Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

C aroline

Did mafia men do pillow talk?

I was lying with my arms folded on his chest, still basking in the warm glow of our closeness. Meanwhile, Vadim was absently stroking my arm with one hand, his other arm positioned behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"Penny for your thoughts," I finally asked, unable to stand the total silence any longer.

"I'm worth a lot more than that."

"Then what will it cost me?"

He raised his head, lifting those thick eyebrows of his. "Your soul."

"At least you didn't ask for my heart in payment. That will require more than learning your thoughts, buddy."

"You know how much I love a challenge."

"Yes, but I am a formidable enemy."

He laughed and closed his eyes briefly. "We need to find this guy, Caroline. Unfortunately, I'm not convinced whoever it was is one of my employees."

"He seems to know you."

"What does that mean?"

"I was having a dream earlier and woke up remembering words he taunted me with."

He stopped stroking my arm, pushing up onto his elbow. "Talk to me, Caroline. If you remembered something, it is vital I know what he said or did, anything you might remember about his physical characteristics."

"He was big but that could mean any of your men. His accent was there but extremely subtle, although I couldn't swear in a court of law it was Russian. Then again, with a little vocal training anyone could mask any accent."

"True. What did he say?"

I was hesitant to tell him because I knew how he'd react.

"Caroline. Be a good girl."

"He said something about the fact you'd destroy me."

His laugh was bitter. "Anyone who hears a single thing about my reputation would tell you that."

"That's not it. He said… Something about how your wife died, alluding that you were responsible." I cringed as soon as I muttered the words. What was I doing to this man?

He pushed me aside, immediately sitting up and shifting to the edge of the bed, acting like he was going to escape both me and the thought. I refused to allow him to walk away so easily, rolling onto my knees and wrapping one arm around his shoulders.

"Don't pull away from me," I said gruffly. My God, his chest was heaving, the sound he emitted almost terrifying me.

"That was the past. The fucker had no right to toss that tragedy in my face."

"Don't you know why he did? He knew I'd ask you, which would in turn unravel you. Don't allow that to happen. What happened? Did this person have anything to do with it?"

"Anything is possible because her shooter was never found and no one laid claim to her murder."

"Murder? Does Sofiya know?"

He chortled and rubbed his hand through his hair. "She doesn't need to. That would only disturb her worse than growing up without a mother."

"But she deserves to know the truth."

His laugh was hollow, devoid of emotion. "What truths are really out there any longer?"

"A lot of them, some irrefutable. The dawn will rise in the morning, and the sun will set at night. The sky is blue, the earth round. And love can conquer all."

"If only it were that simple, but you are wise beyond your years."

"I'm just observant. Plus, I adore nature." I was trying to be light, but he was stuck in a horrible fog.

We weren't a real couple, not really, but the silence was as troubling for me as it must be for him.

"It's your turn to trust me, Vadim. Whether or not you like the fact I'm your daughter's best friend, you've known me long enough it should allow for some level of trust between us. Something happened at the same time with Daniella's parents. Right? That's why you felt obligated to adopt her."

He gripped and squeezed my arm but I sensed he was angry I'd figured it out. "You're very trustworthy, Caroline. You wouldn't be in my house or my bed if you weren't."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

His sigh was painful even to me. "There are some aspects of my life best not relived. It was a dark period, a time when even I believed in the possibility of fairytales. My father told me early on having the right woman by my side would make all the difference in the world."

"How so?"

"He'd never lied or tried to hide the business we were in, the one that has been in our bloodline for generations. Hell, the man relished telling us stories of the years he'd spent growing up in Russia, the brutality of his father something he'd admired. He'd never intended on falling for an American woman or that she'd have such a powerful effect on him."

"How sad that he grew up that way."

He kissed my forearm and at least he was more relaxed.

"That was the way of things in my grandfather's world. The marriage between him and my grandmother had been arranged, forged from the blood of a violent struggle between two families. It was believed peace would befall the city once the union was created. All it did was leave bitter tastes in people's mouths. The one decent thing my grandfather had done was encourage my dad to forge his life in another country."

"He loved your dad."

"Yeah, he did in his own way, even though from what I've heard, the man didn't know how to love anyone. But Pops found a woman when he was least expecting it, running into her inside a bakery. They hit it off right away and as the fairytales would have it, after a passionate two months they were married. Against her parents' wishes I might add. One sad reason I never spent time with either set of grandparents. But Dad was a good example of how love could change a person. I allowed myself to believe the same."

"Isn't that what you had?"

"For a couple of years, yes, and Pops was right about the balance. I was able to leave the business of my job outside our front door," he said. "Maybe that was a false or jaded way of looking at it but when I got home, my entire world changed, becoming an oasis. Whatever horrors I'd inflicted that day, whatever businesses I'd destroyed in the name of profit hadn't mattered. I could be a father and a husband."

"That sounds wonderful, like what anyone would want."

He pulled my arm away, rising from the bed, grabbing his shirt. "Yes, it was but what I learned after Tonja died was that happiness wasn't allowed for a man who was already damned."

"Maybe she was your salvation. Did you ever think of that?"

As he pulled a pair of jeans from the dresser drawer, he didn't look in my direction. Only after he'd yanked them over his sculpted hips did he say anything else. "It doesn't work that way, Caroline. I wish it could, but the truth is when I sold my soul, I sold my rights to have anything to do with joy. Rightfully so."

"I didn't see you as a man who felt sorry for himself." I wasn't certain what to think about his admission.

"That's not what I'm doing. I'm simply stating facts. You should try and get some sleep. I just have a couple phone calls to make."

"Don't walk away. Why do you do that?"

"I'm not walking away but what happened tonight can never happen again."

"Let me guess," I retorted, which I instantly regretted, "your reputation will suffer."

When he turned his head toward me, I didn't need light or any illumination to see the look of hurt on his face.

"No, Caroline. I refuse to allow my arrogance to be the reason I lose someone else I care about."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry. You did nothing wrong." He moved toward the door.

"How can you live like this? Sofiya never acted as if she was in prison, but you must feel that way."

I hated the bitter sound of his laugh. "It's not a prison for me, Caroline. And I never allowed my daughters to feel that way. I also don't want that for you but sometimes, security is necessary. Often protection comes at a cost. That's my world. But I feel like a very lucky man."

"Money and power don't buy happiness. Look at my father. He's a miserable SOB."

At least I made him laugh. "Yes, I can agree with you, but a wise woman told me that happiness was what you make it. Granted, I've done a shitty job of doing that the last twenty-five years, but I do embrace the concept."

"Who taught you that?"

"My mother."

The reverence in his tone was evident.

"If you'll allow me to talk to your soldiers, I'll know if the man we heard is in your employ."

His sigh was so heavy, gut wrenching. "As you said, voices can be disguised."

"I scratched him hard on his face. I smelled blood underneath my fingertips."

Vadim immediately stiffened. "My little kitty cat. Let me see what I can do."

"Don't wait until they heal."

He opened the door and my heart sank. "You're my responsibility now and I will do everything I can to keep you safe. No matter what it takes."

As soon as he closed the door, I thumped down on the bed. Why was being with him so difficult but being away from him so abominable?

Vadim

"You need to get a life, man."

Aleksander's voice was understandably full of sleep. It was after two-thirty in the morning. "I have a life."

"Then sleep. Highly recommended."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead."

"Famous last words. Did something else happen?"

"Who was injured tonight at the party?" It was the one task I'd asked him to do after learning he was alright.

He sighed and I heard the rustling of sheets. When I heard a woman's voice, I had to smile. Sometimes I did forget those who worked with me had lives of their own and deserved them.

"Hold on," he said quietly. As a door opened and closed, I sat back in my office chair.

What a fucking night, both horrible and amazing. Who the fuck had tried to kidnap Caroline? When I found the person, they would learn what facing consequences meant.

"The interesting thing was that from what I'd been told, the governor had just left the room, the district attorney as well, and the majority of celebrities were on the other side from where the bullets were fired. Other than two waiters, an accountant who stumbled into the room looking for another party, and the police commissioner, no one of any consequence was shot and every injury was non-life threatening."

"And Stefano?"

"Not a scratch on him or his two boys. But they appeared shaken. I noticed that when everyone was fleeing the room. He was yelling orders to his sons in Italian, acting more frantic than I've ever seen or heard from the man."

"Don't you find that odd? If you order your people to come into a prestigious party and let the gunfire rip, wouldn't you be aiming for someone?" I twirled my glass. Perhaps drinking right now wasn't in my best interest given my aggravated mood, but fuck it. My leg ached, my heart more so.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. So you're thinking abducting Caroline was the real reason the party was trashed," Aleksander said more in passing. "A little far-fetched."

"What I'm thinking is that Stefano had nothing to do with the attack. He isn't the kind of man to play his cards that early or easily and his men are crack shots. He would have ensured a few key personnel were gunned down in cold blood to send a message."

"Like you would do."

"Like I would do. I think we need to widen our search of possible candidates. That's why I want you to use your connections and your finesse to set up a meeting with Marino, Narke Barsamian, and Shane O'Rourke."

He was instantly silent. "What did you say? I know I didn't hear you right." Putting all four of the most ruthless crime syndicate leaders in a room was unprecedented, but this wasn't the stone age. We could either fight like cavemen in the streets to increase business or handle it like professionals. As much as we disliked each other, we were motivated by wealth and power just like anyone else.

"You heard me, Aleks. At this point the game needs to be brought full circle with me back in complete control or we're all going to need to work together to determine what the fuck is going on."

Now he whistled. "You got balls, my Pakhan, but it's not a bad idea. When are you suggesting this illustrious meeting occur?"

"Tomorrow. Late morning."

He coughed this time, which made me grin. "I'm no magician."

"You don't need to be. You are a damn good influencer. You have a special way of handling difficult personalities. I am certain you're going to do a bang-up job in making this happen for your Pakhan. Won't you?"

"Fuck me. I mean yes, sir. I'll see what I can do but you know I can't promise anything. The three men are Neanderthals."

"Let's put it this way. I'm certain they say the same thing about me."

"Good point. What are you doing in the meantime while I'm performing miracles?"

"I'm still on the hunt for the man who almost took Caroline from her apartment and from the party."

He also seemed surprised. "She's certain it's the same guy?"

"Pretty certain but in this instance, she scratched him enough to draw blood."

"Whew, it's a tall order to find a man in a city of this size."

"Not if he works with me."

"Ah, shit," he whispered. "Let me dig into the guest list. Maybe I'll find something."

"I want these bastards on a silver platter. Period. Any red flags whatsoever and I want to know."

"Yes, sir. We'll get them. Get some fucking rest and stop calling me. At least I still have a few hours of peace left. Even if tomorrow is Sunday, my day off, looks like I'll be working. So for the love of God, allow me to enjoy a few more hours."

I chuckled. "Enjoy, my friend. Just remember who keeps you in the manner to which you've become accustomed."

"Very funny."

But true. I paid my people well. Some would say too well. As I ended the call, tossing my phone aside, I placed my hands over my face.

And just like the thunder had before, the anger rolled.

I had three locations inside the house where I could ensure the estate was secure. However, the main communications room was nestled behind a bookcase, along with a place to store additional weapons and ammunition.

There was also a basic panic room, a small facility no one could get into if the person inside didn't want them to gain access. It was something my father had insisted I have and a place only Aleksander, Nikolay, and the girls knew existed.

After I pressed the small button that looked like a bump in the wood of my desk, the bookcase swung open. I headed toward it, moving inside and checking the infrared system outlining the property. Whereas inside banks and opulent jewelry stores, the red lines were often able to be seen by the kind of night-vision goggles purchasable at any typical military ammunitions store, the ones I'd had installed were different.

It took a very special pair of goggles that only a single manufacturer made in the world and one I had control over. As I flicked on the system, I shifted from one of my two acres to the other, allowing my eyes to scan the area. There were no breaches, no notifications anyone had tried.

After grabbing two magazines of ammo for my handgun, I walked out, still thinking about how best to handle the fucking shitshow I was involved in.

It was time to put the pieces in place.

I texted Nikolay, not thinking he would even see the text until the morning.

My laptop had another view of the cameras, my phone as well when needed. I pulled up the set for a quick check to try to console my rage, rolling through the various angles in only a couple of minutes. My men were on duty, aggressively walking the grounds as required. I'd always believed myself to be safe in this location, or maybe I'd dared anyone to have the audacity of coming onto my property, daring to threaten me.

Now I wasn't certain anywhere was safe or secure for that matter. No matter how much money I'd spent on a fancy security or how many guards I hired, danger would always strike when least expected. Maybe Caroline was right and this was no way to live.

When a face appeared in the camera outside the door, I immediately reached for my weapon until I recognized who was standing on my doorstep. His sudden appearance was followed by a light rapping on my door.

With my weapon still in my hand, I headed toward the entrance, shutting down the separate security system installed for doors and windows. I opened it, immediately leaning against the door jamb. "It's almost three in the morning."

"I knew you'd be awake." He walked right past me, heading for my office.

Nikolay was dedicated. I had to give him that. I followed behind, immediately returning to my perch in my leather chair. "It's difficult to sleep when the enemy is swarming like vicious vultures, and you don't know who they are."

"I'm glad you're okay." He leaned over my desk, something obviously on his mind. "I had some men head to a couple raves and snoop around the druggies."

"You think a drug addict is behind the attack, setting up a pretty decent scheme under the noses of several high-ranking law enforcement officers?" I needed to start ruling out people one by one. When I turned on my desk lamp, he seemed surprised, even shielding his eyes.

"What the hell? I thought you liked the darkness."

"I do but I need to check to ensure my men aren't injured."

He looked at me quizzically. I had zero reason to doubt his loyalty, but I preferred to be certain, no longer acting foolish. If I wanted to find that joy I'd jabbered on about with Caroline, I'd need to keep my head completely clear for a few days or weeks. Neither his face nor his neck bore any scratches and I would easily detect if makeup had been used.

"I'm fine," he said. "But you need to hear that the word is that you're being used as a scapegoat, but don't feel so special. Supposedly, so is Stefano Marino, which I find tough to buy."

I took a deep breath, thinking about all the events and evidence. "I think it's a distinct possibility, but I'll likely establish another meeting with Stefano and push some buttons."

"A game of Russian roulette."

"And I play it so well. Let me know. What about Joshua?"

"Oh, the hacker? He's good at his job. We thought we had him at a place just outside Brooklyn, but it was a false address. Our computer experts are working on it diligently. However, they have a bad feeling the dude is onto us."

The kid was playing his own version of Russian roulette. It was possible the guy had no idea who he was dealing with. Greed went a long way in nurturing stupidity. "Scour this fucking city. I do not care how you find him. Find him. Period."

I could hear his exaggerated sigh. Yes, I was pushing my men, all of them, but I had a very bad feeling this city was about to experience a kind of war they hadn't seen in decades.

Only the players were yet to be identified.

"We're working around the clock," he said.

"Good. Keep me informed." I didn't need to tell him that. My men had been through enough they knew the score. "I'm going to have a meeting with Stefano again tomorrow as well as the members of the Armenian syndicate and the Irish. If either one of them are behind this, I'll know. If not, I'm going to suggest a temporary alliance until this nightmare is over."

"Wow. You're worried about this shit."

"Very much so."

"It's risky. Do you want me to go?"

"Yeah, and have Sergei as well. However, I do not plan on bringing an army and scaring off anyone. That wouldn't do me any good. It wouldn't do my business any good."

"Okay, call me when it's been set up."

"I will. Go get some sleep. My instinct tells me the next two days are going to be rough."

"From your mouth to God's ears. I'll prepare the cleanup crew for a heavy body count."

I chuckled but he could be right. "We need to get this done."

"By the way, so far there's nothing of use on the van we confiscated. Nothing. No registration, no indication it was a rental. It was just a getaway van."

"Fuck. I figured as much." And I had. That didn't mean I liked what I was hearing. "Burn it."

"Yes, boss."

I could feel his hard stare for a few seconds before he finally walked out, but I was certain it was in a huff. I couldn't blame him. I was pushing all my men to the breaking point and for what? I planted my hands on the surface and lowered my head. I was usually good at thinking these kinds of difficult situations through. However, this seemed like I was tiptoeing in quicksand, or worse, a puppet in a show. I didn't like that one bit. I wasn't the kind of man who could tolerate being manipulated.

When someone tried, bodies began to pile up in the morgues.

Exhaustion was something I should be used to, long hours a part of the job, but I was bone tired. Maybe that's why I didn't even have any sense of my space being interrupted, a vital trait in my industry if I wanted to continue staying alive.

When I felt hands on my back, I bristled and reached for the weapon on the desk, shocked when a hand was placed on mine, preventing me from lifting it off the surface.

"Relax." Her voice was like sweet bedtime music, the softness of her hands as she caressed my tense muscles something I was completely unused to.

"Caroline." I couldn't mutter more than a single word, which was nothing like me.

"I woke up and you weren't in bed."

For all the possessiveness, all the talk about owning her, my gut told me her life would remain in danger. If I was a decent man, I'd send her to one of my safehouses until the finish of this twisted game. But the man inside of me didn't want her even feet away from me.

I'd never felt such an intense draw, a need that bordered on toxic. "I still have business to take care of."

"At three-thirty in the morning?" She started massaging my back, her gentle caresses shifting into kneading the knots.

"Vile men never sleep." That was the moment I realized I'd left the bookshelf open. Jesus. Was the exhaustion making me ridiculously careless, or was it the way I felt about her? Either way, I wasn't used to doing anything this reckless, even if I was inside my own house. However, making a big deal of it would only draw the woman's curiosity out more.

She was certainly like a dog with a bone, refusing to let go and easily capable of gnawing on your hand until it was bloody.

"Mmm… I guess I'll keep that in mind." She was damn good at doing this, the strength in her hands phenomenal. "You're very tense."

"Yeah, well, this is a perplexing situation that I can't get a handle on."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

A part of me wanted to laugh but I didn't want to insult her. To think I'd be sharing a single aspect of my business, whether legitimate or otherwise with a girl almost half my age, someone I'd watched playing in the pool with my daughter was ridiculous. But she was perhaps the most caring, trustworthy person I had in my life other than my family. It was odd, so much so she kept me off guard.

"I'm worried that there is a master manipulator out there, someone hoping to pit two powerful entities against each other so we'll kill each other and they can enjoy the fireworks. What I do know is that your life is in danger. And I also know I need to find Joshua."

I sensed her tensing from behind me, her fingers becoming claws if only for a few seconds. "So you can kill him?"

"I don't plan on killing him, my cherished one, unless he refuses to cooperate with me. That man holds a key. I'm certain of it, and I need to get my hands on it. In this scenario, answers are vital and he might be the only one who can provide them. In exchange, I'll set him up with a new life. He's in danger. Of that I have no doubt. Whoever is doing this wasn't expecting either one of you to delve into their private security. It's quite possible they have no real way of knowing what either one of you found on their systems. That makes the scenario that much more dangerous. Sadly, he is damn good at what he does, like a ghost floating in the air. He hasn't contacted you at all. Right?"

"How could he? I have a burner phone." She was shivering, her mind elsewhere.

What are you doing, my bad little girl?

The fact she had a new phone was a good point although I wouldn't put anything past a guy who could shift IP addresses from country to country. Hmm… Much like my lovely guest could do. "My guess is the kid is more powerful than either one of us can comprehend. Tomorrow, I want you to work with my computer experts. Perhaps you can shed some light onto where he might be." I took that opportunity to move toward the bookshelf. All I'd needed to do was to touch the side and it started to close.

Yes, I had some cover given the darkness, but my enchanting guest was a formidable woman capable of discovering anything she wanted if she set her mind to it.

"And if we find him?"

"Then I bring him in whether he likes it or not. You'll be out of it at that point," I told her, turning around and walking back slowly. If my actions had sent up red flags of any kind, I would detect them. "I'm going to check with some other sources, which could mean I'll be gone for the better portion of the day. You can trust the men who arrive to take you to the facility where my computer experts perform their magic. I think you'll like working with them."

"Because they're nerdy like me?"

At least she could tease and still make me laugh. "Something like that. You're all brilliant and you'll be a great addition to the team."

"Okay. I'll work with them."

I lifted her chin and peered into her eyes. Something was bothering her, and not just the attacks. "You are telling me everything about Joshua, his whereabouts and what happened. Yes?"

"Why would I lie to you? I know what would happen."

"Good girl." Yes, she was definitely hiding something and that troubled me almost as much as everything else.

She continued rubbing and while it felt damn good, I also sensed she was tenser than before. Never had I wanted to simply be with a woman to the point I needed Caroline at this moment. She balanced me, brought me down to earth.

I shifted around to face her, cupping both sides of her face. As I peered down, the trickle of moonlight coming in through the window highlighted such a luminescent shimmer on her face. "You are so beautiful."

"You say that like you're never going to see me again."

"No, baby. Like I'm ready to set explosives throughout the city to keep you safe."

Longing for another taste of her, I captured her mouth, simply holding our heated lips in place so we could both enjoy the tenderness, and a little romance for a woman who deserved so much more.

She rolled her hands over my shoulders, squeezing both as she moaned into the kiss. I certainly would never have believed I could enjoy something so simple so much before this. It was intoxicating just being around her, the scent of the mango shower gel she'd used just as delightful as whatever cheap perfume she had.

I made a mental note to buy her some French perfume, which she more than deserved. As the moment of intimacy continued, I finally swept my tongue inside, enjoying dominating her tongue. She didn't fight me, something new and different even if some of her previous behavior had been playful and nothing else.

Taking her had seemed so easy.

Keeping her would be something else, no matter the claim I'd laid.

When I pulled our lips apart, she sighed and clutched my shirt, her long eyelashes skimming across her cheeks in a way that set my body on fire. I nipped her earlobe, delighting in her subtle yet powerful giggle before leading her to the couch.

It was another moment where no words were needed. I simply needed to be reminded that life wasn't just about business and violence. Even as I sat down on the couch, pulling her with me, her fingers never left my shirt. Having her in my arms was perhaps one of the most comforting things in the world.

As she leaned her head against my chest, I took another deep breath. Why did I have a bad feeling the next few days were going to be critical, not only to my business but to something much more important?

Living…