A Forbidden Love (Eligible Billionaires Book 9) (18 page)

Dimitry examined his long lean hands. Then his gaze locked onto Devon.

Heat surged through Devon’s heart. Unmistakable anger filled Dimitry’s gaze, perhaps even a threat.

“Put yourself in my position, would you? Consider if perhaps your brother…let’s say Leo? The one that was with you here. Consider if Leo went down a dark and dangerous path. One that was different than the path you’d chosen. A path so dangerous that you had to discontinue your relationship with him, to keep your family safe. You cut nearly all ties with Leo. Severed for years. But then, he was charged with multiple felonies and found guilty, primarily on the testimony of one man.”

Devon’s heart beat hard. His jaw muscles flinched. A thick anger pulsed from Dimitry to Devon.

“Then that man…the very man who put your brother, Leo, in prison, decided to start dating Leo’s daughter.”

Devon stiffened. Leo would never become a felon…but what if…

“How would you feel about that man fucking your niece? Even if you hadn’t seen your brother Leo in decades?”

Devon’s nostrils flared. Heat thrummed through his body. “I wouldn’t like it.” His voice was firm. “I would quite possibly hate it,” he continued. “But If I loved my niece, and this man was a good man, I wouldn’t punish her for the errors her father made.”

Dimitry answered with a wicked smile. “Ha, such a diplomatic answer. I agree with you, I do, on not punishing my niece for the sins of her father. I even agree with you about if he was a
good
man. But here is the problem, here is my concern, Devon. Are you a good man?”

Devon’s eyebrows creased as his gaze remained on Dimitry. “I…” Was he?

“Your hesitation makes me wonder. I ask, because my brother, as much as I love him, was not a good man. I know that. I can see that. You can love someone and be aware of their flaws. Sergey had a multitude of sins that ate away at his very soul. I only ask that God will forgive him. But he was not a good man. Are you?”

Devon pressed his lips together, the heat in his chest giving way to a clutching anxiety.

“I wonder because you, the man my niece has fallen in love with, knew enough about my brother’s business to testify in court. You had enough facts to put my brother in prison for a very long time. In fact, I’ve heard through my contacts at the Department of Justice that if you’d declined their deal to testify against my brother, you too would have been prosecuted and quite possibly been found guilty.”

Devon’s heart thudded in his chest. Was he a good man? He didn’t deserve Ilana…but did any man deserve the woman he fell in love with? “I…” Devon took a deep breath. “I was able, in hindsight, to put together facts, which, at the time, I overlooked.”

“Ah, so the ends justified the means, is that what you’re saying? You were able to ignore the inconvenient details of my brother’s business as long as there were no police at your door and your clubs were making money?” Dimitry leaned forward and picked up his glass of vodka. “I’m guessing a multitude of businessmen who frequented your clubs were pleased with the wide array of gorgeous women. Were they not?”

Devon’s nostrils flared. “I wasn’t aware of the magnitude…looking back, I should’ve been. I know that now. I should have been checking and keeping tabs, realizing something wasn’t right. I relied on people for the day-to-day of the clubs that I shouldn’t have relied on. I didn’t ask the questions I should’ve asked. I’ll pay a price for that the rest of my life.”

“Really? What kind of price? My brother will die with his arm handcuffed to a bed, and you? You come here a free man and ask me if you can date his daughter. If I can see past the things that you did. So that you can possibly marry and have children with my niece? Children who would carry the Travati name. Hmm…perhaps you understand my hesitation, as I do want to be a part of my niece’s life. I’ve always wanted to be a part of my niece’s life, and now I want her to find a
good
man to spend her life with. A man who will ask the hard questions, a man who will do the right things, a man who will always put her interest and the interest of her and her family first. Without lies.”

“That’s the man you’ve been for your family?” Devon let loose the words without thought. They slipped from his mouth.

Dimitry’s eyes flashed. He glanced at the drink in his hands, took a sip, and put the glass back on the table. “I’ve been the man I am. I can say that while I may have skirted the law, I’ve yet to traffic in women or drugs. I’ve never killed or had anyone killed for the benefit of my business.” A slow smile crept onto his lips. “Business is business and competition is fierce. I’m not judging your decisions when it comes to Travati Financial and the hospitality division. I’m merely pointing out what I want for my niece.”

“We’ve divested of all our clubs.”

Dimitry steepled his fingertips and stared at Devon. “Oh, I’m very aware. Lichtenfeld Finance purchased them, yes?”

“The details aren’t public yet, but yes, a private company out of—”

“Germany.” Dimitry’s lips curled upward. “Primarily funded by German money, with some from the Swiss. Correct?”

“Correct.” Discomfort flooded Devon’s body. How did Dimitry know the private details of this transaction? Where could he be getting his information?

“The company is mine.”

Devon’s heart stopped.

“Or, more accurately, mine and Nikita’s. I purchased your clubs. All your clubs. Seemed fitting that the very clubs that caused my brother to spend the remainder of his life incarcerated should be mine. Especially after what you managed to do to my brother.”

“I didn’t do anything to your brother that he didn’t do to himself.”

“Ah, yes, I could see why you’d think that, maybe even believe it. But truly, you were the one who got away with these things. You were nearly as guilty as my brother, were you not?”

“No I wasn’t. I didn’t traffic women. I didn’t trick them into coming to America, I was not their pimp, I didn’t prostitute them, I—”

“No,” Dimitry interrupted, “you simply allowed my brother to do so out of your clubs. You allowed him to take all the risk while you reaped the financial benefits.”

“That’s not how this worked.”

“Then tell me, how did it work? Your clubs made atrocious amounts of money because those women were present and all the Wall Street men just like you and your brothers ponied up the money to utilize the services of those women. They bought tons of booze at your clubs, and they were there because of my brother and his business. Isn’t
that
how it worked?”

Devon’s stomach pitted. His face fell. Yes, that was exactly how it worked. And while he hadn’t known…he should’ve. He was smarter than that…he should’ve followed the trail, he should’ve done his due diligence…there were a million mistakes he’d made. Devon closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked at Ilana’s uncle. “I made mistakes that I will never make again.”

“What a luxury you have. A bright future that doesn’t include prison. The money you still keep because of Travati Financial.” Dimitry leaned forward. “You say you’re a changed man? A philanthropist, are you not? You’ve purchased the building that houses my niece’s Enrichment Center, among others, and now you’re in talks with Venice Bakes?”

Devon didn’t nod. He didn’t move. He didn’t need to confirm Dimitry’s words, because Dimitry knew all the answers to his questions. He was aware, it would seem, of all Devon’s business moves. Too aware.

“Ah, well,” Dimitry nodded and a smooth smile overtook his face. “We each do what we can to wash the sins from our hands. I guess the bloodier the sin, the harder the scrub.”

Anger coiled through Devon. He didn’t need to be friends with Dimitry Rashnikov, he only needed to coexist with the man. But if they couldn’t coexist, then for Ilana’s sake…Devon’s heart broke. Would he have to give her up? But giving up Ilana was an impossibility. The past two weeks, Devon had inhabited hell. He’d spent the days wracked with guilt over his behavior and a bone-deep need to have Ilana beside him. The torment had been enough to compel him to sit down with the brother of the Travati family’s biggest enemy. Sergey had not only threatened Devon’s life, but the lives of every Travati, including the children.

“I appreciate you coming to speak with me,” Dimitry said, “but I believe we’re at an impasse. I would never forbid my niece to marry the man she chooses. She’s smart and a grown woman. However, I can guarantee that you and I won’t ever be friends. I want Ilana to find the very best man for her life partner, and I’m afraid, in my opinion, that man will never be you.”

Devon stood he kept his gaze on Ilana’s uncle and his tone even. “I understand. I can live with that. I chose to do what was best for my family. A family that I dearly love. I know you and Ilana’s mother did the same thing for her when she was a girl. You made an impossible choice in the face of a difficult situation. You and your wife gave up a relationship with her to keep her safe. I respect that, but know, I don’t ever want you to make that same choice again.” Devon lifted his brow. “I don’t know if she’ll have me, but if she will, I’ll spend all of my life making her happy and keeping her safe, no matter what we may have to face together.”

Demitry nodded and Devon walked out of the room.

“Devon went to my parents’ house last night.”

Ilana looked up from her computer and across the table toward her cousin. The flight attendant stood in the galley, pouring Ilana a glass of wine. They had another three hours in the family’s private jet before they landed in Santa Monica.

Alexi typed out a response on his phone and pressed send. “According to Mom, Devon had a long conversation with Dad.”

“That’s more than he’s done with me the past couple of weeks.”

“Are you surprised?” Alexi said and shifted in his seat. “It must have been a shock to see Sergey Rashnikov’s twin walk into the dining room. Like seeing a ghost.”

Ilana stiffened. Soon all that would remain of her father would be a handful of memories, the majority of them unpleasant, most from her childhood and now the one from this trip.

Alexi’s bright blue eyes fixed on Ilana. “Can I…will you listen to what I think?”

Ilana nodded.

“I don’t want to overstep, because we haven’t known each other long. But I have insights about my family that you should know.”

“Okay.”

“Here’s the thing”—Alexi raised one eyebrow, as though imparting the wisdom of the ages—“you can’t make your decision regarding Devon based on what my dad or your dad think about him, or what they have to say about him.” The flight attendant set the glass of wine in front of Ilana and a bourbon in front of Alexi. “You have to make your decision based on your feelings, not theirs.”

Ilana’s heart hurt. “I know…it’s just—”

Alexi leaned forward and interrupted Ilana. “You have us. Okay. You have four cousins. Your father’s fight isn’t our fight. We’ll be your family no matter what you decide. We’ll be a part of your life. We only know your father as the troubled uncle in New York.” He took a long sip of his bourbon and set the glass back on the table. “But we do know our father. Each of us has fought hard to gain our independence from him.” He frowned and shook his head. “That battle hasn’t been easy. We’ve turned down a lot of money and perks for our freedom.” Alexi’s eyes met hers. “What you’re seeing now? The four of us spending time with our parents? That came after a lot of anger and strife.  We haven’t been close for a long while, at least not before our father reached out to you.”

Ilana’s eyes widened.

“The fact that you agreed to see us and meet us and possibly be a part of our family? That’s brought us all closer than we’ve been in nearly seven years.”

“I…I didn’t know,” Ilana said softly. “It seemed like…I mean, the few times I’ve been with all of you…you seem so…so close.”

“We were.” Alexi ran his finger around the base of his glass. His gray eyes flashed to hers. “Then some bad shit happened, as it does for all families, and we weren’t close any more. None of us. I guess the twins were close, they always are, but the rest of us?” He shook his head. “You haven’t seen the anger and the strain in our family yet, and I wanted you to know. You need to know that yes, we are a family, but our family isn’t perfect. You can’t make it perfect, but you won’t destroy it if you choose to follow your heart, either.” Alexi smiled. “Each of us has to follow our own happiness. You can’t let my dad control you and dictate what he wants for you, because he will, if you let him.” Alexi’s weighted gaze pressed hard into Ilana’s soul. “Does this make sense?”

Ilana nodded. “It does, but so does what my father said about Devon. That Devon had to know about my father’s business. Otherwise how could he have testified?”

“It’s bullshit,” Alexi said. “I think his words are the bitterness of an incarcerated dying man. I don’t care what Sergey believes Devon knew or didn’t know. Devon’s guilty of doing what a lot of people do, which is trying to believe the best of people. He made the mistake of giving Sergey the benefit of the doubt, and Sergey exploited that.” Alexi glanced out the window at the clouds and then snapped his gaze back to Ilana. “You
know
Devon. Do
you
think if Devon knew your father was trafficking women and pimping them out in his clubs he’d allow that to continue? To happen in the first place?”

Ilana paused. “No. But what if he should’ve known? What if he had suspicions, doubts, and he didn’t ask? What if the man I fell in love with in Venice is entirely different than the man Devon was in New York?” A tremor started in Ilana’s chest and a lump grew in her throat. “What if one day, after we’re living together or married, the other Devon, the one who overlooked that Daddy was trafficking women and was connected to the Russian mob, shows up? What if he turns out to be some angry, violent, crazed person who starts to hurt me and my children and”—Ilana’s voice cracked. She hugged both arms across her chest, tears streaming over her cheeks.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Alexi moved around the table and knelt in front of Ilana. “I get it. You’re afraid. You’re afraid that what you saw happen to your mom will happen to you.”  Alexi wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into tight hug. “I wish I could guarantee that bad things won’t happen, but if the last three years have taught me anything, it’s that life doesn’t come with guarantees.” Alexi pulled back and looked into Ilana’s eyes. “Look into your heart. You know who he is and why you love him. What do you believe about him? Make your decision from there.”