Chapter 35
Iwonder what’s taking her so long. Polly has been inside those offices for two hours already. I can’t hear anything courtesy of the pendant, which tells me she is inside a room with no signal.
I am nervous, agitated and fearful at the same time. I’m not the only person looking for answers and without eyes on Polly, I can’t be certain she is safe. Nikolai Barinov may be inside. I wouldn’t put it past him and I’m surprised to find it’s Polly’s welfare that concerns me more than the secrets inside that building.
“Boss.”
Artem’s hushed whisper causes me to jerk my head in the direction of Harvey Williams and I notice Polly heading down the steps toward the waiting cab. Once again, my man is driving it because I will not compromise her safety. From our vantage point in my own car across the street, I search her expression eagerly for any clues, but I get nothing at all.
As she steps inside the cab, it pulls into the traffic and we are right behind her.
It’s probable that Nikolai already knows we are with Polly. He will have observed every move she makes as soon as he learned of her existence. I have no control over that, but I do have control over her safety and she is now closely guarded because she is worth more to me than anything else.
She is the key to this mystery, and that is what my head tells me. However, my heart is telling a different story because she has become so much more to me.
That alone scares the shit out of me because I’ve broken my golden rule. I’ve allowed myself to care for another human being outside of family and I don’t know what to do about it.
What’s inside those boxes may lead me away from Polly, and I will not let that happen. For the first time, I wonder if this is how my father felt with Veronica. Did he love her? Was she someone he couldn’t give up, no matter how hard he tried, or was it something more than that?
Am I seeing the full picture, or was she working for him in some way? There are so many questions that multiply rather than diminish and the huge ball of pain that sits heavy inside my soul is not going away anytime soon.
We makeit back to the house with no problems, and I waste no time in finding Polly.
Her confused expression doesn’t help me feel any better and I’m surprised when she makes her way into my outstretched arms, as if it’s the most natural place for her to be.
My hand wraps around the back of her head and I hold her tight, my heart racing as it senses information that might change everything.
“Valentin.” Her soft voice has fast become the only one I want to hear and she whispers, “I’m so sorry.”
My heart hammers and my pulse races, but I show no emotion as I say evenly, “Tell me.”
She pulls back and smiles wryly, nodding to the garden.
“I need some fresh air. Walk with me.”
My hand finds hers as if on auto and as we head outside into the brilliant sunshine, I steel myself for news I may wish had remained in that dusty vault.
We makeour way toward the small bench under the apple tree and as we sit, she takes a deep breath.
“You are probably wondering what I found.”
I say nothing and she shakes her head in obvious confusion.
“It was mainly jewelry. Beautiful expensive jewelry that she warned me must never leave that vault.”
“Why not?” I’m mildly curious because jewelry has no bearing on my investigation and she shrugs.
“Because of its value, and she seems to think it holds some kind of importance that would raise too many questions if revealed.”
“Stolen?” I raise my eyes and she nods.
“I thought that too. I mean the stuff in there was beautiful, Valentin. Like royalty wore them one day. She also told me they were more valuable than all her real estate but to leave them to rot because they may cause me harm. What do you think she meant by that?”
She appears anxious, which is no surprise, and I shrug.
“It probably means they weren’t hers to own. She was hiding them for someone or came by them illegally. Without seeing them, I couldn’t say.”
She takes another deep breath and says sadly. “There were many letters from your father, like the ones in her desk.”
I tense, my blood freezing at her words and my head hurts, as well as my heart, when all my suspicions are confirmed.
She squeezes my hand and her voice is laden with sympathy. “It appears they couldn’t be together and spent most of their life meeting in dark shadows. He spoke of change and a time when they would be together. Snatched moments of pleasure and a life that should have been different.”
Once again, I say nothing because revealing my emotions is something that doesn’t come easily to me. We have been taught by the master and always believed business was more important than anything. Now I know my father was disguising his emotions his entire life for a very different reason.
Polly is pensive and I can tell there is a lot on her mind and she whispers so softly it could almost be mistaken for a summer breeze.
“She told me to sell everything and walk away.”
“Why?” I’m more surprised at that than anything else and Polly shrugs.
“She told me to sell to Marsha Steele because she deserves it and my aunt didn’t want her to claim another victim.”
She gazes at me with concern. “Do you know what she meant by that?”
“She was warning you.” I state the fucking obvious and sigh. “Whatever happened in your aunt’s life was orchestrated by Marsha Steele in some way. It may just be the introduction, or she was involved in their relationship somehow.”
My heart hardens when I think of Marsha Steele. A woman who is pivotal in this whole mess and our meeting tomorrow is even more urgent now because I’m guessing that if anyone can give us the answers we seek, it’s Marsha, the Burning Rose herself.
When Polly heads insideto change for dinner, I take the time to call my brother Mikhail. He met with Marsha in his pursuit of the truth, and I want to discover his thoughts on her.
“Valentin.”
His husky voice is unnaturally relaxed and I detect the sound of waves crashing to the shore, reminding me he is on vacation with the woman who somehow stole his black heart.
“I’m sorry to disturb your vacation, but I have a question.”
“I am never on vacation. Merely in a different location.”
His answer makes me smile, and a bolt of affection hits me for my enigmatic brother.
“Marsha Steele.” I say her name and it causes his breath to drag through the phone.
“What about her?”
“She is interested in buying Veronica Scott–Stanley’s house, and is searching for something.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Veronica worked for her and I always thought she was more involved than she let on.”
“What do you know of her?” I need to ask, and he sighs heavily.
“She protects her business as if it’s a trade secrets act. Any information is well-guarded with secrets and lies.”
He says with interest. “What have you discovered?”
His words may as well have stabbed me in the heart, and I consider my response carefully. It’s one thing knowing our father was in love with somebody else, but telling my brother, knowing it would bring him immeasurable pain, is not something I want to be the cause of.
“Tell me, Valentin. No secrets, remember.”
It makes me smile and I reply bitterly, “Then perhaps somebody should have told our father that.”
The silence stretches between us and I finally sigh heavily. “He was in love with Veronica Scott- Stanley and has been for many years.”
“I see.”
His voice holds no emotion and mine matches it as I remark, “He wrote her many letters and left me in no doubt about that. They met secretly on several occasions and, according to their neighbor in the Cotswolds, they were a lovely couple.”
His sharp intake of breath reminds me how painful this must be for him and I say sadly, “It also appears that he was planning on leaving mom.”
“I see.”
Mikhail’s voice holds all the venom I would expect, because our father’s betrayal wasn’t just toward our mother. He may as well have stamped on his children’s hearts as he left.
“So, what’s your plan?”
“To meet Marsha tomorrow at the Cotswold’s house and hope she leads us to the secrets it’s keeping.”
“I hope you are successful. If not, there may be another way to break the bitch.”
“I’m listening.”
Mikhail’s voice is cool and dangerous, much like the man himself as he hisses, “She has a daughter. She lost custody of her and, despite fighting for her, was never allowed to see her again. She might be just the weapon we need.”
“Do you know where she is?” I ask, knowing that if he doesn’t, he soon will, and I was right when he says darkly, “It won’t take long. I’ll make the necessary investigations, so you hold the information if you need it.”
“Good.”
I hear distant laughter and say with amusement, “How is Lilli?”
Mikhail has fallen hard and deep for the woman who crashed into his life with her own agenda a few short weeks ago, and it surprised the entire family when he pushed everything aside to spend time with her.
“Infuriating.”
He groans, causing me to laugh out loud.
“I’m sure you can handle her.”
His soft laugh tells me he knows exactly how to handle the spirited woman and strangely, my thoughts turn to Polly, who is currently changing for dinner upstairs.
“Enjoy your vacation, brother. Spare me the photographs.”
His soft chuckle is the last thing I hear as I cut the call and envy him the freedom he now enjoys. Mikhail has it all figured out and Lilli will never escape him all the time he wants her. It makes me think of Polly and our uncertain future and, if anything, it hardens my heart.
If I want to keep Polly, I will, whether she agrees or not, and the sick bastard in me hopes she puts up a damn good fight.