by India Kells
He kissed her forehead and straightened. “I’ll get it. You spoke with Gabrielle?”
Subtle. Very subtle, she thought. But there was no secret there. On the contrary, his knowledge of that world could bring her the insight she needed to find out what Finch was up to. So, she started from the beginning. Aleksei sat in front of her, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, listening to her intently. When she finished, he seemed to ponder it all.
“I agree with Gabrielle. I don’t think Finch could have any sort of leverage with any of the main families. From what I could gather, it wasn’t his main intent, although he was always kept informed of what was going on. New nominations, official business acquisitions, and so on.”
“Do you know anybody we could speak to? Anybody who would be a hundred percent sure to tell us the truth? I don’t think we can have a real sense of what’s going on from the outside.”
Aleksei broke a piece of bread before buttering it and popping it in his mouth. “We can talk to my Pakan. He trusts me and would know if something is brewing.”
Deva pursed her lips. “No offense, how can we be certain he’s not in the loop?”
His mouth grimaced as if reluctant to say his next few words. “Deva. You wanted to know why I kept close to Finch? I will tell you. My Pakan asked me personally and confidentially. He’s the one who asked me to connect with Finch, to gather as much information as I could. And he’s my most direct, most reliable source. He saw Finch circling and needed someone who could find out what he wanted. And he knew Finch is my father, so I was an easy choice. Now, I have to go see the Pakan, today. I’ve been summoned. And I’m bringing you with me. That way, you’ll see first hand if something is off. You can form your own opinion.”
Deva wasn’t sure of his decision. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“Safe or not, you’ve been invited. And that means that you must show up. You are the daughter of an established and respected MC president, nothing will happen to you.”
“Except if your Pakan is in with Finch. In that case, he’ll deliver me to my father in less than a minute.”
Aleksei’s expression turned hard as stone. “He’s not. I’m certain of it. I would never let anything happen to you, Deva.”
Deva softened her voice. “It may not be your decision in the end, Aleksei.”
Cursing, he got to his feet. “I keep my word, Deva. And I trust my Pakan to keep his. So far, I haven’t been deceived.”
She could have argued. After all, she had many doubts of her own but decided against it. It was their best opening so far, and she would seize it.
“Okay, but I bring a bodyguard.”
“I don’t like repeating myself. I can protect you, Deva.”
She shook her head. “Even if it has been awhile, I know how it works. Me, bringing a protector will send the signal that I’m not being delivered to him and that I’m not your pawn.”
“You are being protected, by me! And you’re certainly not a pawn!”
Undeterred by his outburst, Deva pushed her plate aside. “I know. It’s not you I doubt, it’s everyone else. I’m only giving them an unspoken message. Nothing more, but nothing fucking less. I’m not a man! And just that plays against me on so many levels. You may trust your boss, you have proven yourself to him, and he has shown his trust, but I’m not Bratva. No doubt that Mex has placed a price on my head, and yelled it to anyone who could listen. I’m going with you, but I’m showing a play of power by bringing protection. How many women have you seen entering your Pakan’s lair without anyone by their side? Except for whores and hostages?”
And she saw him accept her point with a look that suggested he’d had to swallow a lemon wrapped up in slime.
“Okay, I’ll relay that information to him. And if all goes well, we’re expected for coffee this morning.”
“Where?”
“Right here, downstairs. At nine.
Deva nodded. “I’ll make a call and ask Gabrielle.”
Stiff and clearly pissed, Aleksei got his phone out. But before he could walk out of reach, she touched his forearm.
His closed expression was telling, but it cracked a bit for her. “Thank you, Aleksei.”
He nodded stiffly and went to the bedroom to make his call.
Grabbing her phone and dialing Gabrielle’s number, she turned to the window to admire the sunrise. A new day, a new challenge. But she ignored her own doubts tightening her belly. She was about to enter the ring with very fierce lions, and if she wanted to succeed and keep Aleksei safe, she would need all her wits and all the courage she could find within her own damaged self.
Chapter 25
In the blink of an eye, Aleksei’s rather large suite had turned into a meeting room filled with rather imposing men.
Lance was the first to arrive, bigger and more dangerous looking than ever. Although, when he greeted her, his beautiful face was much friendlier. In fact, he pulled her aside to ask if she was alright after everything that happened at the gym. And she suspected that part of him regretted not sticking with her, but he didn’t say much more. He was here not as a favor to Gabrielle, but because Deva had requested him personally. It was hard enough going through this without being certain whom to trust. And Lance Sorenson was one of the very few she instinctively trusted.
Lazarus came in with two more men, and as soon as they entered the room, tension built to the breaking point. It took Deva a moment to realize that there was much more going on than met the eye. One of the newcomers was as tall as Aleksei but was of Polynesian or Hawaiian descent. His golden skin and athletic body were matched only by the wicked glint in his silver eyes. His expression made him look as if he found anything and everything highly amusing, or maybe it gave that impression because of his cargo Bermuda’s and blindingly colorful red Hawaiian shirt.
His dark hair waved to his shoulders, and she could see a tattoo peeking out of his sleeve and wrapping over his forearm. It was almost surprising the man wasn’t wearing flip flops to go with his ensemble.
The other newcomer was slightly shorter, closer to Lazarus’s height. But apart from sharing the same dazzling pale eyes and a beard, the resemblance stopped there. Where Lazarus had that dark energy surrounding his cool British demeanor, this man had dark copper hair and beard with a friendly face, but it was his gaze that gave him away. Those same gray eyes... they analyzed everything, assessed non-stop in a disturbing manner that disclosed his identity. A cop. And if his actions weren’t telling enough, the jeans, boots, gray Henley, and dark brown leather coat in this weather were a dead giveaway.
Even before Deva could make a move and greet the men, Aleksei stepped in front of her, blocking her view. Lance stayed close by, but by the look on the giant blond’s face, he was as puzzled as she was on what was going on.
“Lazarus, what are they doing here?” Aleksei sound pissed, and when Deva saw Lazarus fold his arms, she knew that they were going nowhere fast. Instead of staying back, she slid under the Russian’s arm and placed herself before Lazarus.
“Hey Oz, glad to see you! And now you’ve brought me two more bodyguards. That’s great!”
Lazarus relaxed and smiled at her. “Only one more bodyguard. Deva. May I present Kai Jones. He doesn’t look like it, but he’s former Delta Force.”
Deva offered her hand to the grinning man. “I don’t know. He doesn’t look the part, but you just have to look beyond the clothes, right?”
The man winked at her and took her hand in both of his huge ones, bringing them to his lips for a courtly kiss. “Miss Deva, I look the part with or without any clothes.”
The sound coming from Aleksei made her wonder if it was a growl or some sort of Russian curse. Ignoring it, she got her hand back and turned to Lazarus.
“I dare say, you have very interesting brothers, Oz.”
The man blinked. “How did...”
Deva waved his question. “If you don’t know how I was able to guess, I’m not telling you. And who is your o
ther brother that’s not playing my bodyguard today?”
The cop shook his head and smiled. “I’m Liam Harker, Chicago PD. And I’m not going with you because you need more brawn than brain, and I would also put you in more danger.”
Deva crossed her arms and frowned. “Because you are a cop?”
“That, and being a Major Crime detective tends to make the big bosses uncomfortable.”
And on that, she could only agree. “So, you’re here to wish us luck?”
“Not quite. When Oz reached out, I put my ear to the ground, and our father’s name is on everyone’s lips. But the trouble is, all my sources aren’t sure what’s going on. Finch has been lurking around for over two years in Chicago, but there’s nothing tangible indicating that anything has changed in the balance of power or what his plans are, exactly. And as you know, he’s been really visible with the different MCs in the area lately. Finch’s biggest display was the underground fight last week. He rubbed shoulders with every bigwig around. And again, there’s no way to tell what he’s up to. I would need to get a mole in, or cuff a very chatty one.”
Aleksei snickered and leaned against the wall. “If you think for a minute that you’ll get your sticky fingers through that door, think again. You’ll be dog chow before you can start filing the appropriate forms to arrest us.”
Liam lifted his chin, obviously used to being ribbed about his job. “I get it, Aleksei, you despise me and my work. Big news. And by the way, congrats for your fight.”
Uncrossing his arms, Aleksei took a step toward his brother, clearly baffled. “You were there?”
Liam shrugged and looked away. “What can I say, I’m an MMA fan. And if someone I know has the potential to get his ass kicked in an underground fight…”
Oz racked his hair and sighed. “Guys, focus. Deva and Aleksei need to go down for coffee in fifteen minutes. Kai, couldn’t you find something more appropriate to wear than a Hawaiian shirt?”
Undeterred by the barely concealed insult, the man beamed instead. “Dude, I’m the threat nobody will see coming. And I’m packing underneath this shirt.”
Lance scoffed. “The only advantage of that shirt is that it will either blind the enemy or hide the blood from your multiple bullet wounds.”
Kai nodded and scratched his chin. “You’re former Navy SEAL, right? That must be very helpful to act pretty while the others do all the work.”
Lance crossed his arms and looked as if he’d grown even larger. “I’ve had to repair Delta Force messes more times than I could count. Maybe you should have stuck with your fashion choices and avoided real men’s work after all.”
“Guys!” Deva was torn between giggling and tearing her hair out. “We’re going now. Just look tough. Stay silent and sharp. Shouldn’t be that difficult.”
Liam went to the door. “I have a meeting with a source, I’ll keep you posted, Oz. And you too Aleksei. Deva. Be careful.”
Lazarus nodded as his brother left. And in a second, Aleksei had him plastered against the wall, hands fisted on his shirt. “Why did you bring that asshole into this?”
Lazarus didn’t even flinch. “You know why.”
Aleksei put a hand on Lazarus’s neck and tightened so much that Deva leaped into action. “Aleksei, let him go.”
But despite her best efforts, the man didn’t even budge. Kai and Lance were about to intervene, but she saw that it was the beginning of a brawl that they couldn’t afford.
Deva put her hand around Aleksei’s wrist and leaned to his ear. “Alyosha, sweetheart, let him go now. We have work to do. We need to go.”
Aleksei blinked and seemed to come back into himself. Immediately, he loosened his grip. Lazarus coughed, trying to catch his breath.
Deva frowned at the Russian who seemed a little lost for a second before shaking himself back.
“Sorry, Lazarus.”
He shook his head, wheezing his answer. “I know, I know. Go now. We’ll talk about this later.”
Aleksei took Deva’s hand, and ignoring Kai and Lance, pulled her out of the room. With one last glance at his brothers, the look he gave them was revealing. There was more tension between the Finch brothers than meet the eye. Not that she was ever calling them that to their faces.
Chapter 26
The elevator ride downstairs did nothing to alleviate the tension in the air. Even though Aleksei held her hand in a tight grip, he couldn’t have looked more distant than he did right then.
His energy was probably contagious because the two mountainous men behind them were so still, it was as if they tried to blend into the walls of the elevator.
When the elevator doors opened, Aleksei let go of her hand to exit. He stayed close, but Deva felt that he was distancing himself on more than one level. And he was probably right. Deva straightened her shoulders and schooled her features. She may be surrounded by protection, but this was the line of fire. And she was putting her own life in danger.
Aleksei lead the way until they reached a small restaurant at street level. Sun was streaming through the windows. The early crowd was gone and apart from a family obviously wrapping up for their day trip, the only people in the room occupied a corner table. A man alone. And probably his two own bodyguards sitting two tables over.
The man was the one she had seen at the tournament. Well over fifty but looking fit and incredibly polished in his tailored suit. His gleaming shaved head and trimmed graying goatee gave him an old-world flair. The look suited to a business man. That’s what he would appear to unsuspecting eyes. A wealthy business man about to start his work day with coffee.
When he saw them enter, he nodded and smiled, “Aleksei, my boy. Very glad to see you. Miss Johnson, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Gerasim Egorov. Please be seated. Your men can sit at the table behind you if you don’t mind.”
Deva turned to nod at Kai and Lance who complied and sat down.
“Please tell me, do you prefer Miss Johnson or Miss Landry? I don’t want to offend you.”
Smooth, she thought. “Deva, please. I would like to put as much distance between myself and Mex Johnson as possible.”
Gerasim Egorov smiled, gesturing to the waitress. “Perfectly understandable. Family can be difficult to deal with. And I speak from experience.”
The man ordered coffee and pastries before turning back to them. Aleksei had draped an arm on the back of her chair, and she knew it was a statement. Wanting it or not, he was taking a stand, and Deva found it infuriating and incredibly dangerous. Too bad this wasn’t the time and place to smack him behind the head with enough force to make him see clearly.
As the waitress brought them coffees and a basket of pastries, Egorov turned to her. “May I ask why you chose Deva as your new name? I can certainly understand your need to break off all ties to a family who doesn’t value you, but the choice intrigued me.”
Secrets were crumbling down, so she shrugged. “Landry is my mother’s maiden name. It was an easy choice.”
Gerasim Egorov nodded. “And Deva means ‘divine’ if I’m not mistaken. And for a woman as beautiful as you, I would say it’s an apt name.”
And a flatterer too. “I didn’t know the meaning of it when I chose it. I was back in New Orleans, where my mother grew up, and a friend was working on giving me a new identity. I went to see a fortune-teller, and it was the first card she drew from her tarot deck. Something clicked. I know that in Hinduism, it means divine or deity, but I much prefer the Buddhist meaning which means immortality. Victoria was dead so Deva could be reborn.”
The Russian boss looked at her straight in the eyes. “Rebirth. The possibility of recreating ourselves is something we all aspire to, although very few of us could achieve it. In this lifetime, at least.”
Deva blinked at the man’s somber words as the waitress finished bringing the food to the table. By the time she was gone, the philosophical mood had changed to business.
“Deva, I called this meeting because I’m curi
ous about what Aleksei’s told me and everything that happened. The news of your miraculous return and your shocking appearance at the fight was quite a shock. Even if I only learned of your true identity later on. And I’m not talking about what happened to Mr. Johnson yesterday. I can confirm that he’s threatening your life and launching an operation to bring you back. So far, only his MC is involved, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it went way beyond his group, especially if money is involved.”
And the dance began. “Yesterday couldn’t be helped. I didn’t return to see my father and had no intention of complying with whatever scheme or plan he had for me. In fact, I have tried to avoid him since I came back as he isn’t the reason I decided to return to Chicago.”
The Pakan nodded and grabbed a flaky pastry before tearing up a piece. “And what is the reason, Deva?”
And there it was, the big gamble. “I’m helping a friend who is worried about what Jamieson Finch is up to. She needed someone with knowledge of the city and its... particularities. Maybe you would be so generous as to give me your take on the man.”
Something passed over the man’s face. He looked at Aleksei and then back at her. His smile had dimmed a little.
“There is nothing much to tell about Finch. At least from my point of view. He wants to do business with us. For several years now, if I recall. He’s persistent, I must give him that. And if the rumor is correct, he has contacted most of my counterparts here with the same intent.”
“Mr. Egorov, may I be so bold as to ask you what he wanted from you?”
“Please, call me Gerasim. Let’s say that he wanted to expand our business. But some of that expansion would have been, uncomfortable, to say the least.”
“But he insisted. And still does.”
Gerasim nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “You are very perceptive. Yes, several times, but always in a very courteous matter. Except that lately, I heard he was focusing more on street gangs and MCs. Like your father’s.”
