Iosif -To load

by Dahlen, K. J.

  “Ok so my mother was a stripper.” Jaden was shocked but not too shocked. “So how did she end up in Baton Rouge when she was murdered?”

  Yuri glanced over at Iosif before he answered her question, “Well, twenty three years ago there was a well-known man murdered in the club Walter Franks owned. The man was a Senator and his murder was never solved. There are rumors that she could have been a witness to his murder as at the time of his death as she had been his favorite person to visit. The police were looking for her all over the state after he was killed. While she wasn’t a suspect, the police did want to talk to her.”

  Jaden bit down on her lip. This might explain many things that she herself, could never figure out.

  “Only problem was, is they couldn’t find her and neither could anyone at Frankie’s,” Kosta took up the story.

  “Was she only a stripper or was she a working girl as well?” Jaden asked. She, herself had done many different jobs to survive but never that and she always felt some sort of pride in that fact.

  “As far as we know, she was only a stripper,” Yuri replied.

  Jaden sighed in relief. Until Yuri burst her bubble by saying, “But it was well known in certain circles that she was having an affair with a married man.”

  “Do they know who he was?” she had to ask.

  “It was rumored that it was Walter Franks himself.”

  “So it’s possible that Walter Franks is my father?” she asked.

  No one said a word to confirm or deny.

  Jaden sat down hard in a chair. All her life she wanted to know more about her parents, she wanted to know about her father especially. It was possible he was still out there somewhere, maybe even looking for her. Now her dreams were shattered beyond repair. If Walter Franks was her father, he was already married. She had heard of the man way over in Baton Rouge. He had been married a very long time and his wife was a vengeful woman. She was surprised he would dare find himself in another woman’s bed.

  Looking over at Yuri she asked, “Did you find out any more about who murdered my mother?”

  Iosif came over to where she was sitting and squatted down to her level. Looking her in the eyes he told her, “Honey if she witnessed the Senator’s murder, Franks would have had to kill her or go to prison if she ever took her story to the police. He had too much to lose to allow her to live.”

  Jaden felt a dread building inside her. “So daddy killed mommy to keep another murder a secret. Is that what you’re telling me?”

  Iosif nodded slowly.

  “Then why was I allowed to live?” she asked. “Why didn’t he kill me as well that night?”

  “Maybe he didn’t know you were there,” Kosta offered.

  Jaden frowned. “But I was covered in bruises and I was told by Mrs. Bradley the night I was found the police took crime scene photos of my injuries.”

  Yuri nodded. “My team followed up on that. You were indeed lucky to live through that attack. Whoever was there tried to strangle you. My men found doctors reports that said you must have stopped breathing briefly and he removed his hand and didn’t know you were still alive.”

  Jaden paled. “So I was supposed to die that night as well, huh? Why am I not surprised?”

  She looked so dazed and lost for a moment that Iosif thought he lost her. He brushed the hair away from her face gently. “Well, I for one am very glad you survived.”

  She glanced at him and began shaking her head. “I can’t be with you, can I?”

  “What?” Iosif frowned. “Why the fuck not?”

  “Because I’m the bastard daughter of a stripper and a murderer.” She laid her forehead on his. “You deserve so much better than me.”

  Iosif wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. “I don’t want anyone but you. Do you hear me woman? You and you alone belong to me and I’ll fight the devil himself to keep you.”

  Jaden glanced up at him. Tears ran down her cheeks and she gulped had. “Really? Do you mean that?”

  “God yes, I mean that.” He stated with a growl. “I’m not going to give you up, not now. I just found you.” He bruised her lips with his own.

  Jaden leaned her forehead against his. Turning her head, she looked at Yuri. “Ok so now what?”

  Yuri shrugged. “I guess we wait and see who comes after you first, Billy Jo or Franks. We still don’t know who killed your mother and who tried to kill you. Even though we do believe it was Walter franks, we can only guess at that.” He glanced over at Iosif. “I’ll have to put a call into Nikoli and we may get a visit from him in the next few days.”

  Iosif groaned. “I suppose I’ll have to call my father as well. He’ll want to know what’s going on.”

  “You know he’s going to want you on the first plane home, don’t you?” Yuri asked him.

  “Well, he can want that but it isn’t going to happen. I’m not going anywhere without her.” He looked determined.” Roman and his family live here as well. You are all family to me now as well. I wish to stay.

  Kosta loked upset. “That isn’t going to make your father very happy.”

  “I don’t care,” Iosif stated.

  “I’d better call Sergi as well.” Yuri sighed hard. “He may be able to head your father off.”

  “Maybe before I call my father I should ask if you would mind if I stayed here.” Iosif stood up and turned to face Yuri. “I know you have Roman as a brother, would you happen to need another man here?”

  Yuri got to his feet and reached out his hand. “I would welcome you if you wished to join us.”

  “Now you just have to convince your father,” Jaden stated, as she knew this was a perilous situation at best. She didn’t want him to go to another country. “I don’t want to cause strife between you and your father.”

  Iosif grabbed her hands in his. “It has been a longtime coming, Mylash. I always knew deep down that I would wish to stay near to my brother. And now that you are here and in my life, I truly do not want to leave.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Iosif watched the clock and knew he had to make the call. He didn’t want to argue with his father over a transatlantic phone call but he would not be denied. Not with his chance for a different life, one with Jaden and the possibility of a family. It might not be the life his father had in mind but it was one he wanted.

  The clock chimed four times and Iosif knew he couldn’t put this off any longer. Due to the time difference from here to Russia, now would be the time to call him. He reached for the phone and dialed the international code then his father home phone number. When he heard the ringing on the other end he held his breath and waited for his father to answer the call.

  “Da, who is this?” Timor answered.

  “It’s me, father.”

  “Are you ready to come home again?”

  Iosif could hear the impatience in his father voice. “Actually father that’s why I’m calling. I’ve decided to stay here.”

  “Nyet, you have responsibilities here. You have an office and a job right here at my side. I will not let you leave that job. You must come home now.”

  “Father I’ve met a woman here and I’ve claimed her,” Iosif told him.

  “Bah, women are a dime a dozen.” Timor scoffed. “If you want a wife I’ll find you one that will be accepted by the family. You are my heir apparent and you must have just the right wife. One that is strong enough to stand beside you as you carry out the job you swore to when you took the oath of the Bratva.”

  “Father, you’re not listening to me,” Iosif insisted. “I’m not leaving the Bratva, Yuri has offered me a position here and I’m taking it. You can train my cousin Ivan to take over for you when you retire. He would have come next in line if anything happened to me anyway. You have plenty of time to guide him and he is eager to learn.”

  “I don’t want your cousin to take your place!” Timor shouted into the phone. “I want one of my sons to take over for me when I retire.”

  “
I thought I wanted that too, but I found someone I can’t live without,” Iosif told his father.

  “I don’t care what you found.” Timor growled. “Who is this woman? How can you fall in love in a few days? You don’t even know this woman.”

  “I don’t have to know her to know she’s perfect for me in every way.”

  “I forbid this.” Timor’s voice shook.

  Iosif wanted to laugh in his father’s face, but of course he didn’t. “Father, I’m a grown man. I can do what I want. You can’t forbid me from taking her as my wife.”

  “But I am your commander in the Bratva. I can forbid you to leave this organization. I can order you to return to your job and take your place.” Timor growled.

  “Father, I will continue to represent the Bratva business and uphold its law and bylaws. I have already put in a request to the national leaders. They have already agreed to the change of address. They like the fact that they will have a new branch in this country.”

  “I will come back over there and drag you back with me,” Timor threatened. “This woman is not good for you. She is nothing more than a gold digger.”

  Iosif scoffed. “You don’t even know her name and yet you think she’s nothing more than a woman after my money?” He snarled, “How dare you?”

  “No, my son, how dare you!” Timor shouted. “Do you take me for a fool? Of course, she loves you, she looks at you and sees a wealthy man who can give her the world. She doesn’t know you and you don’t know anything about her. How can you? You’ve only known her a few days.”

  “At least I know her better than I know you apparently,” Iosif spoke softly. His voice was low and cold and full of rage. “I thought you were a man who wanted only the best for his sons. I thought you were a man who would stand beside us and give us his support, but you’re not are you? You’re doing the same thing to me as you’ve done with Roman. Ignoring what we really desire. Our women and our wishes to live our lives.” He paused then added, “You are my father, but you are no longer someone I can admire.”

  He hung up the call slowly as he finally realized his father truly was a bastard.

  He looked up at a faint sound and saw Jaden standing there with tears in her eyes.

  Without saying a word, she turned and went back into the bedroom.

  He followed and listened for a moment while she sobbed her heart out.

  He leaned on the door jam and shook his head. Moving silently on bare feet he crawled into the bed with her and dragged her into his arms. Wrapping his arms around her slight body he held her close.

  After a few minutes he whispered, “Hush now sweetheart. It will be alright.”

  She tried to stifle her sobs but couldn’t for a moment. Her throat wouldn’t allow words for a time. She tried again and whispered, “How can this be all right? Your father will never allow us to be together. He will pull us a part. He’ll take you away from me, away from here. All I did was come between you. It’s a bad thing to break up families!”

  “My father can stop a lot of things from happening but he can’t tell me who I can love or not love. I’m a grown man who knows his own mind. I love you and I will not be denied what I want. He cannot deny me you.”

  Jaden looked up into his eyes. For a moment she just stared at him as if memorizing every line, every detail and storing that memory deep in her brain. Reaching up, she outlined the contour of his face. She began with the fullness of his lips, then moved to his nose and eyebrows, to his forehead and jaw line.

  “What are you doing?” Iosif whispered.

  “I’m committing you to my memory, so I’ll always know you. I’ll always have one good memory to combat the thousands of bad ones in my mind. Your father is wrong. You can fall in love in just a few days. In just hours, I’ve fallen in love with you. I didn’t know your name the moment we met but when our hands touched I felt something strong and undeniable and it woke something up in my soul. I haven’t truly been living all these years, I was merely existing until you came along and woke up a part of me I didn’t even know was there.”

  Isoif reached up and smoothed his fingers across her cheek.

  She licked her dry lips with the tip of her tongue and continued. “You are the other half of my soul, I think. The one man in this whole world I am truly meant to be with. The yin to my yang. Only with you do I really come alive. Only with you do I even exist.” She looked into his eyes so he could see the truth in hers. “I don’t care about your bank account, or even seeing the world. I know it’s out there. I’ve seen pictures of faraway places and faraway lands and never once felt a desire to go there and visit. I’ve never had nice things and I’ve never missed having them for myself. I don’t want fancy clothes or shoes. I have one necklace and I’m told that belonged to my mother. That means something to me because it was hers.”

  “What are you saying?” Iosif asked, as he looked troubled.

  “Money isn’t important to me. It’s only paper, but you,” she paused a moment. “You are my life. You are my soul. “

  As the moments ticked by, one of Yuri’s top hackers, Craven was clicking his keyboard searching files and internet places of interest. He wore a frown that deepened with every site he visited.

  Kosta had given him the chore of backtracing a woman known as Jazzy Gibbons. There was only one problem, Jazzy Gibbons did not exist.

  She was never born, in this country or anywhere else in the world. He’d cracked Interpol records and searched other countries as well. She had no driver’s license, or Social Security card. She never paid a dime in income taxes either.

  Jazzy Gibbons was a ghost. Either that or Jazzy wasn’t the name she was born with. He did find her listed on the paperwork of the apartment records where she was murdered in but nothing else. She wasn’t even listed as ever working at Frankie’s.

  He paused a moment then leaned back and lit a cigarette. Calmly smoking it right down to the butt, Craven reached over and picked up the phone. He dialed a single number and was connected immediately to Kosta’s room.

  As soon as the other man answer Craven told him, “Boss we got a problem. I need to see you right away.” Then he hung up the phone and lit another cigarette while he waited for the big man to appear.

  Moments later the door to his small office was thrown open and Kosta charged in. “What the fuck do you mean we got a problem?” he roared.

  As day was breaking, Yuri was awakened by a special ring on his phone. He came awake at once, reaching to the phone almost before his eyes were open. His entire body was on alert. The ringtone meant something was drastically wrong and he was needed immediately.

  He was up and getting dressed right away. The penthouse floor they were living in was quiet at the moment so there was no attack in progress. Yuri buttoned his shirt before he glanced over at Raven. She was still asleep and that was good.

  She looked so beautiful in her sleep. She was his whole world and if the alarm meant something bad, Yuri knew he would give his life to protect her and his kids. He glanced down at her belly in awe.

  She hadn’t told him yet but he knew another child was growing inside her. He’d seen the same changes in her as the first time she carried his babies. He could hardly wait for her to tell him the good news.

  He leaned over her and brushed his lips against her skin. He knew he couldn’t linger but he wanted to. He wanted her so badly he knew he couldn’t stay. Whatever was coming he had to protect her and his babies.

  Slipping on his shoes he left the penthouse as quietly as he could. The elevator barely made a sound as he shoved his special key into the lock and the door opened. Rushing down the floors, the door opened on a special floor no one else knew about. This was his security floor.

  He looked around and finally saw Kosta standing at one of his secure rooms. Yuri walked over to his and without asking demanded answers as to why he was here so early.

  “Jazzy Gibbons does not exist,” Kosta told him.

  Yuri got a sinking feelin
g in his chest. “Why don’t I like that statement?”

  “If you don’t like that wait until you find out the rest,” Kosta assured him. “Craven called me at four a.m. to tell me that. I had him run the DNA test the social services used to verify Jazzy was the Jaden’s mother and the results just came in.”

  The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach grew as Yuri waited for the all-important answer. “Well?”

  “I don’t know how but her maternal bloodline matches Sergi Constantines.” Kosta dropped his bombshell.

  “What the fuck?” Yuri whispered.

  “I know.” Kosta nodded. “I couldn’t believe it either. Whoever this Jazzy was she’s related somehow to Sergi and Misha. That is going to freak them out to no end.”

  To say Yuri was stunned was an understatement. He reached for his phone and dialed a New York number. When Nikoli answered grumpily, Yuri walked away as he asked his boss some questions he never should have had to ask. This was none of his business but he needed answers.

  Three hours later Nikoli walked into Yuri’s New Orleans office at the hotel. As he sat down in the chair opposite Yuri he began talking, “After your call this morning, I made my own calls, I called some people I know back home and I found out some very interesting things. I found out that forty two years ago, someone snatched a young ten year old girl off the streets of Moscow. To do this they had to kill her bodyguard. The girl was a cousin of Sergi’s on his mother’s side. A girl Sergi was very fond of, a girl he never got over losing. After the first few years, everyone stopped looking for her but they never forgot her. Her name was Annika Stasik.”

  Yuri nodded. “But what does this mean for Jaden?”

  “I’m not sure yet,” Nikoli admitted. “I put a call into Sergi and he’s on his way here. Misha is coming as well. Just be forewarned.”