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“Thirteen days.”
Karlicov closed his eyes. He had been under sedation, painkillers and in and out of surgeries for that long? “Fuck,” he whispered.
“We have a lot of men looking, but she disappeared,” Storm said to him.
He looked at Nicolai. “Nothing more to tell me? Nothing?” he asked and felt defeated. His poor, beautiful daughter was caught in the middle of some mess. Into the middle of the lifestyle, the criminal element he worked so hard to keep her out of.
“Cosivan, Boian, Viktor, Chatham, and Dusty have been gathering more information while also continuing to search for her.”
Storm gave a wink. “Never seen those five quite like they are right now. By means they were not willing to share they gathered information on Nalia’s reason for disappearing even from us. Seems that Vincent Scarlapetti was working with Raymond, and negotiated a deal to take your daughter. He wants revenge after you killed his brother and cousin. In his sick, fucked-up head he planned on taking Nalia and marrying her, then having a child with her to join blood lines. We believe she thinks that they framed your death on her, and the death—”
Storm stopped talking and looked at Nicolai.
“What? Of who?” he asked and looked between both men.
Nicolai held a firm, serious expression. “Danella is dead. Raymond killed her,” he told him.
Karlicov felt the tears hit his eyes and his heart ached. He loved Danella. Had given up that love to keep her safe and look where it got her.
“I want him dead,” he whispered.
“Already done,” Storm replied.
“Who? Boian, Cosivan, and his soldiers?”
“Nalia,” Nicolai said to him.
He closed his eyes and felt his heart ache. His poor, beautiful Nalia who he tried to protect and love from afar was forced to fight and to kill. He swallowed hard then felt the hand on his shoulder. He blinked his eyes open.
“She is strong, Karlicov. She believes that she’s been framed for both murders and being hunted by all the top families. She’s running on fear and will continue to do so unless we can find her before Scarlapetti’s men find her first,” Nicolai told him.
“Why is he still alive?”
“You know there are rules and proper ways to do things?” Nicolai said to him.
“Just as there are proper ways to seek revenge?” he retorted.
“We couldn’t get close to him if we tried. He’s disappeared and every little lead we’ve come across turns up nothing,” Storm added.
“Then we wait and we find Nalia first and get her to safety.”
“How do you suppose we do that since it seems no one was able to find her so far, and even if we did, she’s so scared and thinks we want to kill her, so who would she trust?” Storm asked.
Karlicov looked at Nicolai. He held his boss’s gaze and felt his heart tighten and his gut clench. Was it the right thing to do? Was he standing in the way of the inevitable? Look what giving up on his true love had cost him. Danella and now maybe even his daughter, too.
“Call them, Nicolai. Send them to find her and keep her someplace safe.”
Nicolai nodded and he and Storm walked out of the room to let him rest.
* * * *
“Who is he talking about?” Storm asked.
“Cosivan and his men.”
Storm whistled low. “Holy shit, I didn’t see that coming. Is there something I should know about?” Storm asked Nicolai.
“As you know, Storm, Cosivan, and his four buddies were soldiers, Special Forces in the Corps before they retired a few years back. They had several missions that were close calls, but the five of them live for danger. They have troubled pasts and Viktor trusted them with his life. Cosivan and he go way back to when they were children. Dusty, also having some family in Russia loyal to my family, got into some trouble.”
