CHAPTER THIRTY

"What do you think is happening?" she asked Richard, gripping his arm.

"Yulia, I don't know," he said, trying to calm her.

Fifteen years of this. Fifteen years of working for this woman, hoping to keep her alive. Although Krauss wanted nothing to do with her, he didn't want her dead, and his biggest fear was that someone from Russia would come for her. Yulia had something he needed. Richard just didn't know what it was.

"Those two men. The ones from New Orleans. We should have killed them a long time ago. They were both despicable men." Richard could only nod, trying not to point out the obvious that she and her ex-husband were far more despicable.

"It will all be fine. Krauss is just being cautious," he said.

"Do you think he knows?" Richard stared at her. He wasn't sure what she meant, but maybe if he played along, she would tell him.

"Maybe. What should we tell him?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head nervously. "Nothing."

Her neurotic behavior had only gotten worse in the last ten years. Never leaving the mansion unless forced to, not speaking to anyone except her main guards, Krauss, and once in a great while someone in Russia. A distant cousin that kept her up on what was happening there and any danger headed her way.

But it was the paranoia that made Richard's life hell. Screams in the middle of the night. Calls to his room, saying that someone was in her suite. Refusing to eat because she believed the new chef had poisoned her.

Yet somehow, she never showed that side of her in front of Krauss or anyone else during business discussions.

Pulling up the long circular drive of the mansion in the city, Richard looked around, seeing a few dark figures watching them. Krauss's guards weren't always the most observant, but he dealt with them swiftly and violently.

"His bodyguards are pathetic," said Yulia.

"I'm sure they know that it's us," said Richard. When the car stopped, he opened the door and took her hand. "You two stay with the car. We'll be out as quickly as we can."

It would be the last time he saw the bodyguards.

Opening the door to the home, he spotted Krauss in the chair and waved Yulia inside. As he moved closer to the man, he spotted other men that he didn't recognize and tried to back up. Except he couldn't. He was blocked by two mountains staring down at him.

"I don't think so, sweet knees," smirked Tailor. Alec took the man aside, binding his hands and mouth as Yulia glared at Krauss, shooting daggers his way.

"It's a trap! You brought me here to trap me!"

"Shut up, Yulia. They brought you here to trap you. Them! Just shut up and do whatever they ask."

"Oh, we're not really going to ask you to do anything," smiled Ian. "We just want answers to some questions."

"Fuck you," she said, spitting on Ghost's boots.

"Lady, don't tempt me. I won't mind hitting you full-on in the mouth. Right now, the rest of our men are getting those kids out of the farmhouse on your little safe island." Her eyes went wide, and Krauss shook his head.

"No. My guards will stop them!"

"Your guards are dead," said Alec, towering over the tiny woman. "We made sure of it. And from what I hear, the way some of them kids looked, you're going to have a friend of mine to deal with, and it won't be pretty."

Alec shoved the woman into the chair beside Krauss, not worrying about being delicate at all. He pressed the device that Victoria had given them behind her ear, matching her ex-husband's. This was a woman he wanted dead, and he couldn't even explain why other than the obvious.

"Where else are your operations?" asked Nine.

"There are no others," she said with confidence. She let out a scream, and even Krauss jumped beside her. The men stared at her, wondering what the fuck was truly wrong with her.

"What did you do?" growled Krauss.

"We didn't do anything. Answer the question. Where else are you running from?" asked Ian.

"Nowhere," said Victoria. The sharp pain came again, causing her to scream in agony.

"Stop!" yelled Krauss. "You're hurting her."

"Buddy, I don't know what you're looking at, but we're on the other side of the room. She's about as goofy as they come," said Gaspar.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up! She's fine," said Krauss.

"Anyone else feeling lost?" frowned Tailor.

"Very much so," said Nine. "What the fuck is happening here? Victoria? Honey, can you hear me?"

" I hear you. She's lying. "

"Yeah, honey, we know," said Nine. "What is that thing behind their ears?"

" She's lying."

"Who is that? Who is that speaking?" asked a panicked, Yulia hearing the voice in her ears.

"What the hell are you doing to us?" asked Krauss. "Who is that speaking?"

"You're both liars. Tell them. Tell them what you really are. Tell them who you really are."

The team was absolutely perplexed by the entire conversation. It was as if Victoria was losing her mind as well.

Then Nine stared at Yulia. Really stared. Short, petite, brown hair laced with a colored dye of blonde. She had interesting features, almost elfish. But it was her size that suddenly had him knowing.

"Oh, shit."

"Tell them. Tell them everything. Come on, Mommy, Daddy, you can do it."