Reese checked his watch again, a sure sign of agitation. Maybe he was uncomfortable about sharing Emil’s secrets. Whatever had the man so wound up was making Adam nervous as hell. Too many pieces of the puzzle didn’t fit. “Why doesn’t he change his will and give the damn money away?”
Thomas cleared his throat. “Adam, donating all his wealth would be a litigation nightmare.”
“If you don’t meet with your grandfather and claim your birthright, Emil’s entire fortune—his name, power, everything he amassed over the last five decades—will go to your sadistic uncle.” The muscle in Reese’s jaw flexed and he placed his hands on his hips. “And you, Anna, your family will never be safe,” he added. “You’re in the way of what Ludis has craved his whole life: the power of the Vasnev empire.”
Jared took two angry steps toward Reese. “You expect Adam to just trust you? Where the hell were you last night?”
“The white-haired man is almost here.”
Her words struck the back of Adam’s head like a fiery poker. The kitchen door opened and Anna ran to Adam. There was almost no color in her cheeks, and she clung to his leg as if her life depended on it. She reached out to him. He handed his weapon to Jared and drew her into his arms. Her arms circled his neck as her body trembled. He placed a hand over the back of her head, rocking her back and forth. “I got you, sweetheart. No one will hurt you.”
She raised her head and placed her hand on his cheek. “Run.”
Adam turned and glared at Reese. “Where is Ludis?”
Before he could answer, a small buzz sounded from inside Reese’s sport coat pocket. He removed his cell phone and read the text message. “You have less than five minutes to make up your mind. Emil has a man working for Ludis and he knows you’re here… that Anna is here.”
“How?”
“You just said it. He has unlimited resources.”
Father Anthony, who stood off by himself during most of the exchange, stepped forward. “I’ll go with you and Anna to do what I can.”
Adam shook his head. “That’s not your life anymore, Robert. I can’t ask you to―”
“You’re not asking.” He turned to Thomas. “You need to get everyone out of here.”
“I can protect my family,” Thomas said, placing an arm around his wife’s shoulder.
“No, Mr. McNeil, you can’t,” Reese said firmly. “Ludis isn’t coming alone, so my men will escort your family to a safe place.”
“No,” Adam yelled. “I have made arrangements for my father’s family.
“Regardless, they will be under the protection of Emil Vasnev. If we are going to move, we have to move now. Decide.”
Eleven
Calista released the pressure from her fingers, clamping her hands together. The flight to upstate New York in Emil Vasnev’s private jet had passed in a daze, with Anna sleeping in her lap, refusing to release her chokehold around Calista’s neck. An hour after takeoff, Adam released the child’s hold on her, but the moment Anna’s body eased away from Calista’s, Anna grabbed for her, and just as quickly, dropped into a deep, restful sleep. She woke moments before they exited the plane at a private airport near Lake Placid. Three identical SUVs waited for them on the tarmac.
Calista assumed they were heading toward an upscale hospital. Instead, they arrived at a massive estate nestled in thick, forest-covered hills. The grounds blended into the landscape. What took Calista’s breath away were the spacious foyer, grand staircase, and plush living room waiting behind the home’s massive double oak doors. Why would a man like Emil Vasnev surround himself with such calming beauty?
“When did my grandfather move here? He hadn’t left Latvia in eighty years.”
Thick, oppressive tension rolled off Adam in waves, making Calista jumpy as hell. His entire demeanor slowly dissolved the closer they got to his grandfather. This man wasn’t her Adam Blake. Even holding Anna, or touching Calista, his hand at the swell of her back, or playing with her fingers, he was cold, a distant machine, maybe the man who had killed two of Ludis’s operatives barehanded in Chevy Chase.
“Your grandfather moved here for an experimental cancer trial. So far, the treatment hasn’t been successful. We plan to return home in a few weeks.”
Calista could read between the lines. Emil Vasnev moved halfway around the world for one last chance to live. He was returning home to die. For some reason, the thought saddened her.
Adam’s expression spoke volumes. He didn’t care. When he faced her, his expression, tight, the vein in his neck pulsing, his usual warmth, nonexistent—just pure, unreleased anger swimming in the almost-black irises.
Anna’s hand gripped Calista’s palm tighter, and her body hadn’t moved an inch away from Calista’s side since they walked down the steps of the plane. What shocked Calista the most? Anna didn’t reach for her father. What did this four-year-old know that the rest of them didn’t? Calista’s pulse raced. Could Anna predict that her father needed his hands free?
Calista glanced back at Father Anthony. His expression wasn’t any better. The priest’s collar was a stark contradiction to the man at Adam’s right. It was as if he was readying for the battle of his life.
Reese spoke to one of the armed guards in the archway leading to the formal living room before addressing Adam. “If you would like to freshen up, I have rooms prepared for your stay.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
He moved in close behind Calista. The heat of his breath caressed her neck. She resisted the urge to try to break the ice between them. He may not want her there, but she was going to do everything in her power to keep Anna safe.
As if Adam could read her thoughts, he placed his hand on her lower back and leaned in close to her ear. “Do exactly what I tell you, understand? If I say run, then run with Anna like hell. Get out any way you can.”
His voice was hard, but the fear in his eyes shocked Calista to her core. She nodded and let out a shaky breath, placing one foot in front of the other to climb the stairs.
The second floor branched off into three wings. Reese lightly knocked and entered a large sitting room without waiting for an answer.
Calista stepped into the room, but Adam yanked her back against him and moved in front of her. Father Anthony remained behind, and he was wound as tightly as Adam.
What kind of man was Emil Vasnev to produce this kind of fear in men like Adam and Robert Anthony?
The downstairs was plush, but this room was simple in its elegance. The dusty blue tufted sofa sat in the center, flanked by soft green lounge chairs against jewel toned walls. A large bouquet of mixed summer blooms was placed on the oak coffee table. The most striking piece of furniture was a baby-grand piano in an alcove near one of the three floor-to-ceiling windows. Calista’s eyes roamed from the breathtaking artwork on the walls to the lush Oriental rugs. It was the most beautiful space she had ever seen.
An older gentleman stood behind the piano, leaning on a cane with his back against the window. Emil Vasnev.
He stood completely still, his physique so much like Adam’s, a little over six feet tall with broad shoulders. His hair was white, and he wore it long over the collar of his dress shirt. He reminded Calista of an intense James Brolin. But the signs of cancer were evident in the dark shadows around his eyes and the hollow, sunken cheeks. At that moment, his dark brown eyes studied Adam with the same intensity Adam studied him.
Anna released Calista’s hand and took a step away from her. The child also studied her great-grandfather, but unlike her father, with a slight smile at the corner of her lips. She took another step toward him. Calista placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder, drawing her against her. But Anna wouldn’t be held back. She shook Calista’s hand off and took one step, then two, and finally ran across the room before anyone could stop her.
“Anna!” Adam cried out. He reached inside his coat, and in one quick, smooth motion, he clutched the weapon aimed at his grandfather.
Father Anthony
placed his hand over Adam’s. “Don’t.”
“Anna, come here. Now!”
Anna didn’t even look at her father. She eased around the piano and stood inches from her great-grandfather, never taking her eyes off him.
“I mean it, Anna. Come here.” Adam’s voice was hard, unyielding.
It took only a split second for Anna to enter Emil’s arms. He lifted her up and held her close against his chest. The two clung to each other like they were long-lost friends.
Adam froze, nothing moving except the pulsing vein in his forehead. Calista could almost hear the enamel on his teeth grinding. He lowered the weapon and took two angry steps toward the center of the room. Calista didn’t understand why she did it, but she grabbed his elbow, pulling him to her. When his fierce gaze met hers, she stood her ground.
“Look at them. He’s not going to hurt her.”
Emil took a couple unsteady steps toward Adam. “She is beautiful, looks just like my Annija did at this age.”
Adam didn’t reply, but the fingers of his free hand kneaded his temples.
Calista leaned closer and whispered, “What is she saying?”
“Be nice.”
Emil approached his grandson and held out his hand. “I’ve dreamed of this moment for a long time. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Give me my daughter.” His irises grew dead cold. The next instant, a tortured moan escaped from the back of his throat, and he bent at the waist, clutching his head.
Calista looked at Anna and shook her head. Then she reached for his arm and led him to the sofa. When he raised his chin, bloody tears streamed down his cheeks.
Emil sucked in a heavy breath. “Good God, what’s wrong?” He frantically sought Reese. “Get the doctor in here now.”
“I don’t need a damn doctor.” He shot from the sofa and took another angry step toward his grandfather. “Give me Anna.”
Emil hugged the child in his arms and said, “I really enjoyed meeting you, little one.” Then he removed her small arms from around his neck, set her on the floor, and moved toward Adam. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with emotion.
“I would never allow anything to harm her… or you.” He dropped his hold on Anna and almost fell onto the sofa as if he couldn’t stand for another minute.
Calista almost reached to help support him, but she pinned her hands together behind her instead. Emil Vasnev had caused Adam immeasurable pain and she couldn’t let that thought go, no matter how caring he appeared while holding Anna.
Reese quickly offered him a hand, but he brushed it off.
“I’m not an invalid,” he snapped before giving Adam his full attention. “You are safe here. Ludis wouldn’t dare approach me without an invitation. I’m honored you allowed me to meet Anna. Reese has arranged rooms for you and your friends.”
Calista heard the dismissal loud and clear. Emil Vasnev wasn't the man she thought he would be, but then again, neither was Adam. There was such joy in Emil’s expression when Anna raised her arms for him to pick her up. And there was obvious concern when Emil saw the blood on Adam’s cheek. It was the pain, and then acceptance, edged into his features when he released Anna to Adam that tore at her heart.
Trust Adam, trust his instincts. It was what she expected of him. Adam studied Emil and learned everything he could about his world. Calista would be crazy not to follow his lead and give in even an inch. “Maybe we should allow Anna to rest. I’ll stay with her,” she offered.
This time Adam did look her in the eye. “We leave together.”
“Father Anthony can come with me. You need to…”
“I have nothing to say.” He placed his hand at her waist and turned her toward the door.
Reese opened the door for them. His eyes, too, were hard and cold. “If you need anything, just ask.” When Adam passed through the doorway, Reese said in a forced hiss, “You’re making a mistake. There is little time to―”
“It’s okay, Charles. Let him go. I have what I need.”
Those five words did something to Adam. The little control he had over his anger broke. “What the fuck does that mean?”
When Emil didn’t answer, Adam yanked out his weapon and charged back into the room, stopping inches from his grandfather. He lifted his gun and aimed it at the old man’s chest.
Emil stood and shifted his body until he was square with the weapon. “Go ahead. Shoot. No one here will stop you.”
Twelve
Adam’s pulsed drummed between his ears. “Answer my question, old man. What did you mean you have everything you need?”
Reese silently appeared at his side with his own gun inches from Adam’s head. “Lower your weapon.”
Emil’s guards seemed to come from out of the woodwork. From the corner of his eye, he counted three more men aiming at him.
“Daddy. Stop. Don’t.”
This pain was much more severe than the others. He tried to find his balance, but he stumbled, reaching out for an armchair to steady himself.
Emil took a step forward and raised his hand. “Charles, leave us.”
“Sir, I…”
“You heard me. Leave us.”
It took a moment, but Reese and the guards backed away, moving down the hallway out of sight. “Answer my question. I won’t ask again.”
“Adam, give him a chance to explain.”
Hell, he’d forgotten she was still in the room. He kept expecting Calista to run for the hills, but at every turn, she stood right next to him, not giving an inch, even to him.
Emil’s body trembled slightly. His hand dropped to his side and his shoulders sagged as a lone tear slipped down his cheek, dropping onto the collar of his dress shirt.
That simple sign of emotion touched something deep inside Adam. He lowered his gun to his side. For years, he hated everything to do with Emil Vasnev. He was the enemy, a murderer. He ordered his own daughter’s execution.
Or did he? Could it all have been Ludis?
Rina had kept Anna protected and isolated, and she had reinforced a natural fear of strangers. As a result, Anna allowed very few close to her. But with her great-grandfather, she raced across the room and into his arms. There was such joy in his little girl’s face when they embraced. How in the hell did that make any sense?
The man in front of him may once have been a ruthless bastard, but had the man Adam Blake allowed himself to become have any right to stand there and judge Emil Vasnev? The image of Rina’s lifeless body flashed before his eyes. Adam had his own sins he would never be able to right.
His grandfather cleared his throat. “I didn’t send Reese for you as some kind of trick to get you and Anna under my roof.”
“Then explain.”
Emil slumped into the lounge chair. “My only wish was to see you just once with my own eyes. Meeting Anna, holding her in my arms is more than I could have ever wished for. That’s all I meant.”
Calista stroked the swell of Adam’s spine, her hand moving over his arm to his wrist. “Adam, put it away.”
The grip of his gun grew moist from sweat. He abruptly clicked the safety in place and set the weapon in its holder. He instinctively glanced at Calista. She was still there, again standing by his daughter like Anna’s own personal guardian angel.
The man Adam hated, even feared, wasn’t the Emil Vasnev slumped in the chair. Did that man even exist today?
A sheen of sweat covered Emil’s forehead. He reached into his coat pocket and removed a small, plastic pill bottle. Holding the bottle in one hand, he used his palm to loosen the lid. After several tries, he dropped his arm as if it were too heavy to hold up. The bottle landed in his lap and Emil stared into space.
Adam approached his grandfather. He knelt, picked up the bottle, and removed the lid, shaking out a small, white, oval tablet. He placed the pill in his grandfather’s palm. Emil popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed. Adam turned the bottle in his hand. There was nothing identifying the medicine.
“What did you just take?”
“It’s an experimental drug for chronic pain.”
“How long does it take to work?” Adam kept his hand on his grandfather’s arm. A rapid beat pulsed underneath his fingers.
“Charles tried to get me to take it an hour ago, but it sometimes makes me very tired. I didn’t want to miss your arrival.”
Adam rose and reached for the glass of water sitting on a crystal coaster. “Can I get you anything?”
Emil’s eyes shone. “No, thank you. It’s fast acting,” he said, patting Adam’s arm.
Both men studied each other for a long time. Emil finally broke the standoff. “You have questions. Ask them.”
Adam didn’t even know where to start. He pulled over the footstool next to his grandfather and sat. “You are not going to like my questions.”
“No, but it’s time you knew who you are.”
“I know who I am.”
Emil exhaled a noisy sigh. “Ask what you want, Adam.”
“Did you order my mother’s execution?”
“No! God no. Annija was my life, my joy. I adored your mother, lived for her. The man you hate died the day she died.” He grabbed Adam’s arm. “But how could you think that?” The words seemed to clog in his throat. “My daughter’s car went over a cliff.”
“Your son rammed her car into that guardrail.”
“No. That’s impossible. Ludis would never…” Emil placed his hand over his chest. His face drained of all color and his breathing hitched.
“I watched the whole fucking thing from the trees above the turn.”
“Tell me! I want to know everything you witnessed.”
“Annija was waiting for me outside my school. We drove into the hills toward home. When we turned onto my street, there was a car in the driveway, and two men stood guard by the door. Ludis exited the house. I had no idea what was happening… what he just did to my parents.” The memory churned like acid on metal. “Annija sped out of the neighborhood. She pulled over onto the shoulder in front of a hiking trail that led up into the hills. She told me my uncle just killed my parents and I was next. Everything else I needed to know was in a backpack she shoved through the window before she drove away.”
In the Shadow of Malice Book 3 Page 10