Neither was Levin. “I’m not sure that’s what I’d call it.”
“It is.” Jordan laid his palms flat on the table, along with his cards. “Taking down her ex is the only way Karolena will never have to look over her shoulder again. We can make that happen.”
“What do you think,sestra? Are they helping you by going after our pal Vlad or did they somehow draw you to them because they had it out for him anyway and you are a convenient tool?” Levin hadn’t risen to his position simply because his father had held it before him. He was a match for the Shields in every way.
“I believed it was the former.” Karolena rubbed her temples. Had they been playing mind games to get her to cooperate? To lure Levin there?
“I’m not trying to second guess you, but you don’t have much experience with the way things really work. And even simple kindnesses probably seem like grand gestures to you.” Levin sighed. “Have you told them what a prick your husband is?”
“He doesn’t deserve that title in my eyes,” James cut in. “Not if he bought her and kept her when she was too young and powerless to object.”
“Oh, that was nothing compared to the rest.” Levin drew a deep breath, then looked at her with so much pity she was sure she was going to hate whatever came out of his mouth next. “How do you think her mom got ‘sick’ in the first place? And how do you think Vladimir knew about it? He saw her at the ballet one night, getting a refreshment for her daughter during intermission.”
No, no, no.
Karolena remembered that night vividly. Her mother had gone for a snack and never returned. It was only when she heard commotion in the lobby that she’d gone out and discovered her mom had lost consciousness in the bathroom, never to wake up again. But she hadn’t known anything about Vladimir then. Only weeks after had he shown up at her hospital bed with a very generous offer…
She whimpered.
“I’m sorry,sestra. I wasn’t even eighteen yet myself.”
Aven turned more fully toward Levin, her eyes gleaming with mercy and anger on behalf of the boy he’d been.
“I didn’t understand the extremes Vladimir would go to and certainly didn’t know what he intended when he followed your mother into the restroom and tried to get her to go home with him. When she refused, he didn’t take it well. You know how he is.”
She did.
“She fought him, and in the struggle she slipped and hit her head on the sink on the way down.” Levin cursed in Russian under his breath. “Vladimir was quick to pay off the staff to keep them from remembering they saw him coming out of the bathroom before he told them they needed to call the paramedics.”
Karolena tried to breathe through the bands constricting her chest. It sounded exactly like something he would do. Levin met her gaze, lending credence to his account.
Legend turned to her with soothing words she couldn’t understand through her agony. So much made sense in an instant.
“He was cruel to you, I know. For years,” Levin told her. “But even more so because it was never you he really wanted. It’s just that you look so much like her and she made him so angry. He can’t stand not getting what he wants. Every time he saw you, it was a reminder.”
Relief warred with disgust and fury inside her. This explained everything.
“I’m not trying to make excuses for my part, standing by and not objecting—even if that would have gotten me in a similar situation—but it took me a long time to realize that the way I was raised isn’t the way I want to be anymore. And once I came to that conclusion, I had to make things right with you. That’s why I was willing to take the risk to get you out of there. You never deserved any of it, and neither did your mother. I’m so sorry.”
Legend growled. “I wanted to kill him before. Now I want to make him suffer.”
“It’s not that easy.” Levin scrubbed his hands over his eyes as if he was tired, something she’d never seen from him before. It wasn’t a good idea to show weakness in front of Vladimir. Could Levin tell the Shields were different too? “Vladimir assumes I’m bringing her back with me. I convinced him a rival organization shipped her over here and that I’d take care of them. What the hell am I going to tell him now? He’s ruthless, but he’s not stupid.”
Jordan shakes his head. “You don’t have to tell him anything. That’s not how this is going to go.”
A pregnant pause filled the room. Even Karolena understood what Jordan was implying. An excuse wasn’t necessary if Vladimir wasn’t around long enough to need duping.
“Fine, I’ll get rid of him for you, no problem. I fucking hate that bastard for my own reasons.” Levin acted like it was nothing to take someone’s life. How many times had he done it before and what could Vladimir have possibly done to cross a line with someone who had grown up in a world that violent and cold? “There have been rumblings about shaking up the management for a while. Vladimir hasn’t made a lot of friends, you know? But you should be aware I don’t intend to leave the country or even the organization, for that matter. So we’re going to have to do this in a way that covers my ass.”
Karolena knew him well enough to tell that there was something he wasn’t saying. Something he cared about besides the mafia. He didn’t have any more say in his role there than she had. And she’d bet he’d abandon his post in a heartbeat, if he could.
She sat extra still, afraid to tip off any of the Shields about what she was picking up on. After all, Levin had been honest with her, and Tavish…not so much. He still didn’t fully believe her and maybe never would.
“I have a much better idea.” Jordan had clearly already thought of his approach. “We’ve heard Vlad’s too careful for our sniper Aarav to pick him off easily.”
“Yeah, he’s been head of this organization a long time. Not by chance.” Levin sighed as if he’d already considered all of the possibilities and dismissed them.
Jordan nodded as the rest of the Shields paid close attention to the plan. “So find a way to let Legend and Tavish and their guns in. Tell Vladimir they have Karolena and want to negotiate. Or tell him nothing but somehow take them home with you. They will eliminate him for you. As head of security, you put your worst guys on a particular exit, let my agents know which one, and they’ll handle the rest.”