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I swallow the lump of emotion clogging my throat. "He knew my aunt—he told me so. And he's one of the few people powerful enough who could have protected her from my father."
Liza blows out a breath. "What would his motivation be?"
I pause, my hands curling at my sides. "Well, I don't know, but I certainly plan on finding out."
"No! You need to drop this." She grabs my shoulders, and she fixes me with a stern look. "Maxim is dangerous. You know that as well as I do. He'll kill you—his daughter's friend or not—if you start sniffing around his business.”
My lips form a firm line. "If it's true, there's no way in hell I'm leaving it alone, even knowing what Maxim Belov is capable of."
"You don't even know if it's true—you just admitted that yourself. My father's drunken ramblings and a vague diary entry aren't proof."
We both look down at Boris, now passed out in his seat.
“Then I’ll find the proof.”
“Like that’s easy. Maxim is better guarded than the gold reserves at Fort Knox.”
I sigh. She’s not wrong, but a challenge won’t dissuade me. I vowed to myself I’d never forget—I'd avenge Masha's death when the opportunity arose. This is the first solid lead I’ve had, and I'm sticking to my promise. Her murder will not go unanswered, no matter what it costs me.
“I don’t know how, but I’m going to figure this out,” I announce before breaking from Liza’s hold and striding towards the main ballroom.
She calls to me, but I don't turn around.
I need to see Maxim for myself. Scanning the room, I spot him surrounded by a group of men, all hanging onto his every word. His gaze lifts to mine, and in an instant, I'm caught, unable to look away from his commanding stare.
A chill runs down my spine. His lips twist into a smirk, clearly amused by my unease, but I stand my ground.
Whatever secrets he’s hiding, I will unearth them before I burn him alive. I don’t know how, only that I’ll find a way. And somewhere in all of this, I’ll free Aly from his grasp too.
Fifteen minutes later,I've done two laps of the ballroom, staked out the washroom, and checked the hallways, but I can't find Aly anywhere. I feel bad that I left her to fend for herself for so long. I'm sure tonight feels never-ending for her.
As I push through the crowd, a waiter grabs my elbow, guiding me to the side. Irritated, I’m about to pull my arm away, but as he steps forward into the light, my breath catches in my throat.
"Andrei?" I whisper.
My eldest brother, the Kozlov Bratva pakhan, stands before me disguised as a waiter, complete with a wig and an absurdly fake mustache. Under any other circumstances the situation would be laughable, but right now it feels surreal.
I’ve never been so relieved and horrified to see anyone in my life. Relieved because Andrei always makes everything better, but horrified by what Maxim will do to him if he’s discovered.
“Are you hurt?” he whispers darkly. “Has he mistreated you? I swear to God, if he put his hands on you?—”
"He hasn't hurt us..." I hesitate. Aly will be furious if I tell my brother the truth because she's convinced Maxim will make good on his promise to kill her loved ones, especially Leo. But I can't pretend everything is fine. "The situation isn’t great.”
Andrei glances around, ensuring we're not overheard. "No kidding. That's why we're here. To get you guys out."
"Who else is here?"
"Only Daniil, Leo, and Yulian," he replies, referring to our other two brothers and Aly's brother, Yulian. “We snuck in as..." Andrei pulls a face and gestures to his ridiculous waiter costume. "We've looped the security cameras, but we don't have long. Weneed to put some distance between us and Belov's men before they realize you're gone."
I clasp my hands together tightly, our grim reality crashing down. "He has a damn army. Leaving here unnoticed won't be easy."
Andrei grimaces. "There are helicopters waiting for us a few miles out. We won't have a chance like this again—we need to take it."
My heartbeat quickens. Escaping from Maxim is reckless, dangerous, but Andrei is right. This is likely our only opportunity to break free. Even if it makes uncovering the truth about Masha's death all the more difficult, I have to do what’s best for my friend. And what’s best for her is escaping Maxim, even if I can't shake the feeling that he'll pursue her to the ends of the earth.
Anxiously, I scan the room. "I don't know where Aly is," I admit.
"She's in the wine cellar with Leo, which is where we’re all to meet. Walk out of here like you’re heading towards the washroom and then make your first sharp right. Go down the stairs heading into the basement. I’ll meet you there.”
