It was past midnight. I was starting to doubt he would show up but I kept the comment to myself. I didn’t want to upset Scarlett. She had been through enough and I’d never seen her as happy as this past week.
“You two stay with Brian,” I told her. “I’m ready to fall off my feet. When he shows up, convince him to have lunch with us tomorrow.”
“It’s because you have to do that stupid running,” she complained.
She was right; I had to do it. It was one of the stress relievers that worked for me; necessary therapy to clear my mind from all the chaos of the world. When my feet hit the pavement in that constant rhythm, I could focus, and with one foot in front of the other, my determination of my own path and future was easier to see. I even got Olivia into it and it helped her with her constant worries over her impending engagement.
“It helps me keep my sanity,” I confessed. “Just slip me the keys and let’s pretend we are walking to the ladies’ room.” Thank God Scarlett insisted on driving today.
We’ve done this plenty of times. I would never purposely endanger myself. I knew it was safer to take the car rather than a cab. Brian could stay with them and make sure nothing happened to Olivia and Scarlett. I’d just lock myself into my hotel room. Win-win. Leaving Olivia and Scarlett behind at the Russian Orchid, I had to laugh to myself, knowing they’d dance Brian to his last breath.
Within five minutes, I was outside, the fresh air cooling my heated skin. Digging through my purse for my phone, the hair on the back of my neck prickled. My steps slowed down, and I glanced around but couldn't see anything in the dark parking lot.
We had been on the road for the past sixty days, trekking all across Europe. We wanted to have a summer to remember before we had to go back to reality. Reality was far crueler for Scarlett and Olivia than me. I was rather excited to start my job after an intense few years of medical school. Russia was our last destination.
I heard a shuffle and my head whipped left and right, eyes darting around me.
I’m just being paranoid.
It was all my father’s fault. He called me earlier, ordering me to come home immediately. He was always paranoid about something, worrying for our safety. Taking a deep breath, then another, I turned back and zoomed in on our rental car. I was barely ten feet away from it.
I moved quickly towards it, clicking the unlock door button before I even made it there. My hand reached for the door, when I heard it.
“Don’t move. I have a gun pointed at your head.”
What?
On instinct, I went to turn around when a piece of cloth covered my head, removing my sight. Shocked by what was happening, he took advantage of my delayed reaction, lifting me up and throwing me across his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
The initial shock wore off quickly, and I started screaming and kicking, pounding with my fists against his back. I couldn’t see anything but I knew that the first five minutes were crucial in escaping your kidnappers.
“Let go of me right now, you asshole,” I yelled while punching his back.
“Stop it, princess.” He didn’t even sound worried, then added, “Or I’ll have to knock you out.” I didn’t stop, instead I kicked and hit harder, then screamed at the top of my lungs.
I didn’t feel him hit me or hurt me. But whatever he did made my body go lax, and darkness came over me.
Chapter One
Dimitry
Two weeks later
Nikolai and I stood, silent and unmoving, raindrops hitting the window. It was the only sound breaking the silence. San Francisco in all its glory spread out in front of me. I owned a majority of it, among businesses I had all over the world. Although most of it wasn’t obtained through legal means.
I have been working for months, bribing senators, congressmen, governors, state attorneys, judges, anyone with power within the government, all in the attempt to legalize all of it. Nobody was going to stop me. I was ready for anyone and anything. If someone got in my way, I’d crush them. I might be going legit but I still had my ways to make things happen. We had gone through too much and come too far to stop now. This was what I had always wanted for Nikolai and Sergei, my brothers in every sense of the word except blood. When we left that Russian orphanage, it was to get us a better life.
I had a staff of lawyers working through all my businesses to ensure each business I own gets registered and taxes paid. I needed the senators and governors to accept my offer for the last two casinos in Hawaii and Alaska to become legalized. At least get it on the ballot in the next election process, which was coming up. I only had another three weeks to make it happen before I’d have to wait till the next voting period.
I wasn’t willing to wait. I was ready for life on the legal front. It was what I had wanted since we got involved with Russian organized crime… rússkaya máfiya. I hated that we were involved with it, but it had been our only way out.
The phone buzzed and Nikolai answered in Russian. “Da?”
My brother hid emotions almost as good as I did. There was no telling what was being discussed on the other line. He put whoever was on the other line on hold and lifted his eyes to me.
“State’s Attorney Manciatti wishes to speak to you.”
I raised an eyebrow. Well, that was unexpected. Manciatti and I didn’t have exactly the best relationship. I had a reluctant respect for the man although he almost put me behind the bars with Boris Jovanov ten years ago. He never realized the only reason he was able to put that sick bastard behind bars was because I made it happen.