Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4) (52 page)

With little enthusiasm, but not wanting to leave without checking everything because it would nag at him, he reached out to press the edge of the seamless door—

He jerked back and had his gun out before he could blink. The pain caused by his sudden movement was disregarded. A moan. He’d just heard a faint moan. From
inside
the room.

Looking over his shoulder, he considered waiting for Dmitri, but then it registered that the sound had been high in pitch as if made by a woman. With his stomach cramping, and dread sweeping in to dry his mouth at what he might find, he pressed on the door and heard the quiet click of the touch latch disengage. With his finger on the trigger, he slowly pulled the panel back…

What he saw in that small room in the basement of his dead nephew’s deserted house blasted a wave of shock through him that was so strong his vision warped and faded to the point where he was sure he was about to pass out. Fighting the emasculating reaction, he squeezed his eyes shut, took a slow, steadying breath that barely made it through his constricting throat, and then opened them again. What came next put his previous reaction to shame.

The crippling jolt that hammered through him sent him to his knees. He hit the floor, the impact causing his gun to clatter away. He immediately brought his hands up to swipe at the hot moisture blurring his sight. Disbelief beat at him as his throat ached with the need to…to…

“Kathryn…?”

Now comes the time to single out those who helped get Ultimate Vengeance on the shelf! There are so many more than the few I have the space to mention here, but, in no particular order, I’ll make a small dent.

To Mia Searles at IndieSagePR, I thank you for being one of my absolute favorite people to work with. This is the third Wanted Men book Mia and company have promoted for me through cover reveals and blog tours, and I can say with full confidence it won’t be the last.

Casey Roop at Pink Ink Designs is another kind and patient soul I’d like to thank. She is the talent behind UV’s gorgeous formatting and fabulous cover.

Tessa Young is an avid reader I’m indebted to for putting together the Wanted Men, Mobsters, and More Facebook group where all our fellow WM fans go to chat about the boys and share photos and opinions on the series, among other things. You’re more than welcome to join us!

Another reader turned champion is Kimberly Ervin-Echols. This woman deserves more thank yous than I have to give. For her generosity, her enthusiasm for the mafia genre (rah-rah-rah!!), and the time and effort she puts into getting her authors’ names out there for everyone to discover. She brightens up a thread the moment she shows up, and I’m thrilled she found her way into my Wanted Men world. I hope she remains for the duration.

To all the bloggers who have posted during a cover reveal, release day blitz or blog tour; many, many thanks to you for every reader you’ve sent my way.

To my family, as always, your support is invaluable. Keep skimming, Mom. It’s only going to get gorier, and just a little sexier from here on out!

And then there are my three treasured gifts. I love you guys, and I thank God regularly for blessing me with such amazing human beings to call my very own. You make my life as full as my heart.

Finally, the readers. You guys, seriously. I am overjoyed by your continued interest in this murky little world I’ve created. Four books and I feel I’ve barely made a dent in the stories I want to tell about these guys and the lucky ladies they claim as their own. Thank you for your support and loyalty. I hope to entertain you through books five, six, seven, eight……all the way down the line of mobsters, bikers, and rockers until I get to Andrew and Elli’s story. Oh, come on. You
must
know I already have a future planned out for those twelve-year-olds! ;)

Characters, Places, and Terms

(D) = deceased

Abel Berkman -
Moretti family, Jerod Berkman’s twin brother

Adrianna Perilli (D)
- Stefano’s girlfriend

Albert Moretti (D)
– former Don of the Moretti family, Gabriel’s father, Stefano’s stepfather

Alekzander (Alek) Tarasov –
Vasily’s nephew, Sacha’s partner, Eva and Sergei’s cousin

Alekzandra (Lekzi) Urusski/Tarasov –
Alek and Sacha’s infant daughter

Alesio Moretti –
Gabriel and Stefano’s cousin

Andrew (Andy) Martin –
Sydney’s son, Maksim’s stepson, Elli’s stepbrother

Angela Morgan-Taylor
– Sacha’s best friend, Steve’s wife

Angelina Kirov (D) –
Maksim’s mother (the blade Maks keeps sheathed at his back is named after her)

Anton Gorlov -
Tarasov Bratva, Alek’s personal guard

Aron Utkin -
Tarasov Bratva, Vasily’s personal guard

Artur Baikov –
Baikov Bratva, eldest son, Sergei’s accomplice

Apetito –
Luiz Morales’s restaurant

Ashlyn Russo -
Lore and Father Michael’s younger sister

Baikov Bratva –
main rivals of the Tarasov’s

Bobby T -
Moretti family soldier

Boris Kirov (D)
- Maksim’s father

Boyevik
– warrior who works for a Brigadier in a Bratva, similar to a soldier in an Italian/American mafia family

Bratva
– brotherhood, organization

Brigadier
– captain in charge of a small group, similar to the caporegime in an Italian/American mafia family

Caesar Fane (D)
- Gheorghe and Daria’s father, Lucian and Markus’s uncle, former owner of Club Pant

Caleb Paynne -
vice-president of the ODMC, Nika’s brother

Charlie -
Nika and Vincente’s enthusiastic young Rottweiler

Claude Moraux
– Fane soldier

Club Pant –
Sydney’s nightclub

Crown Jewel
– Gabriel and Alek’s luxury hotel based in Seattle

Daria Fane -
managing partner at Portia, Dashel, and Fane, Lucian and Markus’s cousin, Gheorghe’s sister

Darren Nollan –
amateur porn producer, Kevin’s cousin

David Smythe -
NYPD detective

Dmitri Zolin –
Tarasov Bratva, Vasily Tarasov’s personal guard

Eberto Morales –
Luiz Morale’s brother, Eleanor’s father, Emily’s ex

Eleanor (Elli) Grant –
Eberto and Emily’s daughter, Sydney and Maksim’s soon-to-be stepdaughter

Emily Grant (D)
– Sydney’s best friend, Elli’s mother

Evan Pivchenko (D)
- Sergei and Renee’s son

Evangeline (Eva) Marie Jacobs/Tarasov/Moretti -
Vasily and Kathryn’s daughter, Gabriel’s wife

Evgeny Tarasov (D)
- Vasily’s older brother, Alek’s father

Furio Abella (D)
- Stefano’s underboss

Gabriel Albert Moretti -
current boss of the Moretti crime family, Stefano’s little brother, Eva’s husband

Gheorghe Fane -
Lucian and Markus’s cousin, Daria’s brother

Ghost -
tattoo artist

Grigori Utkin
- Tarasov soldier, Sacha and Lekzi’s personal guard, Aron’s nephew

Ian Preston -
private detective

Ivan Tarasov (D)
- Vasily’s father, former Pakhan of the Tarasov organization

Jakson (Jak) Trisko –
Moretti family, Eva’s personal guard

Jeremy Dashel -
Tarasov lawyer, Managing partner at Portia, Dashel, and Fane

Jerod Berkman -
Moretti family, Abel’s twin brother

Justin Sheppard –
attorney, Vex’s half-brother, Sacha’s best friend

Kathryn Jacobs
(D)
- Vasily’s first love and the mother of his only child, Eva’s mother

Kevin Nollan (D) -
Nika’s abusive husband

Lorenzo (Lore) Russo -
NYPD detective, high school friend of the wanted men, Father Michael and Ashlyn’s brother, Tegan’s lover

Lucian Fane –
leader of the Fane organization, Markus’s brother, Gheorghe and Daria’s cousin

Luiz Morales –
Mexican drug cartel leader, Eberto’s brother

Maria Moretti
(D)
- Gabriel and Stefano’s mother

Mario Romani -
Vincente’s cousin, manager at ROM Construct

Markus Fane -
executive VP at TarMor Inc., Lucian’s younger brother, Gheorghe and Daria’s cousin

Maksim (Maks) Kirov –
owner of Rapture, high ranking Tarasov Bratva member, Sydney’s fiancé

Micha Zaretsky –
Tarasov Bratva member, Maksim Kirov’s right hand (boyevik)

Father Michael (Mikey) Russo -
Lore and Ashlyn’s brother

Nika Paynne -
Vincente’s girlfriend, Caleb’s sister, Eva’s best friend

ODMC -
Obsidian Devils Motorcycle Club

Quan Mao -
Gabriel’s personal guard

Rapture –
Maksim’s gentlemen’s club in Hell’s Kitchen

Reynard Novik -
Sergei’s regular partner

Renee Pivchenko (D)
- Sergei’s wife

ROM Construct -
Vincente’s construction company

Sacha Urusski –
Alek’s partner, Lekzi’s mother

Samnang Oung -
Cambodian housekeeper

Stefano Moretti -
Gabriel’s brother, former boss of the Moretti crime family, currently MIA

Sergei Pivchenko -
Vasily’s nephew, Alek’s cousin, Renee’s husband

Sheppard, Lupin, and Sheppard
– Justin’s family’s law firm

Sixthes –
an errand boy for the Bratva, the lowest rank, look-outs/information gatherers

Sophia Romani (D)
- Vincente’s younger sister

Sorin Arcos –
Lucian’s personal guard

Sovietnik
– advisor and most trusted individual to the Pakhan, similar to the consigliere in an Italian/American mafia family

Steve Taylor
– attorney, Justin Sheppard’s best friend, Angela’s husband

Sydney Martin -
owner of Club Pant, Maksim’s partner, Andrew’s mother, Elli’s guardian

TarMor Inc. (Tarasov/Moore aka Moretti) -
Gabriel and Alek’s project management firm

Tegan Mancuso (Dr.) –
close friend of the wanted men, Maksim’s best friend, Lore’s lover

Underboss
– most trusted individual to the boss of an Italian/American mafia family

Vasily Tarasov -
Pakhan of the Tarasov Bratva, Eva’s father, Alek and Sergei’s uncle, father figure to all the boys

Vex Mason (Vex) -
ODMC President, Caleb’s best friend

Vincente (the Reaper) Romani –
Gabriel’s underboss, Nika’s boyfriend

Vito Mazzotta -
Moretti family soldier

Yasmeen Michaels –
art gallery assistant, Lucian’s interest

Yuri Davidenko (Dr.) –
surgeon, private MD of the Tarasov Bratva

Nancy Haviland is an award-winning, bestselling romantic suspense author who writes about her possessive alpha males and their obsessively loved women from her home in Southwestern Ontario. Her greatest loves are her children, her playful kitty, and, of course, coffee!