Page 19 of Scarred Temptation

I could feel the vibrations as my brother took another scattered breath and the look in his eyes told me he’d yet to share all the details of what had occurred. “She was a brave girl.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

The hold on the dense crystal was tight, the pressure enough I sensed I could shatter the glass.

“She wasn’t alone,” Roman admitted. “Which in this case, I’m inclined to be thankful for.”

“There was a teacher there?”

He shook his head, only further boosting my anger. “No. There were no teachers present.”

“They were fucking warned,” I growled. “With all the money handed to that fucking school.” I didn’t finish my sentence. I’d taken a chance enrolling my daughter in kindergarten at the highly acclaimed private school. I’d wanted her home schooled to keep her safe, but everyone in my world had recommended I allow Mina the opportunity to interact with people other than her father, uncle, and the dangerous men who worked for him. The child had no friends her age.

And according to experts, that wasn’t normal.

What the fuck had I been thinking?

“That’s what I believe. I’m going to speak to them later today. I wanted to ensure Mina was safe.”

In my murderous state of mind, I almost shoved aside what he’d said. “Do it and I want answers. Who was my daughter with?”

“I don’t know, but it was obvious she wasn’t associated with the school.”

When he didn’t immediately elaborate, I set my drink down with a hard thud and pressed my knuckles on the desk. As I leaned over, he knew the look that was most certainly crossing my face. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Maxsim, it all happened very quickly, but from piecing together the woman’s actions, including her use of mace on all three bastards who were chasing them, this woman was intent on getting Mina to safety.” He laughed and I almost flew over my desk to strangle him. “She had good aim and was prepared to use it on the three of us even after Mina told her I was her uncle.”

“Maybe she should teach you a lesson. What happened to this woman?” I’d be damned if he didn’t have a sheepish expression. “You’re kidding me.”

“I wish I were. While Sergei and Kristoff were hunting the people responsible and I was securing Mina in the SUV, the woman slipped away.”

I had to think about what Roman had admitted before reacting. “My most trusted men in the world allowed a fake accident to stall them from the required pickup time at a school that’s only a few miles away from my house. That allowed a stranger with no name to get very close to my daughter without anyone knowing, including the people sworn to protect her at her own school. Of course, this was after they decided to ignore my warnings and disappear, which allowed this mysterious woman to head off the school’s property with my daughter in tow after macing the men chasing them. If you’d been even two minutes later, this person might have disappeared with my child. Afterwards, the men who’d almost succeeded in taking my daughter fled the scene successfully. Did I sum up what we’re dealing with correctly or am I missing anything?”

I sensed Roman becoming annoyed with me. “A little dramatic, Maxsim. Don’t you think?”

“Pakhan. I am your Pakhan, Roman. I suggest you don’t forget that ever again.”

My brother took and held another deep breath while nodding. When he exhaled, he lowered his gaze. “Yes, sir. I assure you I won’t.”

How in the goddamn fuck was I supposed to handle this? There were no such things as coincidences in my world, which meant the woman had been planted. But why pretend to offer assistance?

“You should know Mina was not afraid of her. Not at all. She even blew the woman a kiss before we left.”

My daughter had been taught not to trust anyone until she knew for certain she was in a safe environment. She was a brilliant little girl, so intelligent sometimes I forget she was still just five years old.

While I’d tried my best to provide her with a happy environment, giving her all the things that make a child happy and ensuring she didn’t want for anything, I felt as if I’d failed completely. Keeping her safe had been paramount in my mind, more so than my protection. Without her, my life meant nothing.

Every decision made, every one tossed aside was wrapped around what would benefit the most important person in my life. I pressed my hand against my racing heart. As disturbing as the incident had been, it could in no way alter business or change how I handled things.

If I showed any sign of weakness, our enemies would swarm the open waters like sharks recently fed bloody chum.

“What do you want me to do?” Roman asked.

“Have our men comb the streets. Someone knows something. I want a name by tomorrow morning. At the latest.”

“I’ll handle it. What about the meeting with Grigor tomorrow night?”

Grigor Doschefski was a trusted friend of my father who’d established a meeting to discuss the latest business opportunity. Before any announcements were made, I wanted to ensure our other interests would be protected. His profession was the corporation’s attorney as well as a strategic analyst. He didn’t work for my company exclusively, providing consultation for various corporations eager and willing to pay a significant price for his many years of proven instincts in the business world.