Chapter 14
My knee is much better the following morning, but it still hurts like hell when I place any weight on my right leg. After breakfast, I ditch the crutches and take the wheelchair. I haven’t been using it for weeks, and I hate that I have to now, but I don’t want to risk any further damage to my knee. Nina may not have a problem with me using the crutches, but I do. Whatever it takes, I’m getting to that bloody cane, because I want to be able to hold her hand in mine when I’m taking her to dinner or even just for a walk.
“I’m going downstairs. Igor is teaching me to makeborsch.” Nina smiles, leans in, and kisses me. “Want me to bring lunch when I come back?”
“Yeah, I’ll be working from here. And tell that boar that if he dares to raise his voice to my wife again, he’s done.”
“Don’t be an ogre, Roman.”
I watch her leave, then go to my bedroom and turn on the laptop. Bringing up the audio software, I find the recording from Leonid’s room and play the feed at the approximate moment we came back last night.
There was a specific reason for me hiding the fact that my leg is getting better. I was almost positive that seeing me walking again would lead Leonid into trying something, and I wanted to catch his partner before that. It’s been almost five months, and since I failed to find out who the motherfucker is, it was time to nudge Leonid into action. Based on the way he stared at me last night, I have a feeling that there is a nice surprise waiting for me.
In the middle of the recording, I finally find what I am looking for. Leonid is calling someone, and since the timestamp at the corner of the screen shows two a.m., I’m pretty sure it’s not a business-related call. What surprises me though, is the person who answers.
“We need to try again. That bastard is walking,” Leonid says.
“Hm. I’m not sure it works for me anymore, Leonid,” answers Tanush.
“You can’t change your mind now!”
“Of course, I can. I acted impulsively. I was mad because Petrov rejected my daughter, and I wanted to make him pay. But he makes me good money.”
“We had a deal, Tanush. You help me take him out of the picture, and I make sure you get a better cut when I take over.”
“See, that’s the thing, Leonid. Even if you give me a bigger cut, I doubt you can keep the business going. I decided I don’t want to risk it. I’m out.”
The line goes dead.
I lean back in my chair, take my phone, and call Maxim. “Where is Leonid?”
“He’s out. I heard him tell Valentina to bring him his dinner up at five.”
“That won’t be necessary. I want everyone off the upper floor after four. And I mean everyone. No one comes up until I give word.”
There is silence on the other side, probably Maxim connecting the dots.
“I’ll make sure it’s done. What about Nina?”
“I need her out of the house. Dushku’s daughter is getting married, and he invited us to attend. I’ll send her to shop for a gift. Tell Dimitri to send Ivan with her. They are not to come back under any circumstances before I call him. I don’t care what he needs to do to distract her, but she’s not coming back here until I’m done. Is that clear?”
“Yes,Pakhan.”
* * *
It takes some convincing, but I manage to send Nina away around four. She was bent on us having dinner together, but she caved when I said that I have too much work to do.
I enter my walk-in closet and take my gun. After checking it, I grab my crutches and head into Leonid’s room. I sit in the recliner in the corner, directly across from the door, place the gun on the coffee table, and then I wait.
Sometime before five, Leonid enters the room. Seeing me there, his eyebrows shoot up, but he collects himself rather quickly. “Something happened?”
“Close the door, Leonid.”
“Roman?”
“The door,” I say.
He does as he’s told, and starts walking toward me when he notices the gun on the table. He stills, eyes going wide, then turns to run away. I take the gun and, pointing to his right knee, I shoot.