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ThePakhan’s eyebrows rise and he scoffs.
“They are going to work forme,” she says, throwing the three of us a coy wink.
She bursts out laughing, a sound I haven’t heard from her in way too long, and everyone joins, even thePakhan.
* * *
CHAPTERFORTY
Niko
I don’t love, or even like, that my girl is unburdened by killing someone. It’s not a good thing to get used to, this thirst for revenge. I’ve seen it rot many a man from the inside out, and it would slay me for the same to happen to Charleigh.
The four of us head for the door, when thePakhanstops us. “Before you go, a minute more of your time please.”
I want to get Charleigh out of there as quickly as possible, considering there are two dead bodies in the room. I position her where she can’t see them and am tempted to tell thePakhanto make it quick.
But I am more polite than that. “Sure,Pakhan, what’s on your mind?” I ask.
He turns to Charleigh. “Remember, Miss Gates, when I said things are not always as they seem?”
Charleigh nods. “I do remember that.”
TypicalPakhan, talking in riddles.
“I’ve known for some time about what Dimitri shared tonight,” he says.
“What do you mean?” Charleigh asks.
He sits on the corner of his desk, the most casual thing I think I’ve ever seen him do. His generation of men are big on decorum. Papa never satonhis desk, either, only behind it in his chair.
He continues. “I’ve been doing some investigating of my own, or rather, my men have. We put a trail on Dimitri. One morning, several weeks ago, he went to the bank. Your club manager, Dominika, went in right after him. I thought this was very interesting,” he says, holding up a finger.
He picks up the heavy crystal glass on his desk and takes a swig, of what, I have no idea. He offered us nothing when we arrived. This was not a social call. “I later confronted him, Dimitri. True to form, he spilled his story like a scared little girl. He was blackmailing Dominika and they were carrying out their transaction at the bank.Sheis the one who killed your parents. The second helped her for his own reasons.”
“But—” Kir starts to say.
ThePakhanstops him by holding up his hand. “Wait. There’s more.”
Holy fucking shit.
“She did it in a jealous rage because your father rejected her appeals, one too many times, to become Mrs. Grigory Alekseev. It was her life goal to replace your mother, which comes as no surprise. She wanted to be part of a family. She was tired of the sidelines, watching, being left out. So, she killed them both, knowing Dimitri would be blamed, and when he figured out it was her, he made her pay him for his trouble. Then, she shot Miss Gates’s father, knowing everyone would think Dimitri did it again. If you guys went after him and got rid of him, he couldn’t bribe her anymore. Problem solved.”
Dominika, my God. She killed the man she supposedly loved? A scorned woman… and all that.
Vadik rubs his head. “She must have stolen the money from the club to pay him. That’s why we were short.”
ThePakhanturns to Charleigh again. “So you see, Miss Gates, you thought I was doing nothing, when in fact, I was doing everything. But, no need to thank me. Watching the Alekseev boys try to handle you will be payment enough.” He shakes with laughter at his joke.
Charleigh laughs along with him although I’m not sure she thinks he’s as funny as he does. “Is Dominika at the club right now?” she asks.
“Oh, that,” thePakhansays with a smile, “I almost forgot. No, she’s not at the club. She won’t be coming to work today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after.”
* * *
CHAPTERFORTY-ONE
Charleigh
