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“But that wasn’t what was unusual, it was the person who ordered the contract that confused us. It had been addressed to Ivan and I believe he gave the final order, but the original request came from Moscow.” I stopped when she swore under her breath.
“I should have killed him slowly. He was blood, distant blood, but blood all the same.” She said bitterly and I nodded.
“I know. But Ivan didn’t do it because he wanted to, he did it because they were orders from higher up.” He said and she frowned, understanding how loyal Ivan had been to those higher than him.
“So who issued the contract?” She asked as I stood, going to the table and pouring myself another scotch in a clean glass.
“We don’t know exactly. The code name was White Fox. It was a code name we tried to trace for months and Yuri was close, he had discovered a lead and the government was aware. They had heard of White Fox too in their Moscow observations and they assumed it was a sleeper agent of some sort.” I said with a wary smile.
“Are they?” She said, eyeing my glass.
“No. Not in the way they think. They aren’t here to take down the government like they suspect, but they were here to take down Ivan’s operation.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.
“I have a contact in Moscow who has been looking into things on their end and they have found someone, I don’t know yet, my guy messaged tonight to say he was confirming who they were. But what I do know is whoever it is, they are part of something bigger.” I looked at her and she sighed.
“So this attack was from someone else? Who are you working for then?” She said and I smiled.
“Myself… and you,” I said softly and she laughed.
“Really? You are working for me by shooting at me and stealing my men from underneath me?” She reached for my glass, taking a huge gulp.
“Yes. If I can take those men from you so easily, they were never going to be loyal to you, and contrary to what you may think, I supported your ability to take over even when my father didn’t.” We stared at each other as she searched my eyes as if looking for the lie.
“Why? It doesn’t make sense and your methods are kind of contradictory.” She crossed her arms together in front of her chest, glaring at me.
“Because they need to believe I am your enemy,Pchelka. I cannot find your true enemies when they suspect I am with you and you have a lot of enemies.” I said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.
“I am aware. So tell me, Alexsei. If this isn’t because of some honor code you had with Yuri, then what is it? Do you want power? To control me? To take the throne for yourself?” She said with a bitter laugh and I put the glass down softly, turning to her.
“No. I want you.” I said, letting the truth free.
Her eyes widened and she shook her head.
“No. You want me as your pawn, your plaything to control maybe…” I pressed a finger to her lip, silencing her.
“Stop it. I am not lying and I am risking everything I have worked on for six years telling you this but you are here and you deserve to know the truth.” I took a deep breath, knowing that everything was about to change and I couldn’t come back from this.
“And what is the truth?” She whispered, her eyes wide and vulnerable.
“That I am in love with you,” I said and she snorted a laugh as if it were the most ridiculous thing to hear.
My chest ached at the instant rejection, but I didn’t blame her. I had never shown her anything more than friendship in the past and now I was her enemy.
“Listen. I am telling you the truth. I have been in love with you since the moment I saw your stubborn, defiant look at Ivan when he told you that you couldn’t do things the way the men could and you prove him wrong, every step of the way. I loved you when you began to see Yuri secretly, defying the entire Bratva with your love for a man who they knew was betraying them.”I said, looking away so she couldn’t see the emotions coming to the surface.
“It pained me the day he told me he was going to marry you because I was happy for my friend but sad that it sealed the fact I would never be able to have you. Did you know that Yuri and I were looking into ways to break the contact with Konstantin?” I said, barely hiding the bitterness in my voice.
“After Yuri died, I continued to search for ways to make sure that family could not come for you, and I found it. A payment. He took payment to leave you alone.” I shook my head as I remembered that day.
“How much?” She whispered and I glanced at her.
“Three million dollars. Ivan wasn’t aware but I put it under his name so they would believe the deal came from him as a way of securing your position to take his place.” I saw the shock in her eyes before she looked away.
“I… I don’t…” She didn’t get a chance to say anything more when my front door cracked open and a man bellowed through the house.
“KATERINA!” He shouted and I looked at her, she recognized the voice and there was uncertainty in her eyes, enough to have me reaching for the gun beneath my bed as she hurried to stand as well.
I peered around the door frame, spotting a couple of men rushing around to search every room and interestingly, they had colors on.
