Jaden titled her head at him. “Suka…? What?”
He chuckled.” It’s not words that you should hear.”
“So it’s not like that word you used before? The babe word?”
He grinned at her as his eyes sparkled. “No. It is not as sweet believe me.” He laughed.
Jaden smiled and her whole face lit up. “I love your laugh. It feels like.. like sunshine along my skin.”
Isoif paused and stared into her eyes. “I have never heard someone say such a thing.”
“But please don’t waste your life for someone like him. He simply isn’t worth it.”
“But you are worth it.” Isoif pulled her close. “And you belong with me now and I protect what’s mine.”
Jaden moved into his arms and held him. “I’m glad I belong to you. It’s nice not to be so alone in this world. But if I belong to you does that mean you belong to me too?”
Iosif smiled. “I totally belong to you too.”
“Good, because I think I’ll keep yo,.” Jaden whispered, standing up on her tiptoes she wrapped her hand around the back of his head and gently pulled his down to meet her lips. The kiss started out as a gentle reminder but ended up a hot mess.
Jaden felt her body respond to his touch and as he ground his hard cock into her belly as she wanted nothing more than for him to pick her up and carry her off to the bedroom. Groaning, she lifted a leg and began rubbing her wet core over his cock but before he could respond, there was a sharp knock on the door.
Growling Iosif broke away from her and Jaden felt abandoned. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were glazed over until she heard the knocking again. Turning away from the sound, she tried to get her body under control again.
“Are you ok?” Iosif whispered.
Jaden peeked over her shoulder and nodded. Then her eyes widened as she looked down at his crotch. She could see the outline of his hardness through his jeans.
Iosif grinned at her then he groaned and adjusted himself then turned and marched to the door. Grabbing the handle, he flung open the door. “What?” he growled.
Yuri simply raised an eyebrow at the gruff greeting. Then he looked over at Jaden and understanding came to him. He grinned briefly and tipped his head in acknowledgement. “Sorry to interrupt but I wanted to tell you your father is on his way. He’s coming with Sergi and Misha.”
Iosif ran his fingers through his hair and stepped back. “You should come in here a minute. We have something to tell you too. Maybe Nikoli and Roman should join us as well.”
Yuri frowned but got on his phone and called the others. Moments later, all three men were sitting at the kitchen table. Iosif held Jaden’s necklace and sat it down on the table.
Yuri held his eyes for a moment then glanced at the piece of jewelry. His eyes widened and he glared at Iosif. The he handed it over to Nikoli.
Nikoli took one look at the item inside and got to his feet so fast the chair he’d been sitting on crashed to the floor. “What the hell? Where did this come from?” he demanded instantly.
Iosif glanced at Jaden and back to Nikoli.
Nikoli swung his gaze to Jaden and demanded, “Where did you get this and where is the rest of it?”
“It was given to me by my social worker when I was thirteen. She told me it belonged to my mother,” Jaden offered her explanation. “She’s on her way here with something else she says belongs to my mother. She wouldn’t tell me what it was but she’s been looking for me since I left the foster system.”
“She’s coming here?” Yuri asked.
Jaden nodded. “She’s coming from Baton Rouge so it will be another hour before she gets here.”
“Then we will wait,” Nikoli stated as he looked agitated. He picked up his chair again and sat down again. Crossing his arms, he glared at Jaden.
“Relax Nikoli,” Yuri spoke softly. “No one is going anywhere and she didn’t have anything to do with this. She’s as much in the dark about this as we are at the moment.”
Nikoli glanced over at Yuri and the others. “When he sees this he’s going to have a fit. You’ll be lucky if he doesn’t burn this city down to the ground.”
Yuri nodded. “I know but we have to speak with this social worker first. She may have some of the answers we need before he gets here.”
“I don’t understand,” Jaden voiced her uneasiness. “What does my mother’s necklace have to do with anything else? Why would someone be angry over it? And who is this he you keep taking about?”
“The ‘he’ is Sergi Constantine,” Yuri explained. “The necklace you say belonged to your mother is an old family heirloom. The Constantine family is almost Russian royalty and this piece has been missing for decades. Only this is just part of it. There is a small second piece to the necklace. When the two pieces are put together the necklace is whole. We must find the second piece before Sergi arrives.”
“But what does that have to do with my mother or me?” Jaden asked.
“We aren’t sure just yet.” Nikoli shrugged. “Maybe all or maybe nothing. That’s what we have to find out.”
Jaden glanced over at Iosif. He held out his hand and she put her own in his and he hauled her over to his lap. His arms wrapped around to hold her close and she felt safe again.
Billy Jo unlocked his front door and went inside his small apartment. Looking around, he sneered at the interior. He couldn’t stand this place but after he reported where Jaden was, he had a feeling his circumstances would change for the better.
He dropped his keys on the table next to the door and went over to the phone. Dialing a number he let it ring then when the call was picked up on the other end he spoke, “I know where she is but it’s going to cost you some green.”
“How much?” Franks growled.
“Five hundred k should be a good round number to start with.” Billy Jo oozed confidence as he made his demand.
“Fine, now tell me where she is?”
“What do you think I fell off the truck today? I’ll tell you after the payment is made to my account.” He jeered. “I’ll text you the numbers your accountant needs. Then as soon as the money is there, I’ll call you back with the location.”
For a moment, Franks didn’t say anything, then he swore and the phone went dead.
Billy Jo chuckled and texted the routing number and the number of his bank account to Franks.
He got up, walked over to his refrigerator and grabbed a beer. He was still chuckling when he sat down and took a sip. He grinned and lifted his beer in a silent toast. “Good riddance bitch,” he whispered.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Forty five minutes later, they were still waiting for Mrs. Bradley to show up. Yuri had ordered coffee and a light breakfast to be sent up and the remains of the food was being cleared away by staff from the kitchen when there was a timid knock on the door.
Jaden looked at the door with butterflies in her belly. She glanced over at Iosif then to Yuri and Nikoli. At Nikoli’s nod she got to her feet and walked over to the door.
When she opened it an older woman stood there.
Jaden didn’t have to search her memory to place a name with the face in front of her. She smiled and held out her hands, “Mrs. Bradley, you came.”
“Of course, I did child!” Mary Bradley exclaimed. “I’ve missed you.” They briefly hugged then Jaden moved back and allowed Mrs. Bradley into the room.
When she saw the lineup of men standing beyond the door she hesitated and looked back at Jaden. “What is going on here?’
“That is what we’re going to find out,” Nikoli assured her.
Jaden motioned for her to go in and then she closed the door. Leading the way over to the sofa, she motioned for the other woman to sit down. Sitting beside, her Jaden asked, “You gave me my mother’s necklace when I was thirteen. How did you get it?”
Mrs. Bradley watched as the men sat down to listen to her story. When she saw one of them sit down next to Jaden, she took a deep breath and
then spoke, “Well, child when the police couldn’t find your mother’s killer, they stamped the case as a cold case. That allowed all the evidence to be released to the next of kin. As you were just a child they brought it to me. I held it for you. I didn’t know what else to do with it. You seemed so unhappy I thought having a little piece of your mother might make a difference.”
“Was there anything else?” Nikoli asked impatiently.
“Excuse me but who are you to ask that of me?” Mrs. Bradley inquired.
Nikoli narrowed his eyes and glared at the older woman. “I am Nikoli Silvanic and this matter is important not only to Jaden but to us as well. Just answer my question.”
“Please, Mrs. Bradley?” Jaden begged.
Mary Bradley turned to face Jaden and ignoring the other men in the room, she nodded. “Yes, there is more. I’ve been holding it for you. I meant to give it you when you aged out of the system but you were gone by then and I had no way of finding you.” She reached into her purse and brought out a large manila envelope. Handing the envelope to Jaden she sat back and watched as Jaden stared at the envelope for a long moment.
Jaden’s hands shook as she held what little remained of her mother’s entire life. She looked over at Mrs. Bradley and saw the other woman smile.
“It’s all there child. Everything the police took from the apartment your mother was murdered in.”
“Open it,” Nikoli ordered.
Jaden’s fingers wouldn’t open the envelope at fist. Then she took a deep breath and calmed down enough to tear the envelope open. Items spilled out onto her lap and she quickly gathered everything in her hands.
Then she placed the items on the coffee table and sat back to stare at them. There were five small items on the table in front of her. One of the items was an old brass key. It had a bank’s address stamped into it and the number of a safety deposit box on it.
The next item was a small photograph. A picture of a baby. Picking it up by the very edge of the photo, Jaden stared at it for a long moment. Then she realized the baby was her.
She placed the photo back on the table and picked up the next item. It was a cheap tie tac that didn’t mean anything to Jaden. The fourth item was a watch that stopped on the date August 2, eighteen years in the past. The crystal was cracked and blood stained. Jaden felt a single tear run down her cheek at the sight of it. The last item in the small pile was a handkerchief. It was yellowed with age and as she shook it out she could see a letter embroidered in one corner of the cloth. It was a capital A.
“Well, it isn’t much for a lifetime is it?” she commented.
Nikoli reached out and grabbed the small brass key. He noted the address of the bank and found it to be one here in New Orleans. He glanced over at Yuri and Roman. “Maybe there is more in the bank vault.” He commented.
“I contacted the bank and told them of your mother’s death and they assured me she made provisions for the event of her death before you reached your majority,” Mrs. Bradley informed them.
“What do you mean?” Jaden asked.
“The bank informed me that in case your mother passed before you reached age eighteen that they had your hand print on file and they could allow you to come in and get what they have been holding for you all these years. All you need to do is press your palm on a scanner. If it matches the one they have on file they will allow you to retrieve what she left you.”
“Do you know what she left for me?” Jaden asked the older woman.
“No child, I don’t.” Mrs. Bradley shook her head slowly.
Yuri picked up the watch and noted the date. “What does this date mean to you?”
Jaden shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
Mrs. Bradley cleared her throat before she commented, “That was the day your mother was killed.
Jaden felt her heart breaking. She never knew exactly when her mother died only that she was murdered. Tears rolled down her cheeks freely. Iosif wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her close. She turned her face and wept openly.
Mrs. Bradley reached out and took her hand and Jaden closed her fingers around the older woman’s fingers. She held on tightly. Then she pushed away from Iosif and released Mrs. Bradley’s hands.
Wiping her tears away she looked over at Nikoli and Yuri. “I guess we should go and collect whatever is in the bank.” She paused then added, “Hopefully we won’t run into Billy Jo.”
“We’ll have security with us,” Yuri assured her. “He won’t get close to you.”
Jaden nodded. “Just let me clean up a bit then and we can go.” She walked out of the living room and down the hall to the bathroom to wash her tears away. When she returned Mrs. Bradley was on her feet.
There were also several more men in the apartment including Kosta and Barshan.
Mrs. Bradley came over to her and said, “When this is all over and the dust is settled, please call me again and we can get together. I’d like to know you again.”
Jaden nodded as she took the older woman’s hands into hers. “You were always so kind to me. The only one that ever was kind and caring to me. I never thanked you for that.”
“No, sweet child. No thanks are needed, as I never did enough. You always deserved better. I always wished I could have done more. Please contact me again, okay?”
Nodding, she watched as the older woman turned and left.
Iosif joined her talking one hand in his. “Are you ready?” he asked quietly.
Jaden exhaled loudly. “I don’t know but let’s get this done. I have to know what my mother left for me.”
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the bank in question. En mass. It looked like a small army had arrived downtown.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
They moved into the lobby of the bank and Yuri stepped up to speak to the manager. After a few minutes the manager came over to Jaden and asked her some questions. Then he led the way to the safety deposit boxes. He asked her to place her hand on a scanner and when it recorded the patterns of her hand and they got the green light he allowed her access to the box her mother left.
He wasn’t sure everyone had to be in the room but when Jaden okayed it, so he retrieved the box and left the room. As soon as he closed the door, Jaden lifted the lid of the box and everyone peered inside.
There was a file folder and as she picked it up she thumbed through it. Inside was her birth certificate. As she scan the certificate she noted her real name was Jaden Anja Gibbons. She was born on July 11th, 1997. As they hadn’t known her true date of birth they gave her the birthday of August 2 or the date they found her sitting next to her mother. They listed her mother’s name as Jazzy Gibbons but no father was listed at all.
There were several letters in the file as well but they were written in what looked like Russian so she couldn’t read them. Setting the file aside, she picked up a small box and opened it. Not knowing what it was she handed it to Nikoli.
He looked at the item in the box and gasped.
“What is it?” she asked.
“This is the second part to the necklace to the one have back in your room. Sergi will be happy to get it back whole.”
She picked up another bag and frowned when she opened it. Inside were stacks of money. She looked uneasy as she dropped it on the table and it spilled out all over the place. All the bills were hundred dollar bills and there must have been thousands there.
“I think we need to take all of this back to the hotel with us and go over it carefully,” Yuri suggested quietly. “This is a lot to take in all at once.” He’d taken note of the dazed expression on her face.
Iosif had noted it as well. Jaden looked positively shaken but all of this. He pulled her close. “Are you ok?” he whispered in her ear.
“I don’t think so,” she murmured. Her eyes were still dazed and she was beginning to feel a chill in the air.
Iosif looked over at his brother and asked, “Can you guys grab this stuff? I think Jaden needs some fres
h air.”
Roman nodded and took stock of Jaden’s condition. “Of course.” He looked over at Kosta and nodded at the other man to go with them and keep them safe.
Iosif led her out of the tiny room and outside the bank.
Kosta followed and kept his eyes on the street, looking for any danger.
Iosif walked her around for a moment then noted her color returning. “Feeling better?”
“Not really,” she whispered. “But I’ll get by I guess.” Raising her fingers to her temples she rubbed them. “I think I’m getting a migraine.” She looked over at him and asked, “Is this for real?”
Iosif smiled slightly and nodded. “I think it is very real.”
“But what does it all mean?” she wondered out loud. “Where the bloody hell did she get all that money? There must have been thousands hidden in that box. Mrs. Bradley told me we lived in a high crime area and she had all that money all this time? That’s insane.”
“Not if she was hiding from her killer, it wouldn’t be,” Iosif reasoned. “She ran away for a reason. Maybe when we look at all the paperwork she left behind we’ll find out what that reason was. But first, we have to get you back to the hotel and have the time to look it over.”
Jaden nodded. “Ok let’s get everyone together and head back.” She turned and saw the men coming out of the bank.
Nikoli had a large bundle in his hands and as one, they moved over to the car and got in.
A few minutes later, the car pulled in to the underground parking lot.
Moments later they entered the apartment Iosif and Jaden were sharing.
Nikoli took his bundle over to the kitchen table and placed it carefully down on the wooden surface.
“Now what?” Jaden asked. “Where do we start?”
“I think we should find out if the two pieces of the necklace fit together,” Nikoli suggested. Opening the bundle, he plucked the small box holding the smaller piece out and held out his hand for the necklace part. When Iosif handed him the necklace he fit the second piece into the first part and it fit.
Jaden sat down hard and stared at the necklace. She had no idea of the enormity of what the necklace represented to her but suddenly she felt her whole life was a big fat lie. She had no idea what would happen when this Sergi character got here but she was stunned by what she’d found out about her mother today.
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