Midnight Alpha

by Carole Mortimer

  She ran her tongue over her lips before speaking again. “Could I have some water, please?”

  “Why not?” The man turned away, using the hand that wasn’t holding the gun to lift a bottle of water from a cluttered table. He turned back to her and thrust the bottle into her hand. “Not too fast or too much,” he warned hardly. “I’m not cleaning you up if you puke everywhere.”

  Gaia sent him a frowning glance as she slowly lifted the heavy weight of her arm, having a little trouble directing the top of the bottle to her lips, before gulping down several grateful swallows.

  Water had never tasted so good. Pure nectar. Moistening her mouth, easing her throat—

  “That’s enough.” The man ripped the bottle roughly out of her hand and placed it back on the table.

  Gaia’s hand dropped limply back to her side as she stared up at him. “Who are you? And why have you brought me here?”

  He gave a mocking laugh. “Of course, the two of us have never been introduced, have we,” he acknowledged tauntingly. “My name is Sergei Orlov, Miss Miller.”

  She wished he would stop saying her name in that mocking tone. When Gregori did it, he may sound distant, but at least he sounded polite—

  Wait.

  Did this man just say his name was Sergei Orlov?

  That couldn’t be right. Sergei Orlov was dead. It was because Sergei Orlov was dead that Ivan Orlov was currently making life so difficult for Gregori.

  Surely Ivan Orlov would be much older than this man, though: her abductor only looked in his early thirties. Handsome enough if you went for the tousled, dark look with slightly swarthy features and cruel, vindictive eyes. Eyes that wouldn’t reveal a moment of remorse if he were to place that gun against her temple and pull the trigger.

  His taste in aftershave wasn’t too appealing either, that heavy spice probably adding to Gaia’s headache.

  “Ah, I see. You, along with almost everyone else in the world, thought I was dead.” The man who claimed to be Sergei Orlov gave another hard and mocking smile as he relaxed back against the chair. “That was my dear father’s idea,” he continued conversationally. “Seems to have fooled most people too. Which is how I’ve been able to move about London so freely the past few weeks. Why would anyone bother to look for a dead man,” he added harshly.

  Was it possible this man really was who he claimed to be? If so, then it did explain why Nikolai and Lijah hadn’t been able to find the person responsible for both the drugs circulating in Utopia and the drive-by shooting.

  Because they had all believed this man no longer existed.

  Gregori wouldn’t know to look for a man he believed dead. And if he didn’t know to look for Sergei Orlov then he wasn’t going to find her either.

  She moistened her lips now that the water had provided something for her to moisten them with. “I don’t understand…”

  He eyed her pityingly. “It was simple enough, my father just identified the wrong body as being me. False dental and medical records helped, of course.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Sergei shrugged. “So that when the time was right he could bring me back into the family fold.” Those dark eyes glittered with repressed fury as he added. “But he let me live like a fucking sewer rat for two months first. To teach me a lesson he said,” he bit out hardly. “After your boyfriend insisted my father disown me. Arrogant fucking bastards, both of them—”

  “Gregori’s sister—”

  “I can’t believe I ever agreed to marry that frigid bitch!” Sergei stood up to begin pacing the room restlessly, revealing that he had a second gun pushed into the waistband at the back of his jeans.

  All Gaia could think of was that Gregori’s sister had been married to this man?

  “Surprised?” Sergei taunted as he obviously saw the look of shock on her face. “Your boyfriend never thought to mention that little fact? Oh yes, I was married to the precious, stuck-up Katya Markovic,” he continued scathingly. “Much good it did me. Stupid bitch couldn’t even give me the heir my father wanted. How did that make me look? Bloody impotent, that’s how I looked, when we all knew it was that cold bitch’s fault.” His voice was getting higher, angrier, the longer he talked.

  Gaia didn’t know Katya, but she knew Gregori, and she couldn’t even begin to imagine his beloved sister ever being married to this cold and ruthless killer. And Sergei was wrong about it being Katya’s fault there was no Orlov heir—Gregori had told her that Katya was now five months pregnant with Dair Grayson’s baby. And from Gregori’s comments about the couple, Gaia didn’t believe Katya was frigid, either.

  “And what did she do when she finally got pregnant?” Sergei continued disgustedly. “She fell down the stairs and lost it! All those fucking years of servicing her like she was some prize fucking mare, and when she finally became pregnant she lost it. Not that my father believed the baby was mine to begin with,” his voice was starting to rise again.

  Katya Markovic fell down the stairs and lost her baby?

  Did she fall or was she pushed?

  The words echoed hollowly around inside Gaia’s head.

  She knew the answer without needing to ask the question: Sergei Orlov pushed Katya down the stairs. Why, she had no idea, but she had no doubts that he had. Which also explained why Gregori insisted that Ivan Orlov disown his son or there would be war between the two families.

  “My father laughed, said it didn’t matter who the baby’s father was.” Sergei scowled as he waved the gun around to emphasize his point. “He just wanted the Orlov heir to come from Katya Markovic, to unite the two families. He may have fathered the little bastard himself for all I know. I wouldn’t put it past him to have bedded my wife. Not that he’ll be fathering anyone anymore,” he added with satisfaction.

  Gaia felt a cold wave of dread sweep through her. “What do you mean?”

  “He’s dead,” Sergei dismissed coldly. “He thought he was being so damned clever, faking my death. But there’s nothing fake about his death, I made sure of that. The king is dead, long live the new king!” He laughed harshly.

  “Surely the rest of the Orlovs know your father is dead?”

  “Some of them.” He shrugged. “Those that remained loyal to me and not my father. The rest of them believe my father and I are in Vegas until the heat from Markovic dies down.”

  This situation just sounded worse and worse…

  “But you know the best part?” Sergei’s eyes glittered with a fanatical glee. “After I shot my father, I had him put into my coffin in the family crypt!” He began to laugh again, as if he’d just told the funniest joke he had ever heard.

  In that moment Gaia knew that this man, the man who had abducted her and now held her at gunpoint, was completely insane.

  Because Gregori had wanted—demanded—retribution for what this man did to his sister?

  No, Sergei must have been unbalanced before that, and it looked like his father’s treatment of him following Gregori’s retribution was what pushed him over some sort of edge.

  She was alone here—wherever here was—with a madman who believed she was romantically involved with Gregori—the man Sergei Orlov believed to be responsible for everything that had happened to him in the past five months.

  She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “You won’t be able to keep your father’s death a secret forever.”

  “I don’t need to keep it a secret forever, just until after I’ve killed Markovic,” he dismissed. “After that it won’t be difficult to persuade the rest of my father’s men into believing that Markovic was the one who had him killed and that I’ve now avenged him. They’ll follow me without question after that. A good result. For me at least, not so much for my father and Markovic.” He grinned with pleasure.

  It was a surprisingly logical plan coming from a man who was certifiably insane.

  It was also totally believable.

  “I wanted to play with Markovic a little first, though,” Serge
i continued to chat in that conversational tone. “Mess with his head as well as his business, make sure he suffered the way he made me suffer.”

  “You arranged for the drugs to go into Utopia,” Gaia guessed.

  He grinned as he nodded. “I’ve enjoyed watching Markovic’s men running around in circles, unaware they were dealing with a dead man. But I’ve tired of that game now. It’s taking too long.” He scowled his impatience.

  The more Gaia listened to him the more she felt at too much of a disadvantage continuing to lie here on the couch. “I’d like to sit up, are you okay with that?” She eyed him uncertainly, not sure what would set him off.

  “As long as you don’t make any sudden movements.” He watched her through narrowed lids as she slowly swung her legs to the floor before straightening.

  Her heard swam woozily again for several seconds before settling. “What was in the wine I drank?”

  “Just something to knock you out for a while,” he said. “I didn’t want you to stay out too long and miss all the fun.”

  Fun? This man believed killing his own father, and having her abducted so that he could lure Gregori into a trap and then kill him, was fun?

  “Did you have my sister killed?” She had to know. She had to. “Angela Grant,” she supplied so there would be absolutely no doubt who she was talking about.

  “No, I didn’t have her killed,” he assured lightly. “Why would I have someone else do it when I could enjoy doing it myself?” he added.

  Gaia’s hands curled into claws, and she was unaware of the pain as her nails broke through the skin of her palms, unable to speak, to think beyond the fact that she was sitting in a room with the man who killed Angela.

  “I guess your family is going to be mourning the death of a second daughter pretty soon, huh?” Sergei commented dismissively.

  There was nothing Gaia could say to that, no words to express the loathing she felt for this man. He had no conscience, no emotions.

  He was a psychopath.

  “Why?” she managed to choke.

  Sergei gave a shrug. “She knew too much. She found out about the drugs and who was selling them. She threatened to go to Markovic and tell him what was going on. I couldn’t have that. I wasn’t anywhere near finished playing with him at the time.” He gave another smile. “You were an unexpected bonus. I never thought that cold bastard would fall for a woman, but suddenly there you were. Beautiful and sensuous, and the perfect means of retribution.” He looked at her appreciatively. “You aren’t his usual type at all, you know.”

  “I’ve heard that.” Gaia felt even more nauseous at hearing this man describe her as being ‘beautiful and sensuous’. Please God, don’t let him find her attractive. Just the thought of this man touching her was enough to make her feel ill.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be seeing Gregori again soon,” he assured her dryly. “And I will make the most of it when you do, because he will very quickly be joining my father. But first he’s going to watch me fuck and then kill you,” he spoke evenly, as if talking about the weather. “I would have preferred it to be Katya, of course, but she’s guarded too well by that bastard Grayson nowadays.” He scowled again. “I thought I was going to have trouble getting to you too, but the ghost thing helped with that. It’s really amazing how freeing it can be if everyone thinks you’re dead!”

  Gaia drew in a slow breath. “How do you expect Gregori to come here when he doesn’t know where I am?”

  He glanced down at his watch. “It’s been over three hours now since I took you—I wanted Markovic to suffer for as long as possible, though not long enough for me to get bored,” he added dismissively. “One of my men should be delivering a message telling Gregori exactly where we are right about now.”

  And when Gregori received that note, Gaia knew that he would come here for her.

  And after watching her being raped and killed he would then die, too.

  Oh God…

  “You shouldn’t have come here.” Gregori gave his brother-in-law a reproving frown over Katya’s shoulder as she launched herself into his arms the moment she entered his office.

  The couple had arrived at Utopia just minutes ago, apparently having flown immediately from Venice after receiving Lijah’s call earlier.

  Gregori had closed the nightclub an hour early, clearing the building of all but essential staff—apart from Rick and Claude, however, who were the last people to see Gaia. The two men were now locked in separate rooms talking to Nikolai. Gregori had questioned them himself for a while, but it soon became obvious he wasn’t detached enough to do the job the way it needed to be done. He knew Nikolai wouldn’t have the same problem.

  Instead, Gregori had spent his time calling in every favor owed him, and Nikolai’s men were busy checking out private airports and train stations.

  It wasn’t enough; it would never be enough until he had Gaia back. Safe. Alive.

  Kat pulled back slightly. “You didn’t really think I would let Dair come here without me, did you?” she derided.

  “I didn’t expect either of you to come here at all!” He scowled darkly.

  She touched his cheek gently. “We’re a family, Gregori, and it’s what families to.”

  That may be so, but he didn’t want his pregnant sister anywhere near Sergei Orlov, the man who had almost destroyed her just months ago.

  Sergei fucking Orlov.

  How could he have known, how could any of them have known that the bastard was still alive?

  “You sent Dair to rescue me, Gregori,” his sister reminded gently.

  Yes, he had, but Dair should have known better than to bring Katya here now—

  “She’s your sister through and through, Gregori,” Dair dryly answered the silent accusation. “Stubborn, strong-willed—”

  “But you love me anyway!” Kat moved out of Gregori’s arms to walk over and stand beside her husband, smiling up at him. She wrapped her arm about his waist at the same time as he placed his about her shoulders.

  “I do, yes.” Dair gave her an indulgent smile before his eyes narrowed and he turned back to Gregori. “And we’re both here because I care about you too, you arrogant bastard.”

  “Thank you. I think,” Gregori added dryly. “But the situation has become even more complicated since Lijah spoke to you three hours ago—”

  “We know about Sergei, Gregori,” Kat interrupted him softly. “Lijah called us on the plane.”

  Gregori turned to glare at Lijah as he sat sprawled on the sofa in the corner of the room. “Just when the fuck did you take charge around here?”

  Lijah gave an unconcerned shrug at his aggression. “I work for Dair, not you.”

  Gregori drew in a sharp, controlling breath. He had never felt so damned helpless. He had absolutely no idea where Sergei Orlov could have taken Gaia—he still found it incredible that the other man was alive to begin with. But if Sergei was in London then Gregori would find him. If he had to knock on every door then that’s what he would do. He just had to hope to God that Gaia was still in the city…

  And live.

  She must be wondering what the hell was going on, when he had told her Sergei was dead. Also frightened and confused. But frightened and confused were probably preferable to angry, because an angry Gaia may just goad Sergei into doing something the other man would regret with his last breath.

  “Lijah said Gaia was drugged?” Dair prompted briskly, as if he had somehow guessed at the despair and anger of Gregori’s thoughts.

  He dragged his attention back to the here and now. “It was in that glass of wine.” He nodded towards the glass sitting on top of his desk.

  “Put there by whom?”

  Gregori grimaced. “One of two people.”

  “Who are…?”

  “Being questioned by Nikolai right now,” he assured grimly. “A very angry Nikolai.” He knew the other man held himself responsible for what had happened to Gaia. Gregori didn’t share that feeling, knew now ho
w impossible it was that any of them would have realized the truth. But that didn’t stop Nikolai from blaming himself.

  “Ah.” Dair gave a knowing nod: the other man’s methods were well known.

  “You’ve never mentioned Gaia to us, Gregori…” Kat looked at him curiously.

  “That’s probably because I only met her a week ago,” he sighed. It seemed much longer. And the last three hours seemed longer still.

  His sister smiled. “Lijah said she’s very beautiful.”

  “Did he?” He turned narrowed eyes on the other man.

  “And fearless,” Dair put in mockingly.

  “She needs to be to cope with him.” Lijah nodded in Gregori’s direction.

  “Go fuck yourself—” Gregori broke off as one of Nikolai’s men appeared in the open doorway.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but this was just delivered for you.” He crossed the room towards Gregori, an envelope in his hand.

  “Did you detain whoever delivered it?” Dair prompted sharply.

  “Nikolai has him downstairs,” Roman reported with satisfaction.

  Gregori was only interested in the letter, his hands actually shaking as he ripped the envelope open and quickly read what was written on the single sheet of paper inside.

  “Where are you going?” Dair grabbed hold of Gregori’s arm as he turned without saying a word and walked towards the door.

  “To Gaia.” He didn’t even look at the other man as he shook off that hand.

  “Not without back-up—”

  The fierceness of Gregori’s glare silenced him. “He says he’ll kill her if I don’t go alone.”

  His brother-in-law’s jaw tightened. “You do realize—”

  “That she could be dead already?” Gregori grated fiercely. “Yes, of course I fucking know that!” He crumpled the letter in his fisted hand. “I have to go, anyway. You, more than anyone, know I have to go, Dair,” he muttered softly.

  The other man looked at him for several long, searching moments before slowly nodding his head as he stepped back. “Okay.”

  “Dair—”

  “No, Kat.” Dair took a firm grasp of her arms as she would have run to Gregori. “No,” he repeated softly when she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “Hug him and then let him go.”