Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4) (37 page)

His heartbeat accelerated even more. “I also understand your view on the subject so we’ll close it. Just one more thing before we do; I’m sure there will be a wedding in our future, and on the off chance Alek doesn’t want to remain here with his family, I would like to be prepared. Would you mind accompanying me to look at some homes in the area? You’d know better what would be suitable for young children.” He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at the ache in his chest. “If things go as planned, having something ready might be a nice wedding gift.”

“Yes. I could do that with you, uncle.” Spoken with no emotion whatsoever.

“Thank you. Eva and I were talking, and she mentioned it being too bad her house is on the West Coast. We could have used it here. Though Alek will want something more than a bungalow, I suppose.” He didn’t breathe as adrenaline seeped into his thighs and sickened his gut. He waited for it. And when it came, he could have sworn he felt something in his heart break.

“The house on Mercer Island is two story.”

“Hmm. You’re right.” He was glad they weren’t in the same room because there would have been no way he could have hid his reaction. His whole body wilted as his last hope for an innocent verdict was dashed. “Are you going to be around later? Gabriel mentioned a big card game in Astoria. We could lose some money together.”

“No. Reynard said Maks has a job for us.”

He looked to Maks and received a negative. His attention went from there to Dmitri, who slowly brought his phone up to send a message to Leo and Nestor. Sergei wouldn’t be leaving his house. Not until it was dark and he was being taken out by a group of enforcers chosen by Vasily.

“I have to go. Goodbye, Uncle.”

Vasily felt the loss as he cut the tie that bound him to this man he no longer knew. “Goodbye, Sergei.”

He hung up and explained before he could be asked. “There are very few of us who know where Kathryn and Eva’s house is. Sergei has never been told.”

Gabriel got up and started working off his tension by slowly circling the table. “Could he have overheard you speaking about it?”

“No. Absolutely not. But even if I’d been so careless, there is no reason he should know its exact location. And he certainly wouldn’t know what it looks like…unless he’s been there.”

“Holy fuck.” Alek came to the front of the desk. “I’m so sorry, Vasya.”

“I’m sorry, son.”

They spoke at the same time just as Dmitri’s phone rang.

“What! Fuck. Sit tight. Someone’s on their— Aw, no. Okay. If you can get him inside, do it. If it’s going to make you bleed, leave him and go inside yourself. I will send the boys right now.” Dmitri hung up. “Get a crew to Sergei’s house,” he ordered Maks as he made a call. He spoke into the phone but looked at Vasily. “Yuri, I need you to get to Oceanside. To Sergei’s house. You can’t help Nestor, but Leo was hit in the leg. No. Sergei got Nestor point blank; Reynard got Leo as he rounded the corner. Lock up the house and get them the hell out of there before the neighbors start coming home from work.” He hung up. “Forgive my disrespect, but you, get that fuckin’ look off your face,” he said, pointing the phone at Vasily. “You are
not
going over there. For all we know, they could be waiting for you or Alek to show. I do not know what Sergei’s end game is, but I can tell you this; it won’t be either of you.”

The following days were busy ones for Sacha. She arranged personal visits with her families to let them know she would be going on an indefinite hiatus. The more she’d thought about it, the clearer it became that continuing with her small operation wouldn’t be possible, only one of the reasons being she would now be living almost an hour away from Sunnyside. Unless she and Alekzander eventually returned to their apartment. Even then, Manhattan wasn’t Queens, and the convenience of being readily available and right in her clients’ backyard had been an attractive bonus in their eyes.

She’d been stunned when Alekzander had offered to find her some commercial space where she could open a permanent daycare. She’d feigned interest in the bare trees that had surrounded them in the woods behind the house until she could swallow the emotion that rose in her throat. Wanting to bring up her hope of returning to school, but thinking it too soon, she’d told him she would think about it but would likely pass on his offer. When he’d blown out a sigh and muttered
“Thank Christ. I don’t know who we’d have assigned to watch over you and a nursery full of babies”
, she’d laughed at the imagery and nudged him off the well-trodden path they were traveling. He’d snagged her by the hand and pulled her against him, careful not to crush Lekzi, who was in her baby carrier on Sacha’s front. He’d kissed his daughter first, and then Sacha, unconcerned that Anton and Grigori had been ten feet behind, accompanying them on their morning walk.

Today was the day she would let go of her last family. And since she would be in the neighborhood of the women’s center, she was taking advantage and had arranged to meet Angela for lunch. As Alekzander brought Lekzi out and strapped her into the already warmed up Maybach, his brow was down low, and he kept exchanging those silent looks with Grigori and Lucas, communicating who-knew-what.

“Where is your vehicle?” she asked, wondering why they were taking his uncle’s car again. They’d used it to go into town the day before.

“Still at the convention center,” he said absently. “I haven’t had time to pick it up. Maybe we’ll go by and get it on our way home.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anton shake his head, nixing the idea.

She knew by the many closed-door meetings the men had been having something was going on, just not what. She was relieved not to be the only one. When Alekzander’s friends dropped in, they’d gotten into the habit of bringing their women. Sacha had taken to gathering the ladies around the kitchen table, and while she puttered about making tea, leaving them to fawn over Lekzi, they would all speculate about might have happened to cause this new upset.

Last night, she’d again asked Alekzander if she and Lekzi were in any danger. He’d told her as long as she didn’t wander off on her own for any reason, no one was getting anywhere near them.

As the garage door went up to let in the crisp winter air, Sacha gave the tip of her nose a rub. “Um, can I ask you something?” She looked out to see bright white clouds interspersed with dark gray ones, indicating snow might be on the way. “I, uh, thought I might ask Angela to go Christmas shopping next week. Is there any reason that would not be all right?” If it were dangerous, he would veto the idea outright, and she would know for certain he wasn’t telling her the whole story.

She waited for him to straightened from clipping Lekzi’s car seat into its base. He looked intimidating and unapproachable today in his suit and coat with his hair slicked back.

“That should be fine. Arrange it, but don’t mention a time or place yet. Specify the day you’ll go, and on your way into the city on that day, you can tell your shy friend you’ll pick her and her son up within the hour.” She couldn’t say whether he was being insulting or facetious. “She can text her husband her location once you two have settled somewhere, but not where you’ll be going afterward if you plan on traveling from store to store. And, I’m afraid you’ll be taking more than Grigori and Lucas with you. They’ll be visible, but a small team won’t be.”

She bit her lip and took her brand new iPhone out to look at the time. An invisible team? “Are you sure everything is all right, Alekzander? I mean, I know something is going on, but are you sure it is not something I should be worried about?” That wasn’t what she’d wanted to ask right then, but…

A myriad of emotions danced through his pale eyes as he stared down at her. All were marked with possession, and all were so raw and violent she couldn’t hide the shiver that feathered the length of her spine. He smiled when he felt it and lightly trailed his knuckles down her side.

“No, angel. You don’t have to worry. I’m doing enough of that for all of us.” He didn’t look particularly concerned as he tilted her head up with his thumb under her chin and kissed her. “Get in.”

“What is it that is troubling you?” she asked, ignoring the order.

“Many things. But at this moment, getting through traffic to get you to your appointment on time would top the list. Get in. We’ll talk on our way.”

She frowned. “You are coming with me?” she squeaked, the possibility dashing her plans before she could even voice them.

“I’m coming with you. I have a few conference calls that I can easily take part in from the car. It won’t be the first time I’ve done so.”

“And you will sit at the curb while Angela and I have lunch?”

He nodded and looked at his watch, then he snagged her hand and tickled her palm with his fingertips before she could rub at her tingling nose again.

“What’s on your mind, Sacha?”

She took his arm and led him out into the sunshine, away from Anton and the others. “I, er, wanted to ask you something but am hesitant because I am afraid it will upset you.”

“Regarding what?” he asked curiously.

“Lunch.”

“Just ask.”

She nodded and swallowed her trepidation. And didn’t it just figure a cloud would pass in front of the sun right at that exact moment as if foreshadowing a coming storm? “I wanted to call Justin to see if he is available to meet Angela and me,” she rushed out. “I miss him,” she added quickly, then kept on when a dark blanket fell over Alekzander’s features. “He is a wonderful man, and if you would just give him a chance, I am sure you would like him. He has been a good friend to me, Alekzander, and I have no intention of cutting him out of my life.”

“Really.”

“Yes.”

“You ever meet any of his boyfriends?”

The disparaging tone he used had her brow tightening. “He does not have
boyfriends
,” she defended. “He is not a philanderer. If he were with someone, he would consider that man his partner. Have you met all of Tegan’s boyfriends?”

His head slowly swiveled her way. He’d been watching Anton as he talked to Lekzi. All the men seemed to enjoy her. “Why would you bring Tegan into this?”

“Because I think you feel threatened by Justin.” Her fault. “The same way I felt when I first met Tegan, and now Nika, and Sydney, too, but only for a short time. I have no choice but to watch those beautiful women touch you and kiss you and tell you their secrets.” The insecurities she’d been battling every time the girls came around rushed out in a tumble of words. Not that she’d seen Tegan since she’d been back. “I can tell you, I am glad you and Eva are related. If not, I would find it tough to watch you stand in the corner and have your intent conversations with your heads almost touching as you look at your cell phones. I see you interacting with them with such familiarity, and I cannot help but remember how you held that woman in your office. As if you had done the same many times before. You appeared very comfortable with her.”

She stepped away from him, no longer wanting him to touch her. She felt silly voicing this when she now knew
why
he’d been holding that woman so convincingly. But she supposed sounding like a harpy was better than burying her anxiety and letting it become something more than what it actually was.

“Why should you not have to suffer just a little?” she muttered as she tightened her wrap around her shoulders. “I will not sit in his lap, for goodness sake. Like that woman did in yours,” she added pettily. “If you were nicer to him, Justin would probably prefer to have lunch with you rather than me, so I do not know why this should be a problem.”

She finally looked up, exasperated because he still hadn’t said anything.

He was regarding her with a small smile playing around his mouth. With lazy movements, he came to her and took the corners of her wrap. He twisted them once around his fist and used the hold to draw her in until their chests were touching. His lips were cool where he pressed them to the top of her cheekbone, leaving them there while he spoke.

“I am sorry I created that sense of mistrust in you, but would be sorrier if you hadn’t led me to believe you were sharing your friend’s bed. I would feel extra sorry if I wasn’t so goddamn jealous that he’s known my daughter her whole life while I can count on my fingers the days since I met her. And that remorse would be genuine if the fucking idiot hadn’t played along, relishing the torture he was inflicting by letting me believe he was fucking
my
woman.”

She was thoroughly kissed before he brought her over and bundled her into the car.

Proving he could be reasonable, despite his Mine Complex, Alekzander gave in and Sacha called Justin. She ended up having a delightful lunch with her two best friends and a happily mauled Lekzi. But no matter how many times she texted and asked Alekzander to join them, he refused, claiming he was in the middle of a call. She wouldn’t let him get away with that next time.

And it was trivial little matters like those that peppered the days that followed as a comfortable routine was established. There was an underlying mutual distrust between them that seem to fade little by little with each veiled comment or snooty remark they tossed at each other. Alekzander found her under-the-breath digs amusing, but it was his that were funny because he’d taken to slipping zingers into conversations he had with Lekzi that Sacha couldn’t help but overhear.