“How are things, Max?” Viktor’s voice sounds equally serious. I try to pull my thoughts away from Sasha and Art and the conflict of a few moments ago, so I can focus on whatever problem is about to be at hand.
“They’ve been better,” I say carefully. “Did you just call to check in, or did you find something?”
“Oh, we found something,” Luca says darkly, and Viktor casts him a look that makes a ball of ice start to form in my stomach.
“Remember what we talked about, Max,” Viktor says quietly. “I need to know what’s happening on your end as much as you need to know about mine. I can tell from your face that something’s going on–I’ve known you long enough. So out with it, and then I’ll let you know what we’ve found.”
“My brother is here.” I lean back, spitting the words out without preamble. “My younger brother, Arturo. He appeared out of nowhere from Milan. I haven’t seen him since he left or heard from him, despite trying to get in touch with him several times.”
Viktor’s brow creases, and I see Luca raise an eyebrow. “Did he give you a reason why?” Viktor asks, frowning.
“We talked about it, yes. He’s interested in what’s going to happen to the estate. Our father wrote him out of the will, of course, and now he’s sniffing around to see if I plan to take up the space left for an heir. Since I have no plans to, he’s decided to throw his hat into the ring, so to speak.”
“And what did you tell him?” Luca asks from across the desk, his lips thinning with displeasure.
“I told him no, of course. I have ideas about what to do with the estate after Sasha and I are able to leave, but none of those ideas involve leaving any of it to Art. He’d turn the place into a caricature of new money and a rotating door of models, with no accounting for taste. I might not have any interest in carrying on our family’s name, but I’m not leaving it to him.”
“I can’t say I disagree with you.” Viktor steeples his fingers in front of him. “You’re sure that’s all he’s interested in?”
“I’m never sure of anything with Art. He’s taken an interest in Sasha, although she hasn’t been reciprocating it, so far as I can tell. But as far as I know, yes, that’s why he’s here. And I can’t say I’m surprised–if he smelled free money and influence, without any of the responsibility, I don’t doubt he’d come to flush it out.”
“Since you mention Sasha–” Luca glances at Viktor, who gives him another narrow look before returning his attention to me.
“We’ve found out the identity of the man responsible for the car bomb, and the ones who tried to abduct Sasha.” Viktor lets out a long breath. “They’re different men, Max. And some of them don’t give a shit about you.”
I stare at him. “What do you mean?”
“The man who has been tracking you is Ivan Golubev. Beth found out his identity with some digging. He’s the brother of the man who killed yours–the one that you hunted down. It’s as simple as that–he wants the same revenge you took. All we have to do is get to him first, and it should close the loop. So far as we can tell, there’s no other family members, or anyone connected to him, who might decide to pick up after him.”
“I can come back.” I think of what Art had said in the office, that I’ve left others to clean up messes that belong to me. It had stung, because it’s something I’ve thought about again and again. “This is my problem, my fault, Viktor.”
“No.” Viktor’s voice is flat and certain, brooking no argument. “You need to stay there with Sasha.”
A cold chill sweeps over me at the gravity in his voice. “What about Sasha?”
“Beth uncovered something else while she was digging,” Luca says. “We thought that Sasha was being targeted as a means to hurt you. And it’s possible that’s one of Golubev’s motivations–there’s no way to really know for sure. He might be hoping to cause you as much pain as possible before he tracks you down, and that’s why he chose the night you were out with Sasha to plant the bomb. But the men who attacked her in the city–”
“Are working for a man named Konstantin Obelensky,” Viktor continues, as Luca lapses into a grim silence. “As far as we’re aware, Sasha knows none of this–and I think it’s better that it stays that way, for now.”
“Knowswhat?” I can hear the impatience in my voice, but if Viktor does, he doesn’t let on.
“Sasha was an orphan,” Viktor says slowly. “Or at least that’s what we thought.”
“What do you mean, what youthought?” I glare at him from the other side of the tablet screen. “She was a foster kid–aged out. That’s why Mikhail picked her up. Right?”
“Of course, that’s what we thought. That’s what Mikhail was meant to look for. But apparently, Sasha is Obelensky’s daughter.”
There’s a heavy silence that falls over the room for a moment. “You’re going to need to explain that more clearly,” I say quietly, and Viktor nods.
“Obelensky is a former KBG operative, who now heads up one of the Bratva factions in Russia. He’s known for being violent and power-hungry, and he’s been increasing his influence for some time now. We’ve had Beth keeping tabs on him–which is how she managed to uncover this information at all.”
I rub a hand over my face. “So if Sasha is Obelensky’s daughter, then how did she end up in a foster home? That’s not typical for a daughter of a powerful man.”
“Of course not. Obelensky had an affair with a married woman, the daughter of a brigadier who works for another well-known Bratva leader. She got pregnant, and he tried to cover it up and pay for her to rid herself of the pregnancy. Instead, she ran and tried to have the baby in secret. Likely, she was aware that she wouldn’t be able to hide forever–that she’d be tracked down, and they’d both be killed. So our best guess is that she hid away long enough to have the baby and give her up to an orphanage, under an assumed name–we have Sasha’s mother listed as Mariana Federova, which isnotthis woman’s name–hoping that would keep the baby safe.”
“And it hasn’t.” I sag back in the chair, feeling the weight of the new information settle over me. “I’m guessing her father has found out she’s alive?”
“Yes,” Viktor says bluntly. “And he’s much more powerful now than he was when she was born. He wants her dead–he doesn’t want anything about the affair to tie back to him. It’s clear he’s sent men to handle the job.”