Deceitful Lies by Brook Wilder
Chapter 7
Andrei
The frustration is building up in me, threatening to surface in a storm of rage. Not knowing where Paige is or even if she’s safe. I don’t dare think of the other possibility. It will set me off, and I must keep calm to think straight. Impulsive action will lead to something I may not want to face.
I stop on the second floor and decide to walk down the hallway. The guard in front of Emma’s room nods at me. But I continue to Gerald’s room and enter. The guard seated inside stands when I enter.
“Anything?”
The guard shakes his head. “No, all he does is sleep, and the nurse says he is comfortable. It’s all we can expect.”
I nod, pleased with his attentiveness, and walk toward Gerald’s bedside. The old man has color in his cheeks, but the rest of him looks ghastly pale. His eyelids are parted as his mouth opens, sucking in precious air. He claims he wants to die but hangs onto life dearly. His eyes flutter open and then focus on me … his son-in-law.
I frown at him, not concealing that I despise him and what he has done, not only to my father but to his own family. He may have shown Paige love, but his actions were selfish. They lived in poverty. And because of his crimes, he’s left his daughters motherless.
My fingers close into tight fists, and I imagine his frail neck crunching under them.
The guard interrupts my dark thoughts. “Andrei Vasilyevich, Dmitri is in the office. He is looking for you.”
Dmitri only seeks me out when it is urgent. I quickly walk to the door and scowl at Gerald before closing it. He may want death but has enough strength to glare back at me.
***
“We found Paige,” Dmitri announces as I walk into my office. “She’s with Talia at a resort in Stroudsburg in the Poconos.”
I cock an eyebrow. “At a resort?”
He nods. “Natasha has a cousin that works there. It was a lucky break. She overheard your name and called Natasha right away.”
“We have to get her before Talia disappears again.”
“She has her in neutral territory,” Dmitri points out gingerly. “Sacred ground.”
“I don’t care,” I reply. “We bring her back today. I want the men and the cars lined up in the drive. Give them their orders.”
“Andrei Vasilyevich …”
“Don’t, Dima. If we can rescue her without gunfire, we will, but I’m not returning without Paige.”
I hurry up the stairs toward Emma’s room and stop outside the door. Viktor stands at attention, eager to prove that his responsibilities are under control. I try not to smirk at his enthusiasm, but I’m more than pleased.
“We are leaving, and you will be left here with a skeleton crew. Keep an eye on the sister. She must stay in your sight at all times.”
“She will not escape.” Viktor nods solemnly. “And no one will take her.”
I glance at the closed door and wonder what’s happening behind it. Emma’s unlikely to sit quietly and wait. “When’s the last time you checked on her?”
His face flushes, and the answer is never.
“I will do it now.”
“She is desperate to leave. Don’t underestimate how much she wants to escape despite her sick father. Learn from my carelessness.”
He nods before I head downstairs. Gerald Reyes is no threat in his present condition, so I don’t bother to check on him. Time is precious to both of us as I hurry downstairs. I reach the bottom step, and something catches my eye.
My sister Sonya is visiting, and I assume she has come to see my mother. She eyes me when she sees me, uncertain if she should say anything. She decides not to say a word and strolls down the hall away from me. Bratva business is of no interest to her, no matter who is concerned.
Outside on the drive, Dmitri and Natasha are briefing the men. Fortunately, Natasha has information on the resort’s layout from her cousin. She also has the room numbers we need to find Paige and Talia. The plan is simple and should go smoothly. But I see uncertainty in the men’s eyes. The rules are strict about the area we’re going to. It is off-limits to violence, but I must get my wife back.
Standing before them, I speak with a passion I’ve rarely shown. “I know all of you are thinking that this is wrong. But I take full responsibility for our actions today. The Nikitin Bratva must be shown that we are strong and will not bow to the whims of a princess. I am a pakhan that cannot be manipulated by childish games. My wife is in danger, and she is my queen. We will get her back. To lose her to my enemy will make me look weak. It will make us all look weak. Are we weak?”
“No, Andrei Vasilyevich!” they shout in unison. “We are strong.”
Pride shines in my eyes. “We go in, we get out. Shoot if you must, but no careless gambles. Let’s show them that the Barinov Bratva is not to be trifled with.”
The men hurry to their Rovers. I want a display of power, and I will soon have it.
