by K. Marie
I foolishly believed that as long as Garland stayed well away from Russia, what his father did wouldn’t affect him. I convinced myself that he’d come to Miami to be free of that lifestyle. So, what did it matter? I wanted desperately to believe that the sins of the father were not those of the son.
Come to find out, the son had enough of his own sins to contend with. As I now had my own as well.
I never thought I’d have to take a long look at myself in the mirror and question what I was willing to sell my soul for. I always believed myself to be grounded as a person and secure in my morality. However, if Garland was some kind of test that God had given me to prove my fealty to his high standard, I failed. Miserably.
My love for Garland transcended reason. Ultimately, I concluded that if loving him was wrong, I never wanted to be right ever again.
I decided it the day I watched him hold his son in his arms for the first time. The very same day he admitted to murdering a man. That was the day I sold my soul—the day that I crossed over to the dark side. It was also the day that I accepted my position as keeper of all my husband’s secrets. The day Roman was born solidified my place in hell.
It also solidified the reality of me being married to a man whose father was the head of a Russian mob, of all goddamn things.
Though his poker face rarely gave much of anything away, I knew I’d surprised Garland the other day when I revealed what I knew about his father. To his credit, he didn’t bother denying it. He’d even answered most of my questions; some he didn’t. Whatever the issue was between him and his father, Garland remains cagey on the subject.
I had a lot of questions. I wanted to know the who and the why of the attack on us the other night, I needed to know who and what I should be afraid of. Also, to know that my children would be safe.
However, in truth, I didn’t think I truly wanted to know all of Garland’s secrets. I feared they might be more than I could bear. Sometimes, ignorance really was bliss. And in this instance, I’m finding that the more I learn…the more I really don’t want to know.
Dragging myself up off the floor, I rolled the yoga mat back into its tubular storage position and pushed it underneath the bed. It was time for me to put on another performance—to act as though everything was great and all was right with the world. Because, my new perfect life? It was rife with shit I couldn’t share with another soul.
Twenty-Two
C A M R Y
“You never know, I might be coming back to Miami sooner than you think,” Marie stated casually, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a hint of a smile.
Dad, Lilly, and my aunt Olivia had left to go back to Michigan yesterday. And now, Lauren, Marie, and Anna were preparing to fly out this evening. Since my husband was a hypocrite and had forbidden me leaving the house, I invited them over for lunch to say goodbye before they went.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked suspiciously, giving Marie a questioning look.
“Yeah, what’s that supposed to mean?” parroted Anna, scrunching her nose up at her sister.
“It means exactly what I said,” Marie shot back at Anna. “Unless, I’m no longer wanted here?” she questioned tartly, eyes landing on me.
“Don’t take that aggressive tone with me, crazy woman. You know I have no problems with you being here,” I told her.
I had asked her at least ten times to move here! Why would she think I’d have a problem with her visiting?
“Me too!” announced Autumn, adding her vote.
I smiled at my daughter, who was dressed as “The Little Mermaid” today. She was all dolled up in a shiny green and purple gown with a sweeping mermaid’s tail at the bottom of it. There was a pair of matching purple slippers on her feet and a bright-red cascading wig on her head. It might have been a bit too warm out on the patio for the layers, but she looked adorable.
“How soon is soon?” I asked hopefully.
“That depends…” Marie hedged, wearing a stupid smirk on her face.
“Depends on what?!” I prompted in exasperation, frowning at her.
Anna shook her head, Autumn giggled, and Lauren remained silent.
Everyone was used to Marie’s shenanigans.
“My, you’re awfully feisty. Maybe it’s time for you to have some alone time with the husband,” she quipped, intentionally aggravating me.
“And maybe it’s time for you to stop being an ass!” I shot back before thinking.
Autumn gasped, before letting a giggle burst forward. She always found it hilarious when someone said swear words.
“Sorry, penguin, I shouldn’t have said that,” I told my daughter while glaring at Marie.
“Daddy says they aren’t swear words if you say them in Russian,” she offered.
Really? I was going to say some swear words to him in Russian when I saw him.
“I just can’t get used to that,” Lauren said about Autumn calling Garland daddy.
Autumn had decided that that was what she was going to do and hadn’t deviated from it. It had been only a few days, but it was growing on me.
“It’ll grow on you,” I told Lauren as well.
Focusing my eyes back on Marie, I said childishly, “You can keep it to yourself now, I no longer care.”
She laughed, of course. Hag.
“Forget about her,” Anna suggested, rolling her eyes at Marie. “What’s this I hear about your hubby gifting you a Greek island? Is that true?”
Yes, the frigging Greek island. With everything that happened, I hadn’t really had the time nor energy to focus on it. It seemed bittersweet on the heels of what happened after the party. But…Ho-ly-shit.
“Yes, it’s true,” I grinned.
“Wow…I didn’t even know that was possible,” Anna murmured wondrously. “What do you do with this island—where is it, is it deserted, or are there people living on it?” she asked in bafflement.
I chuckled, knowing that her questions probably mirrored the ones I’d asked Garland. The entire thing was still mystifying.
“According to Garland, it’s on the Aegean Sea and about thirty minutes from Athens by boat—ten by helicopter, and twenty minutes by boat from Mikonos. It’s fully developed, has its own beachfront, and there are a few houses and structures already on it. My business-minded husband suggested I build a private resort so that it actually generates income. However, at this point, I have absolutely no idea what I’ll do with it,” I explained.
Garland had photos of it that I’d not yet seen; we’d both been a bit preoccupied the past few days. But, I couldn’t wait to see the island in person. If my husband purchased it—it must be beautiful, and something he knew I’d like.
“Whoa…that’s some serious stuff, girl, you actually own a freaking island! My cousin owns an entire Greek island!!!” Anna shouted joyfully, sounding super-loud in the quiet of the outdoor space. “I hate to sound self-centered, but when do we go see this island?” she asked eagerly.
Now, would probably be a great time, I thought ironically. Putting some distance between myself and Miami sounded like an excellent idea right about now.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out,” I told Anna.
“Doesn’t someone have to maintain the island? Who takes care of the upkeep if you’re rarely there? It sounds like a lot of responsibility,” spoke Lauren.
“Leave it to Negative Nancy to ruin a good thing by pointing out the potential cons,” Marie responded in disgust.
I seconded that.
“Sounds like rich people problems to me, so I’ll leave those tedious details to my husband,” I answered with a nonchalant shrug, borrowing Marie’s words from the other day.
Everyone laughed.
I honestly wasn’t worried about it. There was no chance Garland hadn’t already considered all of those things before buying the island. It’s what he does, what he’s good at. My husband never makes dumb investments.
“Speaking of business-minded; your husb
and offered me a job,” Marie said unexpectedly.
All heads swiveled her way.
“A job?” I questioned with a jolt of surprise, “Where at—doing what?”
Garland offered Marie a job? Why didn’t I know that?
“I know he didn’t tell you,” she said as if reading my thoughts. “He told me to think about it, and if I decided it was something I wanted to do, I could inform you then.
I gawked at her, slowly absorbing the words that weren’t immediately making any sense. And then, my eyes widened as they did. “Does that mean you’re moving to Miami?” I asked tentatively, trying not to get too excited.
If Garland had offered her a job, I knew damn well that it wasn’t in Michigan.
“Well…I’m telling you, aren’t I?” Marie responded dryly.
“You’re shitting me, right—you’re actually moving to Miami?” Anna asked disbelievingly, while I just sat with a massive grin on my face like the genie had just granted my three wishes.
That genie, being my husband.
“What is this job offer, what are you going to be doing for Garland?” questioned Lauren.
“Something I’m wholly unqualified to do. But, Garland is a hell of a negotiator; and I’m not at all opposed to blatant nepotism,” Marie answered with an unabashed twist of her lips.
“What exactly are you unqualified to do, what’s your job title,” Lauren pressed, being her overly nosy and inquisitive self.
“I’ll actually be working for Viktor—at the security firm, as the chick in charge of sh-, I mean, stuff,” Marie replied, catching herself before swearing in front of Autumn.
“That is not a job title,” Lauren remarked, lips pursed with disapproval.
I snorted a laugh, only Marie would make up her own job title. Even though, I knew that she technically had one. Both Garland and Viktor run professional operations, nepotism or not.
“I’ll be office administrator—like I said, the chick in charge of stuff,” Marie clarified, frowning at Lauren as though she were incompetent.
“God, help Viktor…he’s going to need it,” Lauren said with a mournful shake of her head.
I just smiled, extremely pleased with the turn of events. My husband had done this for me. He knew that I’d been campaigning for Marie to move to Miami—but that she’d been reluctant because living in Miami doesn’t come cheap. He’d made her an offer she couldn’t refuse, and I couldn’t wait to express my gratitude.
“No way you’re moving to Miami!” Anna screeched hotly in objection.
While I sat listening to the two sisters go back and forth on the matter, I picked up my phone to text Garland.
“You are a fucking Rockstar! Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
His response came twenty seconds later.
“Nope. But it sounds like the Rockstar part might get me laid tonight.”
* * *
“Lol. You are definitely getting laid tonight! Marie is moving to Miami…thank you.”
* * *
“You can thank me by telling me what color panties you’re wearing.”
* * *
“You are such a perv!”
* * *
“That’s why you married me. So, what color?”
* * *
“I’m not wearing any.”
* * *
“My dick just got hard.”
* * *
“I sincerely hope you’re alone, that might be embarrassing.”
* * *
“No. Viktor, Drakos, and Sloan are here with me.”
* * *
“Lol! That sounds awkward as hell…but hot. I like making your dick go rogue.”
* * *
“My dick said it’ll be seeing you in twenty minutes.”
I giggled out loud.
“Are you seriously sexting right now?” Marie’s voice cut in like a bucket of cold water.
“What? No!” I denied instantly, trying to look innocent.
“I’m not stupid, there’s only one thing that’ll make a woman smile like that while texting,” she insisted with a knowing look.
“What’s sexting?” Autumn asked innocently, nose wrinkling in confusion.
I scowled at Marie.
“I said texting, Autumn, texting, sexting is not a word,” Marie said quickly.
I glanced down when my phone vibrated in my hand.
“I’ve got a better idea. Find a babysitter for tonight, we’re going on the boat. I don’t want anyone to hear your screams.”
* * *
“I think I just had an orgasm…that was so damn sexy. I can’t wait for you to make me scream.”
* * *
“I’ve got to go, I’m starting to receive strange looks. I’m serious about the babysitter.”
* * *
“So am I. I’m looking forward to being too hoarse to speak tomorrow. Be home by seven.”
When I looked up from my phone, I found multiple sets of eyes staring at me. “What?” I asked plaintively, but not even trying to hold back my grin this time.
I couldn’t remember the last time Garland and I had sexted—it must have been several months, at least. I forgot how much of a rush it could be, also, how damn effective. I was now horny as hell.
Twenty-Three
G A R L A N D
Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I tried focusing on what Drakos was saying while trying to ignore an inconvenient hard-on.
Both my dick and my fingers had gone rogue. It wasn’t my intention to start sexting while sitting here discussing important shit. But damned if I weren’t itching to cut this meeting short so that I could go home and fuck my wife. Regrettably, it would have to wait.
“We’ve isolated the coordinates to these two locations, here and here,” Drakos was saying, indicating the two buildings displayed on the satellite image. “A few of our men have already begun reconnaissance, as soon as the targets are confirmed, they’ll remain in place for further instructions.”
I nodded my head. “What’s the status on Savin?”
“We’ll make our move tonight,” Viktor confirmed.
“How much resistance are we looking at? Will you be able to do a clean extraction?” I asked.
“He’s not heavily guarded—the last count was four men, a clean extraction should be no problem,” he assured me.
“Good, because he’s not much use to me dead. Romanovich is confident his intel on Mance made no connection to the Ostrovsky’s. Which means, they’re possibly working with someone else. I’m guessing Savin can tell us who that is.”
I also had another theory—it was just a working one at the moment. However, I had already started formulating a plan in which to test it. I hoped I was wrong.
“By the way, Romanovich will be sending three more of his guys to join the team, they’ll be arriving next week,” I informed Viktor.
After what happened, my father had insisted on reinforcements; it was part of our original agreement, and he fully believed in taking a mile when given an inch. He’d already sent six men the past month. Men he trusted, men who were loyal. Romanovich believed a Russian foot soldier to be the best kind of soldier.
“What do we have from the street cams?” I asked, turning to Sloan.
“I’ve enhanced the footage as much as possible, but our man still remains a mystery. He came prepared—knew that there were cameras. What the hoodie didn’t obscure; the strategic avoidance of the cameras, did,” he answered.
I almost laughed at the irony. It appeared Savin’s men were more skilled in evasive tactics than killing. “Get the rest of those contacts verified and located by tomorrow,” I ordered Sloan, announcing the meeting over as I got to my feet.
After Viktor and I had exited the conference room, I told him, “Coordinate with Vasily and have as many men possible at the ready. Once we have what we need from Savin, we’ll hit all targets at once. I intend to make a large-scale spectacle of a statement; one that’ll be heard even in
Russia.”
Sometimes, you don’t know you need a thing until you’ve got it. It was one of Romanovich’s favorite sayings and one that I’d come to value over the years.
The premise was; just because you don’t have a use for something of value at the moment, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still acquire it. I’ve acquired many such things. The man sitting across from me being one of them.
“Everything you need is all here in the file—there’s enough evidence there to do the job,” said Detective Hernandez, handing over the large brown envelope. “What do you intend to do about the girl?”
“Don’t worry about the girl, she’ll be taken care of,” I replied.
Hernandez gave me an uneasy look. “I don’t want my hands soiled with that one; I’ve got a daughter her age. Your wife is around the same age as well. I can’t have that on my conscience.”
“Now you want to talk morality?” I sniffed with disdain. “Neither my wife nor your daughter; I’m assuming, are drug dealers or orders men killed. I’m sure hell is full of women who’ve committed sins just as deadly as any man. If you’re looking for absolution or a way in which to unburden your conscience, find a priest. You knew exactly who I was when you agreed to work for me.”
It never ceased to amaze me the moral lines people will draw to help them sleep better at night. How does the murder of a woman not equate that of a man when they’ve committed the same crimes? How does accepting payment for looking the other way or for betraying your own partner; or for arranging the death of another person, not warrant the same level of morality? No matter how you looked at it, hell was the penalty for each of them.
