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The lounge is a stark contrast to his office. Plush velvet couches, handwoven rugs, and deep mahogany tables give the room a feeling of luxury that borders on overindulgence. I feel more comfortable here, but only because I doubt Nikolai would want to ruin this place by spilling blood on the floor.
Nikolai pours himself a glass of whiskey from a crystal decanter and offers me one as well. I decline it. My head hurts enough already, and I find that as the years go by, hangovers hit me harder and sooner.
Jasha is absent, and I’m thankful that Nikolai isn’t involving him in my casual interrogation. I’m sure Nikolai likes him because he’s his brother, but I’m not fond of him making jokes at my expense.
Nikolai sits down on one of the couches across from me, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he’s trying to see straight into my soul. “Now, tell me everything,” he says.
I take a deep breath before I begin, trying to gather up the jumble of details that lays scattered in my memory. I figure it’s better to start from the beginning, the very beginning, when I first met Eddy. I want Nikolai to know that he’s always been a good man, despite his recent involvement with the Cartel.
“When I was fourteen, my parents were murdered by gang members,” I begin, trying not to sound like I’m milking my past for pity. I doubt I’ll get any from Nikolai, anyway.
But, to my surprise, he bows his head an inch and blinks slowly. “I’m sorry.”
“It feels like forever ago,” I admit, “so I’m not bothered by it anymore. It’s just that once I was out there on my own, Eddy was the only person who prevented me from being taken up by the state. He adopted me and treated me like a little sister, even though he was just starting out in life himself. He had to play every role in my life – father, brother, friend. He even supported me when I went to college, giving me money for books and other things I needed.”
“Sounds like a good man.”
“He is,” I say, “but there was always something in him, something that drove him to do better. He worked his ass off for very little in return, and I think eventually, he got frustrated with it and started working as a mechanic. There, he did much better, but I guess it still wasn’t enough. I don’t really know how or why he got mixed up with the Cartel, but I can assure you, he only did it for some quick money. He’s not one of them. He’s not cruel like that.”
Nikolai purses his lips. “Quick money to the tune of a few million dollars.”
“Maybe he thought it was worth the risk,” I say, still struggling to figure out why the hell he would do it in the first place. To me, no amount of money would cause me to risk my life like that. It’s only family that brought me this far, and even that might’ve been a mistake.
Nikolai takes a sip of his whiskey, swirling it around in the glass and staring at it for an uncomfortably long time. “Foolish, but perhaps useful.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
He puts his glass down on the coffee table and leans forward, clasping his large hands together. His voice comes out quietly, with a deep rasp. “It’s time for me to tell you a story of my own.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as a deep frown creases his forehead, and he lowers his voice even further. “I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with the Cartel. That man in the video, for instance, was a member of my Bratva. He was on patrol near the border, making sure that none of the guys from the Dimalona Cartel – the ones you’re dealing with – were able to slip by our border crossing point without permission. We own that little twenty-mile strip of the border, but we’ve had issues with them since the United States Border Patrol exposed their major crossing point and shut down nearly eighty percent of their drug smuggling operation.”
He snaps his fingers with a loud pop. “Just like that. Now, they’re so desperate that they’ll kill to get across the border again. They took one of our guys and sent a video of him to us as a threat, but that only succeeded in pissing me off. The Antonov Family will not stand for intimidation tactics.”
My heart sinks as I realize the type of grudge he must have against the Cartel. Getting involved with them, even if it was for a noble end, was a mistake. It’s tainted me in his eyes, and it will be difficult to redeem myself.
But Nikolai doesn’t look at me with disgust. Instead, his eyes soften, and he leans back. “Your cousin probably knows a lot more than I do about what’s going on in the Cartel. He could be useful to us if we get him back, perhaps even priceless if he’s able to give us enough information to bring them down for good.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry, so I do neither, crossing my legs and wringing my hands to keep my emotions contained. “So, you’re going to help me?” I ask.
He pauses for a long time again, looking into his glass as though he’s going to find the answer there.
Finally, he looks up at me and nods. “Yes. We’re going to get Eddy back.”
6
Nikolai
“Stay at the house and keep your phone on so that I can call you. Don’t get wasted. Don’t have women over. This is some serious shit I’m getting into, and if I need your help, you need to be able to act on a moment’s notice.”
Jasha looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You’re really going to Mexico with that girl?”
I toss my jacket over my shoulder, giving him a smug grin. “Are you jealous or something?”
He rolls his eyes. “Come on, man. You could’ve at least invited me. I’m not going to get anything useful done at the house by myself.”
“That’s the point. Wait for me. That’s all I need.”
“And you trust that Dream isn’t going to squeal?”
