longer knocks, the signal that it’s us.
Seconds later, Nikolai opens the door and quickly ushers us inside.
A small, anguished sob escapes Nora’s mouth as she lays eyes on her friend, and she quickly rushes over to embrace her.
The pair offer apologies and forgiveness between tears.
I look away, feeling as if I’m intruding on a private intimate moment by watching. “Did everything go smoothly?” I ask Nikolai and Tatiana.
“Yes, Dimitri bought our cover story without question. Though the fact we showed interest in Nadya doesn’t bode well for her, he won’t lose interest any time soon if only to lord it over us that she’s his,” Tatiana replies grimly.
Nora looks over in horror at what she’s just heard. “Nadya isn’t going back there,” she insists.
I share a glance with the others. It’s one thing getting her out for a brief period, but if we don’t take her back, Dimitri will immediately know who to blame. If her information isn’t worth it, we’d be taking a hell of a risk.
“Nora, I have to. If they don’t take me back tonight, I’d be putting you all at risk. I can handle it. Maybe I can even be helpful to you there?” Nadya insists, clearly understanding the risks.
Nadya looks awful. There’s a bruise on her face that she’s covered up as best she can, and the skimpy outfit she’s wearing leaves her exposed and vulnerable in a way that makes me want to cover her with my jacket. Being Dimitri’s new favorite plaything is a dangerous position to be in.
Nora squeezes Nadya’s hand. “You don’t need to put yourself at risk.”
“I’ve been at risk my whole life,” she replies. Nadya looks at Nora with such love and sadness in her eyes I have to look away, uncomfortable with the raw emotions.
I clear my throat awkwardly.
“So, what’s this news you have to share with us?” I ask a little more brusquely than I intended.
Nadya fixes her attention on me. “Do I have your word that you won’t shoot the messenger? You aren’t going to like what I’m about to tell you.”
I can tell she’s sizing me up, trying to work out if I’m trustworthy or just like the rest of the men in her life. Nora moves to stand next to me, taking my hand in hers and pressing herself close in a show of solidarity that softens Nadya slightly.
“Leo would never punish you for sharing what you know with us,” she declares confidently.
I don’t point out that she’s not one hundred percent correct.
It depends on what she’s about to reveal and her involvement in it.
Sometimes you have to shoot the messenger to make a point, especially if that messenger is a snitch who would turn on you so fast you get whiplash.
Telling Nora that right now would only serve to upset her, though, so I keep it to myself.
“I won’t shoot you,” I reply calmly.
Nadya doesn’t flinch as she meets my gaze with understanding in her eyes. I won’t hurt her for Nora’s sake, certainly not in front of her right now, but I won’t make solid promises until I know more.
Nadya takes a deep breath, steeling herself before speaking.
“As you know I’ve belonged to Eamonn Quinn since I was young.
I won’t pretend that I’m his confidant, far from it, but over the years I’ve kept my head down, and done as I’m told.
Because he thinks I’m so afraid of him he speaks freely around me.
Dimitri seems to share the notion that I’m a brainless nobody.
Or he believes I am so broken I wouldn’t dare cross him. ”
The muscles in her jaw tense as she speaks about the men who have wronged her so badly. I’ve no doubt the bruises are Dimitri’s handiwork.
“Since I’ve been with Dimitri, I’ve discovered two secrets that neither man wants getting out. The first is that Dimitri Belyh is infertile. That’s why he killed his wives—not in some fit of rage, but because it would soon become clear that he couldn’t produce an heir.”
“So that’s how he knew I wasn’t his child and my mother had an affair, because there was no way I could have been his,” Tatiana says.
“But this is hardly something he needs to kill to hide. He has Leonid to carry on the family business,” Nora points out.
“For him it definitely is. There would be some who would favor replacing him with me if they knew. I am younger, well respected, and now I have a wife. There is even more risk that people might support my claim over his. My father was the Pakhan, after all, it was never meant to be Dimitri,” I explain.
Nikolai nods in agreement. “Dimitri is in a difficult position. He risks Leonid taking control himself, but if he were to remove him as a rival, he would be left with no heir at all and the whole empire could collapse. Better to leave Leonid in the dark and keep him close.”
“That’s where the second thing I have to tell you comes in,” Nadya says. “I know the truth about why Quinn and Dimitri allied, and it has nothing to do with finally deciding to share assets. Quinn was finally calling in a favor he was owed.”
Nadya looks at me with an apology in her eyes.
“There’s no easy way to tell you this, Leonid, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.
As you know, Quinn sent his men to murder your father, mother, and sister.
You were there and witnessed the whole thing, and then Dimitri and some others turned up just in time to save your life.
What you don’t know is that the whole thing was orchestrated.
You were supposed to survive and be a witness that it was your father’s enemy who had killed them. No one would doubt your word.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Quinn want to keep the heir alive? Surely his mother or sister could have served the role of witness without leaving a potential rival and future Pakhan alive,” Nikolai says.
“Because Quinn wasn’t acting alone. He was following Dimitri’s orders,” Nadya reveals.
“Dimitri had my family killed?” I ask.
Nadya nods. “Yes, I’m sorry. He wanted to be Pakhan, and the only thing standing in his way was your father.”
I suppose I should feel shock, disbelief that my uncle could do such a thing to his own brother, but I know him well enough to be aware that he would do anything for power. Nora squeezes my hand, offering her wordless comfort.
“But he needed to keep Leonid alive because he already knew he couldn’t have children,” Tatiana points out.
“Yes, exactly. He knew that Leonid was young enough to be molded into what he wanted and that no one would question his authority as the new Pakhan while Leonid was still a boy, too young to take his rightful place,” Nadya replies.
My mind drifts back to the night of my family’s murder.
How my father ordered my sister and I to hide when we heard the men coming.
The sounds of gunshots and my mother’s screams as they killed my father before raping and murdering her.
The cries that came from my little sister when they found us, how I had tried to fight but had been helpless, just a young boy not yet ten fighting against a grown man.
I’d begged and pleaded for them to spare my sister when I saw the bloodied corpses of my mother and father.
One of the men threw my sister over his shoulder, ready to carry her away to do unspeakable things.
Another saw this and put a stop to it, the only small pity she was offered.
She was looking right at me when the bullet entered her forehead.
Her sightless eyes still haunt my nightmares.
“So my father and Dimitri were allies this whole time? Why wait until now to form this fake alliance?” Nora asks when I stay silent.
“Dimitri couldn’t risk suspicion surrounding his brother’s death.
If he allied too quickly with Quinn, people were bound to ask questions.
It suited them both to act like enemies in public, but behind closed doors they were working together.
It also suited Quinn’s agenda to wait until now.
I don’t know too much, but Quinn didn’t just give me to Dimitri as a kind gesture.
I’m a spy of sorts, and he wants me to report back as much as I can.
Quinn has allied with the Chinese, and he plans to take down Dimitri’s organization from the inside,” Nadya reveals.
Realization dawns on me. “That bastard knew what Dimitri would do if he married Nora,” I hiss, clenching my fists. “He knew he was sending her to her death, and he didn’t care. He needed her to die so that he had an excuse to go to war with us.”
Despite everything he’s done to her, Nora seems genuinely shocked by the suggestion. “Did my father know? Did he know Dimitri is infertile and would kill me eventually to hide it?” she asks Nadya, her face pale and pleading.
“He doesn’t know about Dimitri’s infertility, but he is well aware of his track record and that it is very likely Dimitri would eventually kill you,” Nadya replies sadly.
“If I’d known, I would never have let him take you, I’d have died to protect you,” she says determinedly, almost begging Nora to believe her.
“What about Leo? Who tried to kill him the other day?” Nora asks.
“I don’t know, I’m sorry,” Nadya replies with a shake of her head.
“It could be any one of them, they’ve all got reason to want Leonid dead,” Nikolai says grimly.
“Now Leonid is older and married, he could soon have a son and a stronger claim to become Pakhan, especially if the men are tired of Dimitri. I know people aren’t happy about the alliance with Quinn.
Despite the fact it’s been twenty years, he’s still the enemy who killed a beloved Pakhan.
Dimitri may want to eliminate him to avoid the risk of a coup.
Equally, both Quinn and the Chos would want Leo dead.
It would leave us weaker and without an heir, and with an aging leader,” Nikolai explains.
He’s right, I’m on the proverbial chopping block.
Nora squeezes my hand tightly, hugging me close as if she could somehow protect me with her presence. I plant a reassuring kiss on the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” I whisper to her.
“It’s about time you took down that old bastard and took your rightful place as Pakhan,” Tatiana says, her eyes lighting up as she grins at me. She’s been eager to take Dimitri down her whole life.
“How are we supposed to do that?” Nora asks.
We begin planning our next moves. I will have my revenge. One way or another, I’m going to punish them for what they’ve taken from me.
I’m going to tear them all down and burn them to the ground.