Summer Reads Box Set: Volume 1

by Freethy, Barbara

Alex didn't want to listen, but since he had the Russian pinned up against the garage wall, one arm against the man's windpipe and no backup in sight, he could either knock him out or give him a chance to say his piece. "Talk then."

  "Brady. He's the one who killed Natalia and Sergei."

  There was a spark of truth in his blue eyes, eyes that looked remarkably similar to Julia's, Alex thought. Not that he trusted this guy, but it suddenly occurred to him that Brady was gone, as were Julia and Elena. "How do you know?"

  "I'm Roland Markov. Sergei's half brother," he said breathlessly. "I have a driver's license. In my pocket," he added. "I was going to show it to you."

  Alex sent him a skeptical look, but he had to admit that despite the fact that Brady had yelled, "Gun," there was no actual evidence of a weapon. "Where is it?"

  "In my inside jacket pocket."

  "Don't move," Alex ordered, holding the man with one hand as he reached into the pocket. He pulled out a brown billfold and flipped it open. The driver's license photo was accurate. So was the name. The address was in Los Angeles. "You're a long way from home," he said. "And you were in San Francisco. Julia saw you several times. You broke into her apartment and mine."

  Roland shook his head. "No, that wasn't me. I saw Julia at the radio station, yes. I spoke to her in Russian. I wanted to see if she understood. She got scared and ran. But I didn't break into her apartment. That was Brady. I saw him and another man enter her building one day. I wasn't sure if it was him. It had been many years since I'd seen him."

  Alex didn't know what to believe. "I chased you through the park. You tried to grab Julia's bag."

  "No, that wasn't me. I don't run fast. If you chased me, you would have caught me."

  Alex had to admit the man was big and a little slow, which was why he'd been able to pin him against the wall.

  "I saw the photograph of Elena in the LA newspaper," Roland continued. "I read the story, and my wife said I must go to San Francisco and see if it is really her."

  The fact that Roland correctly identified the girl in the photo as Elena made Alex believe he was telling the truth. He slowly released him, but stayed close.

  "So why didn't you just introduce yourself?"

  Roland's tongue darted out, sweeping his bottom lip in nervousness. "I realized the girl in San Francisco is Yulia. When I saw others watching her, I became afraid. I didn't know who killed Sergei for sure. Could be secret police, could be friend, could be anyone. I think they come back now to kill Yulia. Or to get what they hadn't gotten before. I decide it is best to wait and watch."

  Alex stared at Roland. "Get what?"

  "Natalia had several precious stones from a century ago. She and Sergei told me they would use them to start a new life. And they would send for me when they could. When they died, I didn't know what happened to the jewels until I saw the picture of Elena. If she was alive, perhaps she had the jewels, too."

  The treasure, Alex thought. He finally knew what it was. "Wait. Why do you think Brady killed Sergei and Natalia? How could he get the treasure if they were dead?"

  "Sergei was worried about betrayal," Roland said heavily. "He told me he had made elaborate plans for the defection to work. Brady must have thought he had the jewels or that he could get them once Natalia and Sergei were dead." He paused, his eyes sad. "They were so careful, but they still trusted the wrong man."

  "And Brady let everyone think that the Russians had done in their own people," Alex said slowly, as the pieces of the puzzle came together. "Very clever. So where are the jewels?"

  "I believe they were hidden in the frame of a picture."

  Alex's heart sped up. The Russian icon. "Dammit. We have to find Brady."

  "I've been following him since yesterday," Roland said. "He went to a house this morning. It's not far from here."

  "Let's go." Alex ran for Elena's car. Fortunately, he still had the keys in his pocket.

  "We should hurry," Roland said. "Once Brady has the stones, he'll have no reason to keep Elena or Yulia alive."

  Alex's heart jumped into overdrive. He gunned the motor and tore out of the parking lot, following Roland's directions to the highway and praying he wouldn't be too late. "Maybe Brady doesn't know the jewels are in the icon," he said hopefully.

  Roland didn't answer him. Alex shot him a questioning look.

  Roland met his gaze, then shrugged. "He knows."

  There was something in that fatalistic shrug that disturbed Alex. "Tell me something, Roland. Did you come here to save the girls or to get the jewels?"

  "Perhaps the girls give me small token of gratitude."

  Alex was disappointed, but also relieved to get an honest answer for a change. "I won't let you hurt Julia or Elena," he warned.

  "I don't want to hurt them. They are family."

  "Rich family now," Alex commented. He didn't know if he trusted Roland or not, but he'd deal with him later. First he had to find Julia before Brady found those stones.

  * * *

  Julia saw Brady backing toward the door and knew they had only one chance to escape, and it was now. No time to plan, think or analyze. She drew in a big gulp of air, praying she was making the right decision; then she let her instincts and her anger take over. This man had killed her parents without remorse. She would not let him kill her and Elena, too.

  She threw her body at the arm that held the gun, hoping to knock it out of his hand. Instead she heard a gunshot, and they both tumbled to the ground. She waited for a searing pain somewhere in her body, but she could feel nothing but an intense desire to stop him from shooting again.

  Adrenaline gave her strength and determination as she wrestled for the gun. Brady was bigger than she was, stronger. He knocked her across the face with the back of his hand. Stars exploded behind her eyes. She'd never taken a punch before, and the pain was shocking. But she couldn't let it stop her. He was scrambling to get to his feet. She jumped on him again, knocking him down on the dusty hardwood floor.

  He reared back in fury, throwing her against the bed. Her head bounced off the corner of the bedpost, and another shot of pain screamed through her body. She struggled to get her breath, to move. She had to move!

  But Brady was getting away.

  He stumbled toward the door.

  Julia watched in horror, unable to do anything but wait for her breath to come back and her muscles to follow her command.

  Suddenly Elena moved. She picked up the only other piece of furniture in the room—a simple wooden desk chair. Brady was so intent on reaching the door, he didn't see her coming. Elena whacked him over the head. The sound of the wood cracking against his skull was something Julia would never forget, but her relief when he landed on the ground with a dull thud was even better.

  For a split second she and Elena simply stared at him, unable to believe he wasn't moving, wasn't getting up, wasn't waving the gun in their faces.

  The gun... Julia finally got her feet back under her. She grabbed the gun near his hand and tossed it across the room.

  "We've got to get out of here," Elena cried, grabbing the envelopes off the bed. "Hurry. The house is going to explode."

  "Not without the stones," Julia replied. She forced herself to open Brady's clenched fist, terrified that at any moment he would wake up and grab her arm.

  "We don't have time. Please," Elena begged. "The bomb could go off at any second."

  "Go without me. I'll be right there."

  "No, I can't leave you behind."

  "And we can't leave the jewels behind. They belonged to our great-grandmother." Julia peeled Brady's fingers apart. Even unconscious he seemed determined to hang on to those stones. Finally, she got his hand open enough to take the jewels. She grabbed their purses on the way out of the bedroom, and they dashed toward the front door, hoping against hope they'd get out in time.

  As they hit the porch, the cool air struck Julia like a welcoming hug. They were out. They were free.

  A car came screaming down the s
treet. Alex.

  Her heart sang again as he jumped out and came running toward them. He was alive. He was all right. Thank God!

  "Brady?" Alex asked, meeting her halfway up the walk. "Where is he?"

  "Inside." She grabbed his arm as he headed toward the house. "There's a bomb," she yelled. "There's no time." She pulled him back toward the car, shocked to see the Russian get out of the vehicle. "What is he doing here?"

  "Long story," Alex shouted. "But he's family."

  His words were cut off by an enormous explosion. A roaring, thundering sound was followed by blazing heat and a tornado of flames that threw them to the sidewalk. Alex's body came over Julia's as debris and fiery ash rained down on their heads. After the initial blast, Alex got up, and they scrambled toward the other side of the car, collapsing onto the ground. Julia saw Elena and the Russian hiding there, too, their bodies paralyzed with fear and shock as they gazed back at the inferno that had once been a simple house.

  "You're all right?" Alex asked, his worried gaze searching Julia's face while his hands ran up and down her arms. "He didn't hurt you?"

  She shook her head, swallowed, tried to speak. Finally, she tipped her head toward the Russian. "Who?"

  "Uncle," Alex said. He gave Elena a reassuring nod. "He's your uncle Roland. I don't know what his story is yet, so don't get too close."

  Elena was staring at the man as if she'd seen him before. "I remember you. You always gave us chocolate."

  Roland smiled. "Yes, that was me. Your mother used to scold me. She said I was spoiling you."

  "Why didn't you tell me who you were when you came to the radio station?" Julia asked. "Why did you speak to me in Russian?"

  "I wasn't sure it was you. I wanted to know if you could understand me. But you had forgotten everything. Then your friends came. I knew the time wasn't right. But you're safe now. You're both safe."

  While Elena and Roland tentatively embraced, Julia moved into Alex's arms. "Thanks for coming to save me," she said.

  "I thought I was going to be too late," he said tightly. "But you saved yourself."

  "With Elena's help. She knocked Brady out with a chair while I was trying to get the gun."

  "You went after Brady?" he asked in amazement.

  "It was our only chance. It was probably stupid."

  "Probably," Alex agreed. "And amazingly brave."

  "You were brave, too. You went after Roland before you knew he was a friend. When Brady left the two of you fighting, I was so afraid you were going to be hurt or killed. I begged him to turn back, but he wouldn't. He said he called for backup, but that must have been a lie, part of his plan. He needed us to get the jewels and the money. That's all he wanted." She paused, seeing the truth in his eyes, but still she had to say it. "Brady told us that he killed our parents. He thought he already had the stones. They set him up. I guess in the end they didn't trust him as much as we did."

  "Maybe they knew him better. Don't beat yourself up, Julia. Hindsight is always crystal clear."

  "I know." She touched the swelling around his right eye. "I think you're going to have another black eye."

  "It was worth it." He paused, his lips tightening. "God, Julia. I thought I might lose you today."

  She blinked back a tear at the raw emotion in his voice. She didn't know if she could call it love, but it was something. She pressed her mouth to his, kissing him with everything she had. It ended all too soon as the sound of sirens intruded and grew louder and louder.

  "I think we have company," Alex said. Fire engines and police converged on the block.

  "We're going to have a lot to explain." She opened her hand and showed him the stones. "These were hidden in the icon."

  "That's what Roland thought. Put them away for now," Alex advised. He reached for his cell phone. "This time I'm going to call for backup."

  "Who?"

  "My father. I think it's time he came all the way out of hiding."

  "Brady fooled him, too. He played everyone. He was very clever." She looked at the burning house and said with a degree of vengeful satisfaction, "And now he's dead."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It was after midnight before Julia, Elena, Alex, and Roland returned to Elena's apartment to regroup. They'd spent the entire day and evening being questioned by local police and numerous government agencies. The entire story had finally become clear. What had once been thought to be a politically motivated murder had in fact been precipitated by simple, old-fashioned greed, a greed that had nothing to do with nationality.

  Once Brady had learned of the existence of the jewels, he had become obsessed with having them for himself. In talking to various government agents, Julia and Alex had learned more about Brady's background. He'd grown up poor and found his ticket out of a Detroit slum at an army recruitment office. While in the army he'd become an expert with explosives. He'd later worked his way up to Intelligence and eventually a career as a spy.

  For Brady it had never been about ideals or political freedom or national security; it had been about adventure, excitement, and fortune. On more than one occasion various valuable objects had disappeared under Brady's watch, but no one had ever suspected the career spy of working more than one side until they raided his apartment in New York City and found a stash of priceless art, jewelry, and cash. Brady had apparently lived well away from the spotlight, and he'd covered his tracks until now. His obsession with the jewels that had once eluded him had made him reckless and careless. Today Brady had been caught in a trap of his own making. Julia supposed there was some justice in that.

  "I must say you brought a great deal of excitement with you," Elena said to Julia as she slipped off her shoes and stretched out her legs. "I've never had a day like this one."

  "I hope you're not sorry I found you." Julia sat down across from her. Alex was outside talking to Roland, and for the first time since they'd been trapped in the house with Brady, she and Elena were alone.

  "Of course not," Elena said with a definitive shake of her head.

  Julia was relieved to see the color back in her sister's face and the sparkle in her eyes. "You know, I wouldn't have made it out of there alive if it hadn't been for you."

  "Likewise. If you hadn't jumped on Brady, he would have locked us in that room. Are you always that impulsive?"

  "I'm afraid so," Julia replied with a sheepish grin. "One of my many bad habits. But you were pretty impulsive yourself, grabbing that chair and knocking him out. I was impressed."

  "Desperation breeds courage and creative ideas." Elena gave Julia a thoughtful look. "What's next, Julia?"

  "I haven't had time to think about the future. I've been a little busy."

  "You have a life to get back to, family who love you, friends who are probably worried about you, a job..." Her voice trailed away as she picked at an errant thread on the sofa cushion. "And I have my life to continue here. I guess there's always the phone and e-mail."

  "Oh, Elena, please come to San Francisco with me," Julia said. "I want you to meet my family. They'll be your family, too."

  "You really are impulsive," Elena said with a small smile. "You should think about that some more, Julia. Your family is not my family. They would surely consider me an outsider, probably even a threat to their relationship with you, especially your sister Liz. I've been the outsider before, the one people had to tolerate. I'm done with that."

  The sadness in her voice broke Julia's heart. She frowned, wishing once again that Elena hadn't had to suffer so much. "You're wrong, Elena. My father Gino is wonderful and kind and generous. All the DeMarcos are like that. They adopted me, and they always made me feel welcome. I know that once they understand the story, they'll do the same for you." She paused. "And I really need another blonde in the family. Everyone else has dark hair, and I've always stood out. Please just don't say no," she added hastily when Elena began to interrupt. "Think about it. If you want, I'll go home first and fill everyone in; then you can come and visit, at leas
t."

  "I have the shop to run. And—"

  "And you can still take a few days off. I'm sure of that."

  "You don't know how busy I am, and I only have a handful of part-time employees."

  "You can do it if you want to," Julia said firmly. "And you should want to, because we're sisters. And this is important to me."

  Elena rolled her eyes. "You're trying to make me feel guilty."

  "Is it working?" Julia asked with a grin. "I really want you to meet Liz. She might be restrained at first, but she will love having another sister."

  "Impulsive and optimistic," Elena said. "I will think about it, but not tonight. My mind is too tired." She paused, her gaze moving to Julia's handbag. "You know, we never read that letter."

  "You're right. I'll get it." Julia jumped to her feet. They'd retained the letter, but the music scores and the jewels, as well as the check, had been placed in another safe-deposit box at a different bank, just in case Brady had any other associates looking for a shot at the treasure. "I know one of the government agents read it," Julia said as she took the letter out of her purse. "He told me it was personal, with no evidence against Brady." She stared down at it, hesitating. "I'm a little scared. I think we know everything now, but maybe there's more."

  "Let's hope the worst is over," Elena said. "If it isn't, at least we're together."

  Julia smiled at her sister, then pulled the single piece of paper out of the envelope. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the letter was written in Russian. "I can't read it," she said with extreme disappointment. "We'll have to get it translated."

  "I can read it," Elena replied.

  Julia raised an eyebrow. "You remember Russian?"

  "No. I took some classes a while ago. It made me feel closer to the family I'd lost." She took the paper from Julia's hand. After a moment, she began to read:

  "My dearest girls, if you are reading this letter, then your father and I are probably gone. Perhaps we are wrong to risk everything for freedom, but it is love that drives us—our love for you, and our love for each other. We are counting on our friends to deliver us safely to America. If that doesn't happen, we pray that you both will grow up in a world that allows you to express yourselves and be who you will be, without restriction. Please don't be sad. Don't grieve for us. Be happy. Find love and joy in your lives. That is everything we wish for you. You will forever be in our hearts. Love, Mama and Papa."