by M. Merin
And the room explodes into pandemonium. The mothers of the girls I was apparently supposed to pick a virgin wife from go ballistic. Vadim goes on alert. My father looks at me with murder in his eyes.
“A whore he’s fond of,” Kuznetsov says in Russian. “Nothing to worry about.”
“I’m gay.” I try next and smirk when two of the parents get up and pull their daughters from the room, no longer caring about my father’s wrath. He looks at the two remaining families and tells them to wait in the hallway.
“You’ll marry one of those two girls,” he informs me.
“Ain’t happening.”
He stares me down but I refuse to speak. “Billions. You stand to gain billions from marrying one of those girls and getting her pregnant.”
“Been telling you all week, don’t fucking want it. What the hell is wrong with you? You’ve trained your successor. He’s been with you for what? Twenty years? No one wants or cares about your bullshit life as much as Vadim does,” I channel Flint’s calm voice, although it takes more patience than I ever thought I had. “I want the life I built for myself…”
“With a whore,” he sneers.
“She dragged herself out of the hell her life had become. She is strong, brave, and loving. She is my WIFE and if she’s taken from me, I will end you and all of your grandchildren. There will be no precious bloodline to carry on and Vadim will still get it all,” I shrug, hiding the anger I feel. The rage I’ve felt the past week.
With a look exchanged between my father and Vadim, they motion for me to leave with them.
*
That night in bed I’m startled awake by a subtle vibration. Reaching my hands under the center pillows, I find a cell phone. My surprise causes me to miss the call and from the look of the log, it was the second call from a blocked number in five minutes. Checking the lock on my bedroom door, I cross to the bathroom, blast the water in the shower and sink to buffer any noise while I wait for it to ring again.
“Yeah?” I pick up on the first ring.
“Finally awake, sleeping beauty?” Flint’s mocking voice comes through the line. “Had your housekeeper leave this little gift for you. There’s an external charger taped under the sink. Hold on.”
“Artem?!” Betsy’s panicked voice comes over the line.
“Jesus Christ, Little Bit,” my heart starts racing. “You’re in so much fucking danger and you come here?”
“Me? What about you? I love you so much,” she replies and I can hear her trying to hold back her tears.
“They know all about you, about the miscarriage. If I don’t get out of this the right way, they will come for you to punish me. I need you to listen to Flint, you keep yourself safe for me – understand? Understand that I love you?”
“I can’t lose you, Artem.”
“I’m coming back to you but I don’t have much time right now. Pass the phone back to Flint, okay, Little Bit?” I instruct her. Betsy’s breathing hitches but she does as I instruct without hesitation.
“We got four live cameras in there now. Wanna hear the best part? Those weren’t online more than an hour before Wrench found out Vadim’s fucking your youngest half-sister. He pieced together Vadim’s call log, then used some translation shit when the guy started jerking off to a video call with her after he got back to his room. Those two are hot and heavy and your father has no fucking clue.” I can picture Flint’s grin through the phone. And I pray to whatever Gods there are, that they just handed me my leverage.
“The youngest?”
“She was born after your half-brother, she’s in her early twenties,” Flint pauses. “Your older half-sisters are all married but only seem to be popping out daughters. Your Pop’s pretty pissed about that.”
“Yeah, the old bastard paraded me around a group of high school girls tonight. He wants me married to a pure Russian woman and making babies, quick as can be.”
“Wrench thinks he wants stem cells, something about curing his cancer. I don’t understand what the fuck he was talking about.” Flint replies and my whole body tenses up.
“You still with me, kid?” he asks a few seconds later.
“Betsy. Holy FUCK,” I scream and Flint barks at me to tone it down. “Betsy. They wanted our…fuck. I’m going to…”
“You’re going to calm the fuck down is what you’re gonna do…” Flint says but I disconnect the phone. Securing it near the battery pack he told me about, I turn off all the water before grabbing the knife I took off of Vadim earlier in the night.
Stalking out of my room, past a sleeping guard, I turn away from the main bedroom and slip into Vadim’s room. I grab his discarded tie and socks that he left on a chair and jump on top of his sleeping form, shoving a sock in his mouth and securing his wrists with the tie. His eyes dart around wildly, but my weight keeps him pinned down and I reach under the pillow to his right until I find his gun.
“I kill you tonight, I can claim it was because I found out you’re screwing my baby sister,” I taunt him. His eyes go wide and he stops moving. “I really don’t understand what’s wrong with all you fuckwads. Why the hell are you hiding it? Marry the bitch, knock her up. He gets his stem cells and probably his grandson – his right-hand man becomes his successor. Why the fuck do I need to be dragged into this shit?”
I take a chance and pull the sock out of Vadim’s mouth. Taking a moment to work his tongue around his mouth before he speaks, I ignore him as he eyes a water bottle on the table.
“I told you before. I’m a bastard. I am not to touch his daughter,” he says.
“Sounds like you been doing more than touching her, so how about you and I work together? I get my life back. You get to make babies with my sister and keep all those billions the asshole thinks I should want.”
“I don’t understand.” He slowly replies. “What type of man wouldn’t want the money? Wouldn’t come after me later?”
It doesn’t me take any time at all to answer him. “A happy one.”
Chapter 17
Betsy
Practically sitting on Flint’s lap, I lean in to listen to his conversation with Artem. Even though I want to scream, I keep my mouth shut when I hear about his day. Fucking assholes want him to marry someone else.
When he disconnects, I look at Flint to get his read. “Off my lap, honey. Don’t go giving Bree a reason to get pissed at you.” The twinkle in his eyes lets me know he’s kidding.
“Guys?” Wrench calls from the next room over and I immediately cross through the connecting doors. “Russian’s making his move.” He excitedly points to the TV screen before he magically brings up a view from one of the cameras.
“I’m rewinding the feed, Russian just jumped that Vadim guy,” Wrench hits play and we see a dark picture with little more than shadows, but Russian’s voice comes across loud and clear.
Gunner gives me a little nudge when we hear Russian’s response to the other man and I can’t help the smile that lights up my face.
“I will not allow him to be killed,” the other man speaks up and Russian’s head spins back to him.
“Not part of the plan, not unless he hurts any of my people,” Russian quickly. “This half-sister of mine? You love her or did you seduce her to strengthen your position?”
“This sister of yours, Natalia, is as stubborn as you are,” he laughs. “I have known her since she learned to walk. When she became a teenager, she practiced her flirting on me. I would not smile. I would not speak to her anymore. She would not stop.
“It was worse when she turned eighteen. For two more years she tormented me. One night I had been celebrating a success with your father. She was asleep, naked in my bed when I found my way there. That was the night I gave in to her. The next morning she would not allow me to break it off and I did not want to. For nearly two years, we have tried to figure out what we will do.”
“Send for her,” Russian says, untying the man’s wrists. “Send for her and I will get my father on board with y
our marriage. With you taking over.”
Russian tosses the guy his phone before leaving the room.
We all share a look, trying to figure out what he has planned. Wrench and Gunner start talking out ideas until Flint’s phone rings.
“Yeah, hold on,” he says after he answers it, and holds the phone out to me.
“Go somewhere we can talk, Betsy,” Russian says. I walk through the connecting door to my room, closing the door for the first time in days.
“I’m in my own room,” I respond, nervous about what’s to come. “There’s a camera in that man’s room, we saw, well, it was dark so we mostly just heard your conversation.”
“I need you to know, I’ve been trying to find a way free of this since I rode away with Kuznetsov that day. A way I can be with you and not worry about them ever coming after us again. I want you to remember that I love you and know that what I’m about to ask you, is the only idea I have so far,” his voice is pleading with me for understanding. “I’m open to other ideas if you or my Brothers have any.”
“You’re scaring me, Artem. Please? Please just tell me and we’ll talk about it.”
“When your body, well, when you get clearance from Dr. Forsythe. You were still thinking about us trying for a baby again, right?” I can hear the strain in his voice and hold the phone away from my ear – that was not what I expected to hear from him right now.
“I’m tired, Artem. And I’ve been worried about you constantly. Will you please just tell me what your plan…fuck. Oh, fuck.” Just like that, I understand what he’s going to ask me. “Your father still thinks he needs stem cells.”
“I don’t have anything to bargain with here, Little Bit.” He says, barely above a whisper. “He’s an old man, grasping at straws and I just want him out of our fucking lives.”
“So you will promise him the stem cells of our…Jesus, Artem – what if something happens again?” I keep my voice as soft as his. “What’s the fallback if I can’t have a child?”
“I was kinda hoping he’d be dead by the time our baby is born, anyway,” Artem says, matter-of-factly. “Kind of my biggest fallback right now is that Vadim is serious about this half-sister of mine. My father seems fixated on stem cells from a son. My eyes glaze over whenever they start talking about the treatment and I don’t even know if there’s any actual logic of using stem cells from a child of mine or one from Vadim and Natalia.”
“You have to swear on your fucking life that he knows this will only be for the goddamn stem cells. If I’m able to have your baby, not a force on this earth will separate me from…”
“Never, Little Bit. I’ll protect you and our baby completely. I’ll get Jasper’s word on that also.” He sighs and I know this is weighing on him. “I wish I was holding you.”
“You will be soon.”
“Not soon enough. Vadim is going to get Natalia on a plane tomorrow, so figure another day before we can launch this.”
“That’s if, Vadim doesn’t stab you in the back.”
“No kidding. You stay safe tucked away there, Little Bit,” he pleads. “The last thing I need is them getting their hands on you.”
“Yep, I’m just going to go jump in the shower then…”
“Dammit, Betsy! That’s fucking mean, woman!” He growls and I laugh. “I’ve been on too long. I love you, Ol’ Lady.”
“Love you, Ol’ Man,” I say before he disconnects. Sitting there holding the phone, I’m bordering on terrified of the outcome of Russian’s plan. But I believe in him, I know he’ll keep me safe. He, more than anyone, knows that losing another child would break me.
“Betsy,” Flint must have knocking on the connecting door and has cracked it open when I look up. “You alright?”
“I think so. Russian just wanted to run his idea by me,” I stand and hold his phone out to him.
“Gunner just heard from Jasper. Roy had Vice cremated. They’ll wait until we’re back before they hold the wake. Thought you’d like to know,” he smiles kindly.
“I hope that woman Roy has, is holding him tight,” I nod back to him. “Vice was more like a son than a nephew to him.”
“No kidding. Vice was running around the clubhouse since Roy took him in, he was like a nephew to all us old guys,” Flint shrugs. “Hawk’s gonna take over running Vice’s contracting business. Maybe Russian will go to work for him? I know he always kept his distance from Vice, but the hours nearly match what you put in at the clubhouse.”
I just give him a little smile. Not going to weigh in on what Russian may want to do once this over. That call is his to make.
“Flint?” I call out and he turns back to me. “You’re not mad at Bree because she helped me, are you?”
“You’d have found a way to get here no matter what. And I’m not dumb enough to say anything that’ll have me sleeping on the couch once we finally get back.”
Chapter 18
Russian
I spend the rest of the night picturing Betsy taking her shower and get zero sleep. The next morning, when I’m inhaling coffee as though my life depends on it, I swear to myself to find some land and break ground on a house for us as soon as possible. Gonna build Little Bit that shower I’ve been picturing.
Vadim barely acknowledges me and I spend another day of sitting through the meetings Kuznetsov is holding in the main area of the suite. I keep my expression neutral but know that the cameras my Brothers’ had placed are just collecting more evidence against him – another bargaining chip.
It’s not until dinner at an elaborate restaurant near the wharf, that my father gets the call that’s the sign I’ve been looking for all day.
Moments after Vadim hands him his phone, his face flares red in anger and there’s no doubt from anyone in the room that the news is unwelcome and infuriating. We are seated in a private wine cellar that boasts a glass wall looking out towards the sea. The news that his youngest daughter has gone missing has him losing his shit and snapping at whoever is on the other end of the phone.
Servers are trying to enter our room with platters but are being blocked by the bodyguards until they figure out what Kuznetsov wants done. Finally, I walk out and pull an overloaded tray from one of the waiter’s arms. Fuck, if I don’t want to dig in.
From where he’s standing at the window, he turns and looks at me in disgust.
“You know nothing of family.” He says in English. I’ve come to realize he speaks to me in my adopted language when I’ve pissed him off. Closing my eyes as I taste the freshly cooked crab meat and simply hum in pleasure, ignoring him.
Seeing his doctor repeatedly look towards a plate, I take mercy on him and slide it in front of him. His jaw drops open, as if in shock before tentatively picking up his fork.
“It’s not his family, why should he starve?” I smirk at my father.
“Settle the bill,” Kuznetsov says to Vadim before taking his own plate. “Have the food sent to the hotel for the men.”
“She probably just got carried away with a lover,” I say next. Vadim’s shoulders stiffen, worried that I’ll out him before he’s ready.
“Nyet. She is a good girl. A pure woman,” my father growls, tearing into a lobster. “She’s knows what’s expected of her.”
“But she’s disappeared before?” I question.
“To concerts and such. When her mother wouldn’t permit her.”
“So, she’s a fucking adult and you keep her under lock and key?” I prod him.
“There are men who would use her against me. There are also men whose request for her hand I’m considering and they have certain expectations of what that entails. She is my youngest, so I indulge her wish to wait longer,” he replies as though he should be acknowledged for his benevolence.
The expression on Vadim’s face turned glacial at the mention of competitors for Natalia’s hand. I’m really hoping that the more I get dear old dad to keep talking, the higher the chances that Vadim will kill him and save us all further headaches
. I wonder for a moment if this half-sister of mine would care if her lover killed her father, but if half of her storied pursuit of Vadim is true, I can’t picture that being an issue.
“Why not allow her to choose her own husband?” I ask.
“Bah!” he throws his napkin on the table and motions that he’s ready to go. Barking out directives that the doctor should ride separately, and for once the man actually dares to question my father.
“Might I go to my own home tonight?” His eyes never make it off the table. “I wish to check on my family.”
“Yes. Be thankful that your daughter is too young to consider such disobedience as mine,” my father signals to two bodyguards to stay with him.
*
I jerk awake in the morning and immediately realize I had left the curtains closed, the sunlight is an unwelcome reminder of others having access to my room.
“I have always wondered about you…brother,” comes a woman’s heavily accented voice. “My own brother was selfish. And what is the word? Cruel?” The woman draws out the word as if saying it out loud for the first time.
She pauses as I swing my legs off the bed and get my bearings. My eyes widen in surprise, she looks so much like me and our father. I remember her sisters and brother taking after their mother.
“I had seen your picture over the years. When my brother would make me cry, I would think in my mind ‘Artem would protect me if he were here’. Vadim, he saw what Josef was like. Sneaky and clever. Vadim found little ways to punish him or to protect me. When he could.
“I have loved Vadim since I was a child. His loyalty to our father is irritating.” She continues talking, pointing to a coffee pot when I finally register the smell. “Vadim thinks you are honest. That you do not want father’s position.”
“I don’t. Never have.” I finally speak my first words to her, and she nods in return. Studying me with the shrewdness my father had when he was younger. I can’t help but think how lucky I am with Betsy. She would never speak so much to me when I first wake up. Sharing my need for caffeine before being able to speak.