by Serena Vale
Regina gave one final glance at her notes before rising to her feet and speaking her piece. She counted herself lucky that at least she wouldn’t have to prepare any detailed remarks for the court’s consideration. The opposition certainly hadn’t done that and she would have time to prepare a proper response once they got down to the nitty-gritty of it all.
She spoke as to how the accusations against Alexi’s business dealings were completely groundless. Unless the prosecution had access to Alexi’s finances – which was privileged information in any country – then they couldn’t have known that the money that they’d lost was theirs. From her standpoint it seemed as if business partners were looking for a way to put a financial burden on Alexi for whatever reason. From the research she’d done she knew that Alexi’s company generated over 50 billion in Russian currency every year, that would have given anyone motive to want a piece of the money that he was making however they could get at it.
Next she built up the case as to how the money that had been lost didn’t amount to a fifth of what Alexi’s company made in a year. Some business companions – and jealous ones it seemed – were simply looking to put her client in a bad light. How could the plaintiffs know that the money lost was theirs unless they had spies – an illegal practice in Russia – within Alexi’s business ranks?
She made her conclusion that Alexi’s business empire – being so large – clearly had to be overseen by a board of operators and that he obviously had to have business managers that could cut checks or move funds without his needing to sign off on every little transaction. He could not keep track of every single ruble that passed through his company on a daily basis. A business as large as his surely did multi-million ruble deals every day… could he really be expected to keep track or be advised on every transaction?
“In closing, your honor,” she said as she paced confidently before the table where Alexi sat, “the evidence against my client is at the least completely suspect and circumstantial at best. I move that my client be cleared of all charges and the allegations against his business dealings dismissed… or at the very least investigated by a neutral party.”
The judge’s face became unreadable as she took her seat and she watched as the elder man made notes on his notepad before looking up at both parties. “I will ponder these matters thoroughly. We shall reconvene tomorrow morning at 8:00. Until then, court is dismissed.”
He banged his gavel and rose from his chair. Regina, Alexi, and Abram all stood and watched as the judge gathered his notepad and exited out the side door. Without a word, Abram also gathered up his possessions and exited ahead of her, but not before casting one final and hateful glance over his shoulder at Alexi before disappearing into the hallway beyond.
As she switched off her voice recorder and gathered up her notes into her briefcase Alexi stood and she noticed he was smiling at her.
“I am impressed,” he said and the smile was warm and full of feeling. She felt an odd kind of fluttering in her stomach. “You almost had me convinced.”
She smiled back. “Well, it was the first shot. Tomorrow, I think it’s going to get really rough.”
Alexi’s smile endured. “Your Mr. Carver was quite right… you are very good.” He turned to Yuri who had been sitting close at hand. “Take Ms. Well’s things to her room. And tell the kitchen to prepare us supper.” Yuri wordlessly turned and carrying her bag, left the courtroom, leaving her and her client alone.
“We’ll have much to discuss tonight Mr. Romanov… er… I’m sorry, Alexi.”
“Yes, we shall,” he said, gesturing towards the door.
She followed him. “Everything being such a mess I hardly know where to begin in all of this. I’m hoping that you can shed some light on the subject.”
He chuckled and the sound filled her with a chill. “Well, perhaps we should begin with how I swindled money from rich men in Russia and gave it to people for whom it was not intended.”
Chapter 4
Though she felt naked without her voice recorder or her notes, Regina listened as Alexi told her the story of how he had come to make the decisions that had led him to his present circumstances. As a lawyer she was comfortable with patient-attorney privilege and in her time she had heard some wild stories about what her clients really had been guilty of. But in all of her time she had never heard the like for Alexi.
While there was something comforting knowing that he was indeed guilty of what he was being accused of knowledge didn’t always guarantee safety. In law school she had heard plenty of old stories of lawyers – often employed by mobsters or other persons with violent histories – who were turned into fertilizer once they served their purpose because they knew too much. And if what she’d heard and read was correct, Russian business tactics were as cutthroat as that of Ancient Rome.
The thought gave her a cold shudder inside.
Over dinner, Alexi had begun the story. Their evening meal being held in a private and secure wing of the embassy’s living quarters where he and Yuri had both been lodged until the hearing was resolved. Their supper was a serving of coulibiac, a dish containing fish with hard-boiled eggs, rice, mushrooms, dill, bread, and of course an open-serve bowl of caviar and all the vodka or wine she could drink. She had learned to appreciate such fare during her time abroad in Kiev and learning Alexi’s language, though her mind was hardly focused on the food.
Alexi’s history was marred with all of the usual hallmarks of a billionaire on his rise to power. He’d come into his money honestly if not eagerly. She’d known people of means who did whatever they could to get what they wanted, but Alexi didn’t fit into that description… at least not entirely.
He’d lost his mother at an early age. His father blamed him for it and as a result he and his father never really got along. He spent much of his adolescence rebelling against his father’s control, refusing to wear fine suits, getting kicked out of the best schools, terrorizing the well-to-do of business circles and like that. Eventually the desire to get away from his father became overpowering so he joined the Russian military, joining the Spetsnaz – Russian Special Forces – and did pretty well in it.
That frightened her. She didn’t know much about the Russian military but she did know that the Spetsnaz were their heavy hitters and that they were trained to be all kinds of ruthless when it came time to get a job done. If that kind of mentality had followed him into his business practices – which it seemed it had – then she felt certain that she could expect problems.
Still there was something in his features that belied his appearance, making her think that his very looks were somewhat deceptive. Calm, cool, and handsome on the outside, but inside there was a figure that could tear her lungs out if he wanted. Just like how she might expect a killer to be if it came down to it.
She recalled what she had heard of his reputation as to how it translated to his social activities and not. By all accounts he was someone to avoid and after hearing about his military training she began to understand the reason for that as well.
Alexi’s story continued with a small series stops on a generally uneventful tour of duty. He traveled to places where there was no combat – a sure sign that military officials were guarding him because he was a rich man’s son. That theory was confirmed when his father became ill with some kind of cancer and the two reconciled their old grudges, resulting in his father being able to compensate the government handsomely for releasing Alexi from his military duties early in order to keep the company going.
Because the company had ties with the military they agreed. It also happened that Yuri was Alexi’s best friend while in the service and when Alexi got out, Yuri went with him. Since then, Yuri was the head of security and Alexi’s private bodyguard. And being how Alexi had experience in the military he was the perfect segue for business deals, being able to determine what a soldier’s needs were in the field. What was lacking was his understanding of business.
Alexi attended Moscow Universit
y for his first year, mostly to pick up the basics and after that he attended Oxford, which she guessed was where he picked up better English. He double-majored in business and sociology – no surprise there – and graduated in the top five percentile of his class. For the next two years he helped his father with business deals until his father passed, leaving him in control of the company.
Alexi carried on as he thought best. In the first two years after he took ownership he increased his company’s holdings almost fivefold, a thing that not even his father had been able to do. They had branch offices all across Russia with a few in China and even a couple in Europe and they were all doing fairly steady business. Nothing that spoke ill of her client there… or at least there was nothing that she could detect.
“That is when I met my wife,” Alexi said as he took a forkful of fish into his mouth.
The words shot through her as if someone had just stuck her with a pitchfork. That Alexi seemed to be marriage-worthy material seemed obvious even to her, despite her misgivings as to the nature of his character. Though she had never even thought to be married herself the idea of being married to a man like Alexi held certain…allure. And she could not stop herself from feeling a pang of jealousy for the woman that had married Alexi Romanov.
“Your wife?” she asked, the taste of the food suddenly gone from her mouth as she reached for her glass of vodka to wash down the disappointment.
“Lada,” Alexi said. “It was because of her that I have done the things that I have to bring me here. And it is because of her that Abram hates me so much.”
She felt a twitch of hate for herself. She had completely forgotten! He said that Abram was his former father-in-law! Details, dammit, details! How could you miss something so obvious?!
“But isn’t that a conflict of interest?” she asked, sensing an opportunity to deflate the opposition before it got too large. “His intentions could be marred by his personal feelings.”
Alexi smiled. “In Russia, these things do not matter. The bond of family in any matter is seen as an advantage, because it is precisely that passion that could drive a man to do things he would not normally do.”
She noted that. “Okay, so your wife was somehow involved with your…” she paused, uncertain of how to phrase her question but she saw no alternative word to use, “swindling?”
Alexi paused, looking stern for a moment and she sensed that perhaps she had struck a nerve. Almost patiently, Alexi shook his head. “Involved? No… she was dead before I did any such thing. But it was in her memory that I did some… questionable things.”
She felt a twinge of regret for having brought up the subject of a man’s dead wife and for reasons that she could not quite explain she also felt a pang of victory. There was no wife in Alexi’s picture now… there was room to fill.
Oh, and who’s going to fill it, me?
The thought held an odd appeal to her.
“Alexi,” she said, trying to steer the conversation in a new direction. “I hate to open up old wounds, but in the interest of the case I need to know something. How exactly did your late wife have a bearing on…?”
Much to her shock and sudden fear Alexi pounded his fist upon the table, shaking the glasses of wine and vodka and making her nearly jump from her chair as the whole table shook. “What does it matter?!” he thundered. “Is it not enough that she is dead?”
Regina froze, her eyes wide with the sudden fright and her hands holding the edge of the table as if afraid that he might next try to throw the table over. His face became flushed with anger and the look of a man who bore deep hatred rose to the surface. The seemingly gentle side of him that she had witnessed and had even liked earlier in the day seemed to have gone like candle smoke in a high wind.
Stay away! Stay away! She held the table in fear and fixed her gaze upon him, unable to keep the fear that had risen within her from being seen.
Alexi’s eyes looked red and angered. His neatly combed hair had lightly come undone and now was slightly askew. He had half-risen from his chair in his outburst and she was frightened that he might jump across the table and strangle her for her question.
The side door opened up suddenly and quickly and Yuri came charging in and his expression was alert and dangerous. Regina froze at that as well and it suddenly seemed that she might not live to see the look on Carver’s face when she delivered this one home… assuming she lived that long.
“Alexi? What has happened?” Yuri asked, stopping halfway across the dining room and surveying the scene.
Alexi took in a sharp breath and blew it out slowly and held up a hand, keeping his friend from asking any more questions or pressing any further into the room. “It is nothing, Yuri… nothing… I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
Yuri seemed to accept that readily enough and quickly turned and left the room, leaving them alone once more. For a brief second Regina wished that Yuri would come back. It seemed that the ex-military bodyguard had a somewhat calming effect on her client and she realized how Yuri’s absence affected the tranquility of the room.
Alexi leaned forward and grasped the edge of the table tightly. She could hear the wood groaning in protest against his firm grip and she felt herself marveling at his strength despite his fear. After a few moments he stood up and straightened his tie and suit, looking proper once again. He put his hands behind his back and bowed to her, almost shamefully. “My apologies, Regina… I lost my temper,” he said, his voice ringing with remorse. “My late wife is still a sensitive matter to me.”
She swallowed the lump that had formed her in her throat and tried to keep the light fear that had entered into her from showing. She didn’t entirely succeed as her voice lightly trembled as she spoke, “It’s fine, Alexi… I understand.”
Alexi sighed and resumed his seat mournfully. “Perhaps it would make more sense if I put it all into context for you. How my wife’s death affected my business practices. Perhaps you will understand then.”
She felt herself slip into the story as soon as it began.
Chapter 5
The world outside was cold and gray, the kind of gloom that only came with a winter day in Moscow. The kind of day where one would wish to be home, safe with a warm fire, or in lieu thereof another warm and pleasant body to keep themselves comfortable.
Alexi had managed to do both.
Alexi sat behind Lada in the privacy of their bedroom. The fire that crackled in the fireplace before them provided a soft and soothing light that made the room feel warm and inviting. There was nowhere else he would rather be for the comfort and company that this simple room provided. His bedroom and his bedmate often provided the release of a terrible day that he often needed.
He hadn’t even entirely stripped away his suit either when he had entered into their room. His jacket, vest, tie, and shoes all sat in an untidy pile on the floor, beside the business dress that she had worn for the day, which also lay uncaringly on the floor.
Lada sat on the mattress of their bed, looking at the fire with him sitting behind her. Dressed down as they were for the evening, partially for comfort but mostly for love, he felt some of the gloom of the day ebb away. The tenderness that existed between them could be felt as easily as sunshine on bare skin and it was a feeling that he relished. He wore only his shirt which was partially unbuttoned and still wore his slacks while Lada wore the corset-like garment and slip that she had worn under her dress today.
He loved it when she wore such things and she knew that. It was her simple way of teasing him. He would spend all day knowing that she was wearing such things and that the only reason for her to do so was for him to take her out of them at the conclusion of the day. Thinking of doing so all day long would keep him on edge and stir his passions to the point of nearly boiling.
It was a strategy that succeeded every time she employed it.
He pulled aside her long black hair, exposing the flesh at her neck and gently kissed her there. He could see the smile forming on her
lips as he did so, her eyes lightly fluttering every time his soft lips touched bare skin.
“Your day was difficult?” she asked, one hand arching up and gently stroking the side of his face as he kissed her.
He felt some of his day’s frustrations creep back into him and he hated himself for it. This room was meant to be his sanctuary from such places. Lada and he had an agreement that this room was theirs and that the world beyond these four walls did not matter when they were here together. It was a rule that he had been quite happy to live with.
He paused in his simple passions and reclined on the bed, his head resting on their pillows as he looked up at her. She adjusted herself on the bed and looked down upon him. The flickering of the firelight was enough to make him think that truly there was a Heaven and that she was one of its messengers, come to watch him and show him grace.
“The Valynkov’s refuse to see reason,” he said simply. The Valynkov’s were yet another of the families that his father had seen fit to do business with and possible because they were just as difficult as his father had ever been. “Their new ground vehicles are costing more than they required and they’re two months behind schedule. And that is only a part of it. Their new infantry gear is failing in all aspects. It’s maddening.” He blew out a puff of aggravated breath. “I told them that they have three weeks to deliver as they promised or I will pull my funding.” He gently stroked the bare flesh of her leg. “They were not happy with me.”
She nodded knowingly. “I know. They’ve only provided a quarter of their promised funding for the new highway and society centers. I suspect that is where some of your delays are coming from… they try to pull money from their other aspects to keep you happy.”
“Really?” he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Their funding for the submarine development programs hasn’t wavered.” He pondered that, being unable to stop himself from doing so. “They must have partnered with someone new and neglected to tell me.”
