Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

C aroline

My scream was cut off when the assailant tossed me halfway across the room, my back hitting the wall with a brutal thud.

As I slid onto the floor, he leaned over and tried to snatch the baggie from my hand. Oh, hell, no, I wasn't giving up that easily. I kept my fingers wrapped around it using one hand, taking the other and trying to snatch off the hood.

My gut screamed I was an idiot. As soon as I saw his face, I'd signed my death warrant. I had no idea where the adrenaline had come from but somehow, I managed to kick the asshole in the face, which enabled me to scramble away.

When I noticed the bag, I risked it all for one last chance to grab it before heading to the door, but he was too fast for me, on me within seconds, fisting my hair and using it to yank me back.

The baggie was stripped from my hand again, this time tossed to the floor, the asshole stepping on it.

"No! No!" I screamed and he snagged my shirt, yanking me to my feet.

"You bitch. Did you think we couldn't find you? Did you think by running to the Russian he could really save you? Here I thought I could trust Joshua, but he was stupid enough to hire you. Well, I'm tired of your meddling." He switched his hand to my throat, squeezing until the lights started going dim.

I fought and scratched and gasped for air, slapping him with now useless hands. Tears had already formed in my eyes. I didn't want to die. I had so much to live for.

As the lights continued to dim, the asshole over me laughing hysterically as he squeezed the life out of me, all I could think about was the man I was… falling too hard for. His face. His eyes.

His… touch.

His…

And as I began to float away where the lights were bright and the feeling of peace amazing, the last thing I felt was a hard thud as I was dropped.

The last thing I heard was another brutal sound, someone snarling. What was that? Punches? I…

And the last thing I saw before I started to black out was a face.

His face.

His angelic face.

Vadim

The devil was always in the details.

It was a saying I'd heard for a long time and one I completely understood.

Maybe my arrogance had gotten in the way, allowing me to feel comfortable with the people working for me and my surrounding environment.

"I'm here, zavetnyy ," I told her. "Stay with me." She looked so damn lifeless, her eyes already rolling in the back of her head, her breathing shallow.

What the fuck had she been thinking leaving the house?

A loud hiss jerked my head away from her.

Christ.

The asshole wasn't unconscious yet.

As the fucker continued to fight back, somehow managing to use the wall as leverage, lunging toward me, a part of me thought this shit was getting way too old.

I'd had enough. I threw the assailant against the wall and used my forearm to crush down on his windpipe.

"Fuck, boss," Nikolay said from behind me.

I'd made it to the brownstone before he had, racing up the flights of stairs as if they were nothing. Joshua had obviously been a very bad boy, attracting some dangerous people.

But I couldn't give a shit about the kid's dead body. All I could think about was getting to Caroline.

"Get Caroline out of here. Now!" I snarled. All I wanted to do was snap the jerk's neck, but I needed info. I had to know who was hiding underneath the mask.

When I ripped it off, the blood splattered on his busted lip and cut eye from my savage punches couldn't hide who he was. Neither could the scratches my beautiful hacker had caused. Fuck me.

"Francois." I stated his name with zero inflection. There was no reason to give a shit, other than he'd been in my top tier. Betrayal was typical in an organization such as mine. In truth, it had become far too much of the norm in today's business world as well.

No wonder my girls had been found at the mall. "I trusted you," I said, although it meant nothing.

"You were a fool."

Yeah, so I was.

Things had changed significantly in a decade or two. If this had occurred fifteen years ago, my father would have tracked down every member of Francois' family, making them all pay for the man's sins.

In very painful ways.

Then again, in those days very few would dare go against their Pakhan.

But greed was powerful. So were threats.

I'd acknowledged that years before.

"Who fucking ordered you to do this?"

He had enough of his chutzpa left to spit blood on my face.

Sighing, I wiped it off with my other hand, hearing more soldiers advancing into the room. Yeah, I'd driven like a bat out of hell to get here, going in excess of one hundred miles per hour.

I issued another hard punch to his face. Whatever bones I'd just crushed were the least of his worries.

He didn't have long to live. He didn't deserve a reprieve.

"You have ten seconds, Francois."

"Let me kill him," Nikolay said from behind me. "I enlisted and trained the motherfucker."

Nikolay was one of those men who rarely got emotional. But hearing the anger in his voice right now gave me pause.

"Eight seconds," I barked, yet to decide.

"Do you want to know why?" Francois managed, although he had to fight to enunciate the words.

"Six seconds." I rubbed my forehead, Caroline's moan completely capturing my attention. This asshole was the past. She was the future and I would take care of her. "Do you want to know the truth, buddy?" I said just because I'd called him that for years. "I really don't give a shit. Have at him, Nikolay."

As I handed him off to my brigadier, I noticed a flash as a jagged hunting knife was pulled from his pocket.

The guy was damn good with his knife skills. That much had added to his dangerous reputation.

I didn't wince as he set to work. I had a feeling Nikolay would be very thorough. I knelt, pulling her warm body into my arms. As I cradled her against my chest, she moaned softly into my ear.

From what I could tell, the woman had managed to hold her own. But I was still pissed she'd gone against my rules, angry that she was so damn good at hacking and observing.

But a tiny part of me was proud of her.

Not enough to warrant forgiveness, at least at this point.

"It's going to be alright," I said, continuing to wonder how she'd gotten here in the first place. She'd lied to me on some level. That much I knew.

"They killed him. Joshua."

"Yeah, I know. He knew what he was messing with."

"The… drive," she whispered.

I pulled her away, keeping her head aloft. "What drive?"

"A jump drive. A baggie. Maybe you can save it."

I scanned the room, almost excited by what she was saying.

"Sergei. There's a baggie with a jump drive in it. Find it."

"Yes, sir."

When I glanced at Nikolay, his face and arms were covered in Francois' blood, but he was a happy camper. Sick, talented fuck.

"Let's get you home where you belong." As I gathered her into my arms, her eyes remained open, one hand lightly placed against my chest.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I had to help."

"Rest, my cherished one. Just rest." As I stepped over the two dead bodies, I glanced into the hacker's office. My traitor had done well with destroying the man's computers. I doubted there was any chance of recovery. The drive needed to be found. That's exactly what Francois had been looking for.

"Found it, boss," Sergei said. "Unfortunately, it's in pretty rough condition." He held up a baggie and I sighed.

"Get it to our computer experts. Have Joe do whatever it takes. Any info will be helpful. Nikolay. I'm taking her home. See that her car gets back to the estate and that the cleanup crew arrives. I also need to know how long Joshua has been dead. Check for anything else that might be useful."

He wiped his knife on his pants, his eyes still unfocused from bloodlust. "Will do, boss. I'll report back later."

"Do that."

I carried Caroline from the apartment, my anger still high, every alarm going off in my head. Hopefully the jump drive was the key, or the situation would continue.

And I was bone weary of rolling the dice.

"I can walk. I can drive," Caroline insisted.

"Neither is going to happen. Not right now." After settling her into the passenger seat and closing the door, I scanned the shitty neighborhood. I couldn't help but wonder if the scene had been set up entirely.

The questions were starting to pile up and, in my mind, I knew the bodies soon would as well.

Patience.

It wasn't just shot. It was nonexistent within me. I was angry, frustrated as fuck, and determined to get to the bottom of this.

As I tossed a glass across the room, smashing it into the wall, Aleksander sighed from the twenty feet away where he remained. I threw him a look and grabbed another crystal tumbler. I was drinking tonight. Period. "What? Just say it, Counselor. I'm not in any mood to play games and you should know that."

Hours had gone by, enough time I was antsy as fuck, ready to break some heads. Nikolay was on his way back, the drive safely in the hands of the only men who might have a chance to save it. And it had also been confirmed the computers at Joshua's place were toast.

I was in a bad place. Horrible.

Hell, four syndicates likely were at this point. I would need to make a round of contacts in the morning letting them know and asking if they'd had any additional issues. But not right now. I was still concerned about Caroline. She was weak, still refusing to talk to me, and had ignored food. At least I'd had her checked out by my family's doctor.

She'd been lucky.

Again.

How many lives did she have left at this point?

"Breaking everything in your house isn't going to obtain you answers," he said.

"Yeah, well, it makes me feel better. Okay?"

Aleksander chuckled and finally walked closer. "You've said almost nothing about the meeting."

I sighed and walked toward the window, doing my best to avoid the glass. My temper was getting out of control, but I'd been shoved into a corner by Joshua's death and that was a very bad place for a man like me to be in.

"The meeting went better than can be expected. At least we can rule all of the leaders out as current enemies. The future is something else. I do appreciate you putting that together."

"It helps I went to law school with all three of their personal attorneys. However, I called in what I will guess is my one favor. I still don't trust any of them."

After turning to face him, I laughed. "I don't either but unless my computer guys can work miracles, I doubt I have any choice but to allow them to take the lead on this. However, the fucker will rear his or her ugly head again. I just need to keep watch on my regime closely."

He exhaled, the sound exaggerated. "How did Caroline find your special room?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say when I was a fool and left it open, she paid close attention to its location and appearance. Finding the button was extraordinary but the fact she managed to override the system was amazing."

"Keep her as an employee. Of course, unless you want her for something else." He lifted his eyebrows.

I wasn't interested in anyone being funny around me. My pissed-off mood would remain for some time to come.

"Right now, I'm taking it day by day."

"Good advice," he said. "As long as you can do that. Do you have any idea on what we're dealing with?"

I took a deep breath, rubbing my temple. The headache remained, which I suspected would last for some time to come. "I honestly have a feeling whoever it is not only wants to tear down all four of our reputations but is also determined to use that success as a steppingstone to gaining more power."

"So you're thinking political."

"Maybe."

"Then I think I'll accept the job interview from the other firm who courted me at the party."

Nodding, I lifted my glass. "I think that's a good idea."

"Who knows what I'll find."

He cocked his head, studying me intently. I caught his look and laughed.

"What am I doing with her, Aleks?"

"Because of her age, her connection with your daughters?"

"Yes, she's basically half my age. We shouldn't have anything in common and I'm no good for her."

"For what reason, Vadim?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that. You know my background better than anyone outside my family. I was indoctrinated into my father's regime at twelve. I killed my first man at fifteen. I lost my virginity on my eighteenth birthday to a woman I didn't know because that's the birthday present my father had received at his age."

Aleks half smirked. "And you think that makes you a bad man?"

"I don't think it puts me up for hero of the year, for fuck's sake. She's young and innocent, completely unused to this life."

"Don't kid yourself, Vadim. Her father is a snake in the grass, his venom not only poisonous but vile. Whereas you are very straightforward in your requirements and how you handle your businesses, that man hides behind slick attire and charity events while destroying anyone who stands in his way. Caroline isn't a stupid woman. Quite the contrary. She's also not as innocent as you believe her to be. Give her the benefit of the doubt that she knows what she's getting into."

"Yeah, I don't know."

"You're finding any and every excuse as normal."

"What excuse?"

"To push people out of your life, refusing to care. Everything in your life, every decision made has been because you feel guilty about Tonja and how she died. How Daniella's parents died."

"Don't bring my wife's name up to me! And don't talk about Daniella's parents either." When I got this angry, it meant I was acknowledging the other person was spot on. I shook my head. "You really think I'm making excuses?"

"Yes, I do. I understand remorse and an aching heart. Grief is powerful. That makes you human. However, you've done your time, mentally and emotionally. No matter the circumstances, Tonja would never want you destroying yourself bit by bit. She'd want you happy again and in truth, so do your daughters. It's past time for you to find someone special for your life. And given how well I do know you, I believe that's already happened."

I studied him for a few seconds before laughing.

"I guess we'll see what happens." When my phone rang, I bristled even though I was hoping for any additional information or good news. Seeing Daniella's number didn't bode well for my frustration level either. Both she and her sister had stormed out of my house after trying to make Caroline's life miserable. I wouldn't stand for it. "I need to take this call. And I'm going to be somewhat offline for the evening."

He gave me a nod and took another sip of his drink before placing it on the credenza and heading toward my office door. "One piece of advice, my friend. Follow that cold, black heart of yours before it's too late."

"Isn't that the point? I don't have a heart?"

He was smirking as he walked out.

"Daniella," I answered, instantly hearing an edge in my voice.

"Dad. I wanted to call and check on you. Did something happen?"

I gave my men explicit instructions not to say anything to my daughters at this point. "What was said and by whom?"

"No-nothing was said by anyone. I had a feeling." She was never nervous around me, which meant she had conned the information out of someone.

"You and I both know different. I'm fine. Caroline was almost killed."

"Again? She is bad luck."

"I'm going to stop you right there. You are my daughter and I love you. It doesn't matter if you're blood or not, you have always felt like my kin. However, that means that I deserve some level of respect. That also is extended to anyone I might choose to date or potentially marry at some point in my life. I've forgone having a life for far too long, which I think has become detrimental to me. I didn't plan on what's happened with Caroline. It just did. But, having said that, neither you nor your sister have any right to judge or interfere. If you're angry, be angry with me and I can handle it. Caroline does not deserve your nasty words or ridiculous accusations and quite frankly, I will not tolerate you treating her badly ever again. I hope I make myself clear."

I'd rarely needed to use tough love with either girl. Were they both spoiled? You bet. However, down inside, they were good girls who usually followed the rules.

Including those of decency.

Which is why their actions and words had caught me so off guard.

"I'm sorry, Father. I actually also called to tell you how sorry I was. It was rude of me and very childish. I care about Caroline very much and also want nothing more than to see you happy."

Sighing, I almost laughed. "You don't need to apologize to me. But you will with Caroline. If she wants to see you."

"Understood. Please give her my best."

"Will do."

As soon as I ended the call, I barely had time to sigh from frustration when I felt Caroline's presence.

She walked in, looking much stronger than she had before. Honestly, I was shocked that she didn't appear any worse for the wear.

"Don't be angry with Daniella or with Sofiya. This is just tough on them."

I closed the distance, resisting touching her at this point. "I know but diplomacy goes a long way."

"Sometimes that goes out the window when family is involved. You, of all people I think would know that."

"My beautiful, thoughtful, and intelligent woman."

"I'm just being me. Something that up until now was rare."

"I'm glad you can be yourself around me. I need to ask you a few questions."

"Yes, I know."

I finally cupped her face, rubbing her soft skin until I tingled. It would be easy to ignore business around her, something I just couldn't do. "Tell me why you disobeyed me."

"Because Joshua begged me to come see him, telling me he had some information I needed to see and he wouldn't tell me anything on the text or over the phone for that matter."

I lifted a single eyebrow and immediately she blushed. "And just how did he get your burner phone number? By accident?"

"I texted him to warn him to be careful."

"When?"

"At the party. He was trying to respond when the internet went down. Only this morning I noticed he'd texted again. He seemed frantic and I was shocked he gave me his address. He swore he'd never do it, no matter how much he trusted anyone. Is the jump drive gone?"

"That remains to be seen. My experts are working on trying to retrieve any data possible. Do you have your phone?"

"No, the asshole smashed it against a wall at Joshua's place."

"One big text?"

"No, two. The first one mentioned the information he was hiding and the location. The second came a little later."

"Any memory of what time he texted you?"

She wrinkled her nose and my cock twitched. "This morning. Maybe around nine? Why is that important?"

There was no reason at this point to keep anything else from her. After what she'd been through, any information or assistance she could provide would be helpful. "Because I don't think Joshua led you to the apartment. I think the man who betrayed me did."