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“Why did Simon kill Rainey’s father?” Scar asks slowly. “Did he owe him money?”
“Hardly,” she huffs with a laugh. “Zander Petrovich had all the money. He was the only thing standing in Simon’s way, much like his children are the only things standing in mine. Victor and Simon worked hard to get what they wanted. They sacrificed their brother, and I’m not letting their efforts go to waste.”
Rainey’s voice is low and sinister. “Because you’re a vicious, soulless piece of shit.”
A shift in my chest forces me to my feet, and I turn to face her. “Simon killed your father?”
Her jaw is tight. “Apparently so.”
Scar’s question interrupts us. “You want us to dispose of Rainey?”
“Please,” Natasha laughs. “Spare me the trouble. I don’t want to keep Zander’s heirs alive.”
“Heirs… as in more than one?”
“Rainey has a brother, but the last time I checked she was still trying to find him, and he has no idea who he is.” Her eyes level on my partner. “But I know.”
Rainey gasps, standing to her feet, her hand still cuffed to the chair.
Scar’s tone is measured. “You think it’s me.”
“I don’t have to think. I own Gibson’s now. I have all of Simon’s records in the safe.”
“Which means you want to kill us both.”
“I don’t have to kill you, OskarLourde.” Natasha walks around the desk again, taking a seat. “I know exactly how to control you.”
“The last man who threatened my family is dead.” His tone is lethal, even at 800 miles away.
“Actually, the last man was Rick, if I’m not mistaken, and he’s very much alive and working for me.” She leans back in her seat, condescension in her tone. “Do you have any idea the vast quantity of wealth we’re talking about? Not to mention the property, the political power, oh, and the super yacht.”
“You’re doing it for the money?” Scar seems to be fishing, and his order for me to wait makes sense to me now. I’m capturing everything she says on video.
“It’s always about money, but also the power. Rainey has no use for power, and you’ve consistently wanted no part of it. I’m essentially doing you a favor by taking it off your hands. You should be thanking me.”
Scar continues speaking. “You killed Greg Peters. Did you also kill Debbie Desayda-Rice?”
It’s like the last act in one of those Agatha Christie plays. She’s spilling the whole story, and he’s drawing the story out of her for the record.
“To be fair, I tried to get Greg and Debbie to kill each other. They simply wouldn’t cooperate.” She laughs, sounding unhinged.
“You’re crazy,” Scar mutters.
“No, I’m justice.” In a flash she’s back to evil. “I’m doing what’s right and fair. Simon tried to bring Greg in over my head. Me, his own niece who faithfully served him my whole life.”
“Simon knew the truth.” Scar’s voice rises. “The Russian mafia would never let a little girl take over a powerful family like his.”
“There is no Russian mafia!” Natasha shouts furiously. “RDIF-Kazan is an investment group! It’s completely legal!”
“It’s a shell company, and Gibson’s is a money laundering operation, and who knows how many other businesses are on record in that book committing white collar crimes. It’s horse doping and blackmail, it’s murder for hire and every unsolved mystery in the world of vice, and that book is the key to all of it.”
Natasha stands, placing her hands on the desk, a wicked hiss in her voice. “And you're the only thing standing in my way.”
“That’s right, because I’ll do everything in my power to make sure none of it ever comes back again.”
“You’re making me tired.” She flicks her wrist at the big guy behind my partner. “Take him to the back room and lock him in with the other one. I’ll be finished cleaning out this dump by morning, then it’s going up in flames.”
The guy jerks Scar up, gun still at his neck, but it’s Natasha’s final words that send me into action. “The fire won’t let you escape twice.”
