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Kostya
“The advance team left for Miami last night,” Diego stated from the front seat of the rented SUV.
“Any sign of him?” I asked, although I doubted Volkov would come out of hiding until one of his men confirmed my arrival.
“Nothing yet, but they’re scouring the streets. They’ll find something.”
While it was true that from what I’d learned about Volkov and his methods of handling business was that he’d never hidden his identity, it seemed that this hard push to take over portions of the United States was very personal for him. I’d had time to scrutinize the birth certificate and adoption documentation Ovachov had provided. While thousands of records had been lost in a massive fire, he’d managed to get his hands on my private information.
That only caused the red flags to remain raised. Everything was far too convenient; Ovachov’s determination to create additional bloodshed was never far from my mind. Every decision I made from here on out needed to be handled judiciously.
The details were fuzzy, some unreliable, but it appeared that my mother had left me outside the orphanage, forged documentation pinned to my jacket. Neither Ovachov nor my sources had been able to locate the woman for confirmation. She either disappeared or had been erased from the system.
Or killed by her own husband.
There was no marriage certificate, nothing to indicate the mysterious woman’s identity.
The odds this was a hoax were very high, but my gut told me Volkov was doing nothing more than finishing what my mother had prevented him from handling years before. The reason why didn’t matter, except I knew at that time, her different lineage might have prevented him from escalating to the level of power he craved. Ridding any evidence of his affair would assure his rise in the ranks.
“When we’re finished with the visit, make certain you have Emily returned to the estate. I want all eyes on her twenty-four hours a day.” I sensed her tension increasing, the body heat Emily exuded electrifying.
After the initial conversation, the subject of her release had been shoved aside, the passion returning. However, I’d not only seen her tears once again and felt her extreme heartache, I’d also heard her words of love stated during one of our most passionate moments. The meaning was foreign to me, even though what I felt for the woman was threatening to consume every ounce of rationality. I wasn’t certain I had the strength to let her go. There was certainly no desire to end the only good thing in my life.
Diego quickly darted a glance in her direction then nodded. “Of course.”
“Have the plane fueled. We leave within two hours.”
Emily slowly turned her head in my direction, shaking her head so slightly that I almost didn’t notice. She was condemning me for not giving her more time. While I couldn’t blame her, there was far too much on the line. There was pressure being placed on the organizations Volkov considered to be his enemies. The head of the Polish mafia in Europe had been found dead in his bed in the same type of secure environment I’d built. He was ticking off a list.
“Incidentally, the head of the Colombian Cartel is in Miami.”
I lifted my gaze upon hearing the news. Durango was a pig, but his death would send enough shockwaves through South America and Mexico that a war would be started. Especially if the assassination was made to look as if ordered from one of the syndicates in the United States. That would lead to a massive trickle-down effect, several other syndicates caught in the crossfire. If Volkov managed to kill me in the process, then the group Ovachov mentioned would have no recourse to try to hunt him down.
And a father would be allowed to kill his own son in cold blood.
“Interesting. Keep an eye on the occurrences within the city. It could become ugly very quickly.”
Diego huffed. “Maybe we should just let them implode.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Because you want to kill him yourself,” Emily answered for my lieutenant, finally turning her head toward me.
Diego lifted his eyebrows then shifted to face the front, attempting to ignore the conversation.
“Yes, Emily. You are correct.” I walked closer, keeping my eyes locked on her face.
“That won’t make the pain go away, Kostya. It will continue to fester in you until the day you die.”
I wasn’t certain if she was throwing a jab since I wasn’t allowing her but so much time with her mother or whether it was her attempt at trying to reform me. “You’re right, but it’s something I’ll deal with when necessary.” She had every reason to be angry with me, but I’d made arrangements to provide as much time with her mother as possible. However, I kept that hidden from her in case circumstances forced a change.
The sign for the facility came into view. Highly rated, it wasn’t good enough in my mind. That would also soon be rectified.
Soldiers had been sent ahead to the clinic sweep the area, and Alexei had provided information on every employee at my request. There’d been no sign of any of Volkov’s men remaining in New York. Still, my guard wouldn’t be lowered any time soon.
“Kozlov has kept two soldiers standing by at all times,” Diego said as the driver stopped the vehicle.
“Keep an eye on the exterior. Call me if there’s any sign of disturbance.” I climbed out, scanning the area. The secluded location provided an excellent opportunity for snipers. As I moved around the rear of the SUV, I pressed my hand against my weapon, buttoning my jacket. There was no sense in scaring the staff.
