by N. Alleman
Luckily, he changes the subject to something else, giving me time to think. I contribute to the conversation now and again, but my thoughts are off on another planet entirely, and I find myself comparing Alexi to Dimitri. There’s really no competition.
In some ways one seems a safer option, but there are a lot of complications there too. Plus... Dimitri doesn’t excite me like that, and I really don't think that I could ever survive another unsatisfactory relationship again.
No, the man who gave me my silver heart is the one that has my beating heart too.
I can tell that there’s still some tension there as I say goodbye to Dimitri, but I do my best not to let it bother me. I can’t help it if I don't share his feelings, he must understand that. I tell myself that in the end it’ll all be fine anyway. Dimitri is much more rational than his brother, more level-headed. There isn’t a damn thing about Dimitri’s personality that suggests he will snap the way Damien did, I reassure myself.
19
Alexi
As I finally make it back to my apartment a few hours later, my mind is swimming with everything that I’ve just learned from Karen at the police station. I’m still struggling to come to terms with everything she told me. How the hell did Nadia get herself involved with this mess? It’s beyond me. I knew that Damien was involved in drugs, but now I see that it’s a massive drug trafficking company he has, and it’s been running for years with the help of his brother. They have some other business which they use as a cover-up, and to launder the money that they make, but it’s the drugs where they are really making bank.
Karen gave me some of the insider information she gained when she was working on the case, and she told me all about some agreement that they were in the process of setting up with the Mexican Cartel. An arrangement that promised to take the brothers even further up the money ladder. But there were some finer points the pair of them kept disagreeing on Bitter arguments that continued to fester until the partnership was all on the verge of collapse. Petty things such as who would be in charge of what, and how much they should be paying for things, who got the biggest stake in what... arguments that were clearly fuelled by testosterone, and that were more of a power struggle, an indicator of who was the alpha male. Only, of course, it all got taken a little too far.
Maybe that had more to do with it all than Karen realized. I know she assumes it’s a lot to do with the fact that Dimitri has feelings for Nadia, and I do agree that it plays a part, but I think the biggest motivator was his need to in their dick-measuring contest.
Motivation I understand, having worked with men my whole life. I’ve seen my share of business-related fallouts, and I’ve seen first-hand how nasty they can get. Money bring out the worst in people I suspect the thing with Nadia is a secondary benefit... something else Dimitri thinks he can gain from it. Maybe the whole ‘superhero,’ swooping in to save her at the last minute was something that came in later in his planning.
Damien’s murder just feels like a little more than a simple crime of passion.
Of course I’m angry about all of that. In fact I’m fucking furious about the fact that he thinks that he’ll be able to claim Nadia for himself, even more so considering she’s so clearly mine, but I also feel a lot better too. I now have a name, something solid to work towards, and that I can do a lot more with.
Now I just need to decide what.
I put in a call to Nadia, knowing that it isn’t solely my decision, and I ask her to come over. I don't tell her too much over the phone because I’m still trying to work through it in my mind. Plus I think this is much more of a face-to-face conversation, especially considering I have no idea how she’s going to react to any of it. She is sure to be pissed off about Karen, but this thing with Dimitri... I have no idea how she’s going to deal with that. She mentioned to me that he was helping with the funeral, and that he was the only one of the family to accept her, so I’m not sure how deeply this will cut.
I pace the floor while I wait for her to arrive, so by the time I hear her tires crunching along my driveway, I have run through the conversation a million times in my mind.
I can do this, it’ll be okay. I know what I’m going to say now, I just need to insure that my delivery is right.
“Hi,” she smiles serenely at me as she walks through the door, looking calmer than I’ve seen her in a long time. My mind whirs, trying to figure out what I might have missed, but my brain is coming up empty. “How are you?”
“Erm, I’m okay,” I reply a little cautiously, somehow expecting the worst. “But I do have a lot to talk to you about.”
“Yeah, me too!” she stuns me by saying. “I went to see the attorney today, and... well, that was a little crazy.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, following behind her into my front room. I know that I have a whole bunch of information to share with her, but I can’t help the intrigue coursing through my veins. I expected her to be much more bummed when she left that meeting. What is going on?
“Well, it was a bit mental. Damien didn’t have a will, so as his wife everything goes to me.” My heart stops at these words—does she understand the consequences of that? Not only will she find out all kinds of information that I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear about her husband, she’ll never get his family off of her back. They will torture her forever, and now that I know what they’re capable of, I don't like the prospect of that one bit.
“But there were a lot of debts on the house too, so his brother, Dimitri, offered to buy out his share of the business so I can have the house as is. Of course I’ll probably want to sell it, but that’s not important right now.”
“Wow...I don't know what to say,” I reply honestly. It’s all a little much. I know now that telling Nadia about Dimitri is going to be even harder after all of this. He really is playing the game well here, playing the role of the good guy when he couldn’t be further from it. “Interesting.”
“I mean, I want all of your advice on it too. I want to know what you think, especially when it comes to Dimitri...”
“He’s the one that killed your husband, his own brother,” I finally blurt out, bringing down the hammer more indelicately than I’d planned.
“What?” she gasps in shock, jumping up from her chair. “What the hell are you talking about?” Her hand clasps over her mouth loudly. I curse myself, feeling furious. I just practiced this conversation loads of times in lots of different ways. Why did I go ahead and screw it up at the last minute? What is wrong with me? “That can’t be right, that just... it makes no sense.”
I sigh deeply, figuring that I might as well just dive in now and get the rest out there. I’ve already begun, so surely I can’t make it worse. “I don't know how much you know about his business with Damien, but they were into drugs in a big way. Selling them, I mean. That’s the money that paid for this house and everything else.”
Her eyes fall and she slides back into the seat. “I... I suspected as much.”
“Well, it was growing by the day, and they were slowly working their way in with the Cartel, joining the big boys, but there were some stupid issues that they couldn't agree on— money related stuff—and it got ugly.”
She stares up at me with terror in her eyes. “So, you don't think that... whoever did this found out about our plan, and did it to punish me?”
“I don't know,” I tell her, realizing I don't have all the answers after all. That was a detail that I’d forgotten about somewhere along the line. “It’s possible, but it was Dimitri that ordered the murder. I don't know if he was the one who carried it out, but he definitely wanted it to happen.”
“But... what about the fact that whoever did it tried to frame me? Dimitri wouldn’t do that. He likes me... he supports me, he even invited me to spend some time as his villa with him to help me get over it all.”
Of course he did!
I want to scream and shake her, to force her to see what’s going on here, but I know that I can’t. I need to be t
houghtful and supportive if I want her to come around to my way of thinking. She can’t see it because she’s too close to it. And because he’s obviously using that very clever manipulation to win her over.
But hang on a minute...
My mind races at a million miles an hour as a plan starts to form. “Wait, he’s invited you to his place?” I ask, and she nods enthusiastically. “And is this his only home?”
“Well, he does have an apartment in the city, but I think he’s only there a little during the week. His villa is what I would call his proper address, the place that he spends most of his time at any rate.”
Great, this is perfect.
“Okay, so you don't think that Dimitri could be responsible, but you want to know for sure, right?” I nod enthusiastically, desperately hoping and praying that she’ll like my idea. “Why don't you accept his offer, go there, and you keep him distracted while I hunt for evidence?”
“Oh, I don't know about that…” She shakes her head vigorously at me, her face screwing up in dismay at the fact that I’d even suggest it. “I don't like the idea of betraying him like that, not when he’s been so kind to me—it just feels a little... wrong.”
It kills me that she’s worried about hurting his fucking feelings. Shit, how am I going to get around her with this one? She needs to agree to this, it’s the closest I’ve gotten to anything. I need this. Nadia needs this, she just doesn’t know it yet.
“But wouldn’t you rather be certain?” I ask, moving close enough to rest one of my hands on her leg. “Wouldn’t it be best to just know? You don't want to be wrong about this... it could cost you your life.”
Eventually, she nods hesitantly, which makes my heart leap with joy. This is positive for us, I just know it. I know she might not be too thrilled, but as soon as she understands I’m right about this, and that Dimitri is who I say he is, it will all be okay.
All of a sudden, the doorbell rings, and startles me. I told Karen to come over tonight to talk through things with Nadia too, but I wasn't expecting her so soon. I stand up tentatively, noticing confusion crossing Nadia’s face. Oh God, this is going to be awful. I’ve been so focused on the new part of the plan that I forgot about the other parts I put in place.
“So erm... the person who told me more about Dimitri and what he’s up to is here, and I thought that it might be a good thing for you to speak to each another face to face.”
Shit, I didn’t want this to go down this way. I wanted to have everything explained to her first. I wanted her to know that it was Karen, and that Dimitri had her daughter. Having to do it this way is probably the worst thing that I could do. But it isn’t exactly like I have any choice now.
I step into the hallway with Nadia close behind me, looking about as confused as I expected her to be. I don't know what to do, and my mind flickers with indecision. Do I tell her now before I do the big reveal, or do I simply let events unfold around me?
My mind isn’t made up by the time I get to the front door, so I’m simply forced to swing it open to reveal Karen Whitfield.
20
Nadia
“What the fuck is this?” I ask, my eyes flitted between them, unable to believe what I’m seeing. I have the distinctive impression I’ve been betrayed, and I don't like it one bit. Suddenly, I feel completely and utterly alone. “What the hell is going on here?”
Not only am I confused about what’s going on between Karen and Alexi, but I’m surprisingly jealous about whatever it is. I had no idea the two of them were in touch.
“Okay,” Alexi starts, holding out his hands trying to calm me down, but it only inflames me. “Let’s all just go and sit down so we can discuss this fully.” I do as he asks, despite the fact that I’m pissed off, and as soon as we’re all sitting down, he launches into his explanation. “I went down to the police station, to talk with Karen today because I thought that she might have been the one that attacked you in the bathroom...”
“No,” I shoot back quickly. “If you’d just asked me, I would have been able to tell you that it was someone completely different.”
It was a man, I was sure of it, but as if she wants to prove me wrong and embarrass me in front of Alexi, Karen lifts up her top to reveal Taser marks.
Shit. My heart sinks as I realize that it was her. Then a hot burst of anger overtakes me—she is supposed to be a police officer, someone who upholds the law! What the hell is she doing playing around with criminals? Plus, she seemed utterly convinced that I killed Damien when she first questioned me. Now am I to understand that she was part of it all along?
Also, why the fuck is she sitting next to the man I adore on the couch, while I’m sitting across from them? It’s as if the dynamic has completely shifted, and now I’m the outsider.
I’m the one who has been sleeping with him, I’m the one he gave a necklace to... Karen is nothing. Or at least that’s what I thought.
“Can you just... tell me everything?” I hiss. “I don't want to hear it from you, Alexi. I don't feel like you can make me understand why the fuck a cop is blaming Dimitri for the murder. I can’t wrap my head around it, and I need to understand.”
“Okay,” Karen slides forward in her seat, and looks at me intently. “You’re angry, and I understand that, but I want you to know this isn’t a position that I ever thought I’d be in. I don't want to be in this position any more than you do.”
But I’m not falling for her attempt at bonding with me. I slump backwards and fold my arms across my chest.
“I was assigned the case to do with Damien and Dimitri... it was known to the police that they were involved in drugs, but they were very clever about hiding everything. You know how they are, very secretive.”
I nod stiffly, not wanting to give her too much.
“But as soon as I started to get involved, working undercover, it became clear that there were a lot of disputes between your husband and his brother, stuff that escalated badly.”
“Damien never had anything bad to say about his brother,” I start, but that doesn’t stop her.
“Dimitri wanted him out of the business. Now, I can see he wanted it all for himself, but at the time I got suckered into believing that he just wanted to shut it all down. He wanted to help me take Damien down on the promise that he wouldn’t continue... and I’m ashamed to say that I fell for his lies.”
The police officer’s cheeks turn pink, and I find myself leaning in to hear more. “I fell for him.”
That makes my heart fall into my shoes. I can believe as much. I can relate to how easy it would be to fall for Dimitri. He’s sweet, kind, generous... even I am not immune to his charms.
“I fell for him hard, and that was my downfall.” Karen sighs, and for the first time since she entered this house, I actually feel kind of sorry for her. “He then started on a new plan... to have Damien murdered. I didn’t agree to it, of course. In fact I was horrified, but by then I was in too deep. I don't know what caused the shift in him, why his behavior suddenly took a killer turn, but it did.”
She stares deeply into my eyes, and I can see that every word she speaks is true. “And that’s when he started to talk about you all of the time. I realized then that I’d been a fool. He’d never cared for me at all. I tried my best to back out, but then he took my daughter.”
Oh fuck.
I jump as horror courses through my veins. She has a daughter who has been taken? By Dimitri? What the fuck? I don't even know what the hell to think anymore.
“Okay,” I nod sharply, having made my decision. “Okay, I understand what you’re both saying, and I need to know for sure.”
My mind reels, and I jerk my head to look at Alexi. “I’ll do it. I’ll message Dimitri. Then I’ll go to his home. Let’s just... let’s do this.”
“Are you sure?” He asks, furrowing his eyebrows. Clearly, he sees beneath the facade and wants to make sure I’m alright... but what he doesn’t know is that I can’t deal with him right now. I just need to g
et this done.
“I’m sure. If Dimitri has Karen’s daughter, then we need to figure this out. This isn’t about me anymore, it’s about a child.” If I zone in on that fact, rather than all the bullshit surrounding it all, I have a purpose that I can work towards. I can see that Karen is in a state about her child, and I really don't think that she’s making that up. If Dimitri can do that to a woman, then maybe murdering his own brother isn’t beyond him either. “Let’s just set this up.”
“Okay, well... why don't you send him a message?” Alexi asks, looking surprised I’m so willing to get the ball rolling. “See when he can do it. Maybe this weekend?”
‘Hi Dimitri, I’ve been thinking about what you asked me earlier all day, and I think so time out of the city would be good for me. Does the offer still stand to stay at your villa? I could drive over tonight if so x’
I include the kiss at the bottom as a promise of something I now know that he wants. I don't really want to offer it to him, but if he thinks it’s on the table, he might be more likely to agree. My heart thumps painfully in my chest as I stare at my phone, waiting for a reply, and it only takes a minute for one to pop up.
‘Of course, Nadia, that would be lovely! I’m here now, so please do come xxx’
“Okay,” I announce, standing up. “I’m going over there tonight, so I really hope that you’re ready for this.” My tone might be cold, my emotions shut off, but I’m all business now. If I allow my feelings to come into play I’m afraid I’ll fall apart. The fact that I’m learning everything I’ve ever known about the people in my life is bullshit, plus the insane jealousy that I can’t seem to shut off despite everything that I’ve just learned, is killing me.
I need to keep focused.
“Right,” Alexi replies, snapping into business mode too. “That’s good. You go over there, we’ll follow behind, and while you’re distracting Dimitri, we will see what we can find. We can have a look through his villa, and determine if he has anything incriminating there. It might be a long shot, but it isn’t like we have anything else.” I watch as he glances over to Karen. “We should at least be able to find some information on where your daughter is being held.”
