15. Ghost

I kiss Lennox, then slap her ass as she walks away with Liberty. E-Z arranged this so we could keep an eye on my woman while we were busy checking things out. I need to figure out my woman's secrets so I can protect her from them. Not gonna lie, I also need to know everything she's keeping from me. I won't allow another woman to hurt me the way Millie did. I refuse to be blindsided ever again.

"We'll see you two later," Liberty calls.

"Remember, you and I have a date tonight, Lib."

"Date," she snorts. "You mean you want sex."

"Woman, you say that like you don't want my dick."

"Oh, I want your dick, E-Z. It's the rest of you that annoys the hell out of me."

E-Z laughs. I swear these two are always going at one another. They're like two kegs of dynamite. They either erupt in a fight or are fucking against the wall. It's fun to watch, but he married her after one night together. I'm not sure that was the smartest decision. Still, I hope it works out for them.

"Keep it up, Lib. I'll be spanking that ass so hard you won't sit for a week."

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking trash. We both know that will never happen and you know why."

She closes the door with that, and E-Z is practically cackling while we walk into the office. "Should I ask?" I question him.

"Bitch knows me too well. I love it when she sits on my face."

"Too much information, brother," I respond, and he laughs at me.

"Okay, so tell me what you're so worried about."

"I wouldn't say I'm worried, but I think she's definitely hiding something important."

"We could interrogate her."

"Not happening," I growl before I can even think. No one is getting near her.

"She means something to you."

That's a simple way of saying what's going on in my head, but I'm not going to confess that. "Yeah."

"So, how do you want to play it?"

"I have some information I need to research. I'll do that today, but I wanted to ask you something specifically."

"Hit me," E-Z says, leaning back in his chair.

We're in the room where we have church—which is basically all club meetings. It is actually my favorite room in the entire club. The walls are all brick, but painted white, so you don't feel as if you're in a dungeon. The floors are dark hickory wood and there are no big windows, but there are some transom ones along the top of the wall across from me that lets light in. There's a gigantic television hung on the same wall and the only furniture in the expansive room is a huge conference table that seats twelve. The chairs are all large leather office chairs and are ergonomic. E-Z ordered them. Each chair was three grand a piece. I thought it was a stupid expense, but I didn't say shit. They're pretty damn comfortable, so I can't complain.

I let out a breath because I hate doing this. I feel like I'm betraying Lennox, and I don't like it a damn bit. "Her brother died. She gave me a name last night. She called him Teddy."

"You're going to need more than that, Ghost."

"I have it. I'm just not sure I want to know if it rings a bell with you."

"Spit it out. I didn't bring you out here to have my back because you were a pussy."

I smirk at him, but don't retort. "I think her last name is Bazin."

I wait for his reaction, and it doesn't take long at all.

"Fuck," he hisses.

"Something tells me you know it."

"Oh, yeah, brother, I know it."

"Well?" I ask when he just keeps rubbing his beard. His silence is driving me crazy.

"The Levkin brothers had a cousin. Her name was Anya. Ivan and the boys thought of her as a little sister, although they didn't see her that often. According to Mikhail, even Abram had a soft spot for her."

"Is there a point to this Levkin family history?"

"Patience young grasshopper, patience." I flip him off and he laughs. When he looks at me, his face slowly becomes serious again. "Anya married a man that none of the brothers liked but Abram."

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Abram liked the man because he was his resident killer for hire. He was known to be ruthless, bordering on the line of sadistic. His name was Dimitri Bazin."

"Fuck."

"Anya had two children with this man. Gossip was she didn't get pregnant by choice. It was said she never had choices. If she tried, he beat her until she couldn't argue."

"Jesus. Ivan didn't step in?"

"Apparently, the brothers didn't know what was happening. Abram probably did, but he viewed women as servants who were to be used for sex and whatever else he required of them."

"I wish we could bring the man back and kill him all over again," I mutter.

"It would be good to see Ivan go bowling with Abram's head again," E-Z laughs. "Anyway, Ivan never knew what was happening with Anya until years after Anya's death. They never sought revenge because by the time they found out what he had been doing, Dimitri had turned into a man who was paranoid as hell. It's said his guard rivals the ones at Fort Knox. They didn't push it because they were afraid they wouldn't be able to protect the children.

"Okay, let me have the rest of the story."

"Their first child was a girl. Now, I don't know her name?—"

"So, it could be Lennox."

"Maybe. Ivan once told me that Dimitri raised his daughter to be just like him. He planned on her taking over the family business."

"Well, that would explain how she kicked Weasel's ass."

"That it would," he agrees.

"The second was a boy who Ivan told me had Down Syndrome."

"I don't think I need to research anymore. I'm thinking I need a meeting with Ivan."

"I'll see what I can arrange," E-Z responds. "Are you going to let your woman know that you are aware of her secrets?"

"Not yet. I'm pretty sure that's not all of them."

"What more could there be?"

"I don't know, but I will say I'm worried it's dangerous. She told me that evil stalks her footsteps."

"Well, shit."

"You can say that again," I agree.

"You know, Ghost, we might want to ask ourselves why she was wasting time with Weasel to be near the clubhouse."

"Trust me, that's something I've been thinking about nonstop since I found out," I admit with a sigh.

We sit there in silence for a bit, then we get up and go into the other room. I may know a lot more than I did about my woman, but I'm convinced I'm still missing something vital. I just hope I find out what it is in time to shield my woman and protect her.