45. Manuel
FORTY-FIVE
MANUEL
T he whole time I fought through the Triads, I pictured the terror in Athena’s eyes, her ravaged expression, and it kept me pushing onward.
Danil and I froze as soon as we barged into the room where Athena’s tracker led us.
She was surrounded by Qian and three of his men. He yanked her off the ground by her elbow and she winced, shooting him a glare.
“Jesus, take it easy.” Athena got to her feet and slid her eyes my way, flashing me a soft smile. My amorina was safe, and by the looks of it, she wasn’t hurt.
Qian had her in his clutches, his gun pressed against her temple while hatred and violence swam through my veins.
“Let her go,” I gritted, barely reining in my fury. “Or I swear to God, I’ll level this ship even if I kill us all in the process.”
If anything happened to Athena, I’d be dead anyhow.
“I thought we had an agreement,” Danil said, his voice cold.
Qian laughed. “You suggested marriage, but what good is it if the woman’s married already?” He flicked Athena a bored glance. “Maybe a mistress,” he pondered.
“Over my dead body.”
His mouth twisted as he glared at me, but he remained silent. We both knew he wouldn’t mind me dead, but I would set Athena free from his clutches first. I refused to die beforehand.
The mother of my child wouldn’t be anyone’s pawn.
Shaking his head, he studied me. “I’m open to shooting you right now.”
“It would be a mistake to try.”
“Are you two done or can we get my sister off this boat?” Danil said, gesturing between us. “Nice to see you, Athena. Been on Tinder lately?”
My wife let out a strangled laugh. “Been kind of busy. Getting married and kidnapped.”
“Stop fucking dragging this shit out, Danil,” Qian spat. “Clearly you were trying to fuck me over.”
Danil flicked a piece of imaginary lint off his shirt while I teetered on the edge. I just wanted to shoot the motherfucker and grab my wife. But the devil wanted to negotiate.
I narrowed my eyes on the man. “Listen, give me my wife back and we’ll leave you to work out shit with Danil.”
“No, the rules have changed. A union between our families is no longer enough. Not with the damaged reputation your sister Nicki has.”
Danil didn’t miss a beat. “Actually, I was going to recommend a marriage between your sister, Mei Long, and myself, but I like the way you think. We should strengthen our business relationship with a marriage between you and my sister Nicki too. The more the merrier.”
Qian’s expression turned thunderous and Athena winced as his grip tightened.
“Have you lost your fucking mind, Danil, or have you forgotten that Alexandra killed my sister? You Popovs started it all.” His finger on the trigger of his gun was tightening. I kept my own trained on the spot between his eyes.
“Did you ever wonder why in the fuck your sister was in my father’s house in Greece?” Danil asked as he put his gun in his holster and slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Just get to the fucking point, Popov,” Qian hissed. “Is Mei alive?”
Danil rocked back and forth on his heel, his eyes locked on the man.
“First things first, we’ll negotiate terms.”
And this was the thing that made Danil Popov successful and ruthless.
“Or maybe I’ll just put a bullet in your sister’s head,” Qian snarled.
I growled, flashing him a menacing smile. “You put a scratch on her, Qian, and you can forget learning anything about your sister. You have three seconds to decide.”
“One… two… three,” Danil counted, flashing him a cold smile. “I knew you’d choose wisely. Now, release Athena to her husband and we’ll negotiate.”
Conflict danced in his eyes as he struggled between the need to avenge and the need to learn the truth about his sister.
He shoved Athena forward and she stumbled, but I caught her as Qian aimed his gun at Danil.
“Now speak,” he demanded.
“My contacts learned of a little secret Alexandra kept,” Danil started. “You really should have gotten ahold of Alexandra when you had a chance, skinned her alive, and questioned her on the details of her betrayal. Her secrets. Instead, you let her escape for handing you Athena.”
Pezzo di merda.
I wrapped my arms around Athena, wanting to protect her from her mother’s selfishness. Her eyes locked on me, watching me like I was a king. Her king.
“I knew Atticus or one of you would get to her.” Qian wasn’t wrong. Alexandra’s days under the sun were numbered. “Now explain what the fuck you mean,” Qian barked.
He seemed to be fed up with antics just as much as the rest of us.
“She migrated back to the States, pregnant and with a baby under a fake passport. Mei Windsor, the exact same age and date of birth as Mei Long.”
No doubt Alexandra intended to use her as her trump card if the need ever arose.
His hands curled into fists at his side. “Where is she? And why wouldn’t Alexandra use that leverage to save herself and her child?”
Danil shrugged. “Because she fucked up. The Windsor family, who adopted Mei, are practically royalty. Fuck them over and you’re dead.”
“I will get her back to my country. They can’t touch her there.”
Danil let out a sardonic breath. “I wouldn’t count on it. Besides, Mei is very fond of her parents, and I suspect your way of… business won’t be to her liking.”
“Why are you speaking as if you know her?”
Danil’s lip curled into a smug, almost twisted smile. “Unlike you, I do my research. You should have really looked at your family and asked how your baby sister wound up in Atticus’s home in the first place.”
“My mother,” Qian answered flatly. “She fell in love with Alexandra during one of her visits to Greece, accompanying my father. Alexandra knew Atticus was about to dump her, so the two women planned some fairy-tale escape.”
“ What ?”
“What the fuck?” Danil said. “Is that a joke?”
“Do you see me laughing, Popov?”
Athena straightened but didn’t pull away. “My mother is… but no, it can’t be. She’s been chasing men for as long as I can remember.”
“Maybe she was experimenting.” Qian’s voice hardened. “But I assure you, it is true. My father beheaded my mother as a result of her betrayal.”
Silence filled the room. We all sized each other up, considering this new information.
“Where is my… Where is Alexandra?” It would seem Athena couldn’t refer to Alexandra as her mother anymore. Not that I could blame her. She had caused so much pain and suffering.
“By now, I imagine Lykos Costello has her secured in my dungeon.” Qian remained silent, his gaze locked on Athena and me. “Her days are numbered.”
I heard Athena’s soft gasp and I rubbed her back. She’d been exposed enough by now to know there wasn’t a scenario in which Alexandra Kosta remained alive. Not with the damage she caused.
“Even if your wife objects to keeping her imprisoned?” Qian demanded.
“I don’t,” Athena chimed in, her expression pale. “Object, that is. Enough is enough.” She took a deep breath before exhaling. “I would like to have one last talk with her and understand why, but I won’t ask that you spare her life.”
“Fine. I want your assurance that Alexandra Kosta will be dead by the end of the week,” Qian demanded. “No more hiding under a different name or with the head of the Spanish mafia.”
“She will,” I agreed.
“But Mei cannot marry you, Danil.” I wasn’t surprised at Qian Long’s pushback. “She’s already engaged, the agreement was signed at birth. So unless you end that entire family?—”
“Consider it done.” Danil smirked, never breaking eye contact with his future brother-in-law.
“Also, if you ever get anywhere near Athena again,” I added, “I’ll ensure your last name is wiped off this planet.”
“Ditto,” Danil chimed in.
Athena’s hand squeezed mine, and I imagined all the brutality of this world was probably staggering to her.
“Now that we have that behind us…” Danil steered the conversation back to business. “After we sign a contract, binding Mei to me, and Nicki to you?—”
“I don’t want your goddamned sister. I don’t need a woman who’s pining after another man. Besides, she’s fucking crazy.”
Athena snorted softly. “Look who's talking.”
Danil shrugged. “Exactly. And it is not up for negotiation.” My brother-in-law had a death wish. “In addition, you’ll sign half of your drug and construction business to me, both in Asia and Africa.” Qian’s lip curled at the outrageous demands, but he knew they had him cornered.
“Just look at it this way,” I drawled, helping him out. “You’re investing in your family.”
“Fucking Popovs,” he muttered. “You’ve been a curse since day one.”