A LOVE OF VENGEANCE
A WANTED MEN NOVEL
A LOVE OF VENGEANCE
A WANTED MEN NOVEL
NANCY HAVILAND
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2014 Nancy Haviland
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
ISBN-13: 9781477826867
ISBN-10: 1477826866
Cover design by Kerrie Robertson
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912338
For my cheering section of three. George, Angela, and Niko, I know you’ve gotten used to hearing, “Just give Mummy one more minute.” Thank you for those minutes, babies. My love for you is endless.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
SEVEN WEEKS EARLIER . . .
For the first time in twenty-four long, devastating hours, Vasily Tarasov felt the tension in his back and neck ease. He glanced around the exclusive Manhattan nightclub, where he’d been studying the melting ice in his vodka, and felt his lip quirk as he took in the sudden quiet among the patrons. It was short-lived. A rush of furious murmurings flowed like a cresting wave.
“Holy shit, it’s him . . .”
“Goddamn . . . it’s the other one . . .”
“Oh, my God, he’s gorgeous . . .”
“Hell froze? I hadn’t heard . . .”
“Is it me, or is he even bigger than I remember . . . ?”
“I’m gettin’ the fuck outta here. You know who that is . . . ?”
Fear and respect dominated the voices as all eyes—including his—observed the newcomer commanding the entrance. He was flanked on both sides by Quan and Jak, two healthy-size men who looked as if they could inflict maximum damage without breaking a sweat.
Which they could. Vasily would attest to it.
He had seen those two take out a half-dozen armed enemies only to bounce to their feet, looking for more. The trio was all about effortless intimidation. They all owned it, but more so the one in the middle.
Gabriel Moretti.
The boss.
Or, Vasily corrected himself with a quiet grunt, the one who should be boss.
He relaxed even more as he watched Gabriel scan the chic surroundings, a feeling of warmth blossoming in his grief-laden chest as he observed his favored one. The other boys had bestowed the title in jest, but it was accurate. Gabriel had always held a special place in his heart. A brother, minus the sharing of parents. And Gabriel was trusted as such. Which was why Vasily had summoned him here tonight.
Vasily got to his feet as the three weaved around the tables. Even knowing it made them uncomfortable, he still bestowed a warm embrace and kiss to each cheek on Gabriel once he stood before him.
He and Gabriel sat after the usual round of good-to-see-yas. Vasily nodded at Quan and Jak as the two heavies moved over to the bar.
“Good flight?”
“Half-dozen hours of nothing but time to kill. I brought enough work with me to get by. One of the flight staff was also very entertaining.” A mild flicker of amusement flashed on Gabriel’s face.
Vasily gave a knowing nod. Easy sex came with good looks and a lot of money. Both of which Gabriel had. “You’re not happy that I asked you here.”
“Not particularly,” the Italian admitted. “When I touch down at JFK, I immediately feel like I should be covered in Kevlar and armed to the teeth. Seattle doesn’t do that to me.”
“No. I’m sure it doesn’t.” He truly couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t aware that an invisible target was front and center on his chest. It had to be even worse for Gabriel. He raised a hand to signal the waitress for two fresh drinks. “Have you talked to the boys lately? Did you tell them you were coming?”
“They’ll be by later. I talked to Vincente when I landed.” They both leaned back as their drinks were placed in front of them, waiting until the scantily clad waitress sashayed away before Gabriel continued. “He said they were heading into Brownsville to recruit.” His jaw ticked and Vasily could guess why.
Gabriel and Vincente Romani were tight, and when Gabriel had turned his back five years ago on the Moretti family—a family he’d been born to lead—Vincente had remained and was now a trusted lieutenant to Gabriel’s brother, Stefano, who headed the organization by default. Gabriel and his brother did not get along, to put it mildly, and any mention of the estranged sibling usually had the shutters coming down.
Vasily’s mouth twisted as he pictured the rapists and violent thugs no doubt gathering in some underground location, hoping to be chosen as new members of the Moretti organization. The longer Stefano held power in that family, the more confused Vasily became. Nothing the guy did made any sense.
A strobe light glanced off the heavy platinum ring on Gabriel’s thumb as he downed half of his drink and thunked the glass onto the tabletop. “Why am I here, brother?”
Anxiety raced through Vasily’s gut, and he almost laughed out loud at the unfamiliar reaction.
Really? I’m king of the fucking castle, top dog, Pakhan to one of the most powerful Russian crime organizations on the Eastern Seaboard . . . and I’m nervous asking a favor?
Bullshit.
“I need you to do something for me,” Vasily snapped.
Gabriel’s brows lifted. “Huh. And here I thought you were just starved for company.”
Vasily paid no attention to the insolence. They were all arrogant at times, and if they took offense over every slight, there wouldn’t be a moment’s peace between them. “I need to know you’re in. Right now.”
Curiosity shone in Gabriel’s eyes as he sat back and crossed heavy arms over his parking lot of a chest. “That’s twice you’ve asked what doesn’t need asking. If I’m able, you know damn well I’ll do whatever you need me to.”
Vasily nodded once and reached into the inside pocket of his coat to withdraw a thin manila envelope and slide it across the table. “I’m leaving for Russia when we’re through here,” he announced. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone. Could be a few weeks, maybe a few months. However long it takes. But I need you to protect someone for me while I’m gone. With your life if necessary. I’ll take over her care once I return from wiping out the sonsofbitches who killed her mother last night.”
“Whose mother?”
“My daughter’s.”
Gabriel froze, leg comically raised midair because he’d been in the process of hooking his ankle on his knee. His size-fourteen shit kicker hit the floor like a bomb. “Your daughter. Are you fucking w
ith me?” he asked incredulously. “When the hell did you have a kid? And how did I not know about it?”
The kid in question was actually a grown woman now. Evangeline was as beautiful and beguiling as her mother, although in looks she was more Vasily than Kathryn. “No one knew about her. Until recently.” The reminder that his enemies now knew of Eva’s existence squeezed his chest. “I filled the boys in earlier, so if for some peculiar reason you’re in need of a hand, they’re now informed.”
Gabriel gave him a hard look. “Unless you want to sit here and watch my head explode, maybe you should start from the beginning.”
He was definitely sensing an angry vibe here. Probably pissed he was the last to know. Vasily tried but couldn’t hold back a smile. He allowed it to show for a few seconds before feeling it fade away. How was he able to find humor in anything at present? When the woman . . .
His jaw clenched as renewed fury surged through him. The charred remains of the woman he’d loved and had created a beautiful child with so many years ago now sat in a cold, silent morgue in Seattle.
He roughly cleared the thickness from his throat. “I’ll get to the few details you’ll need in a minute. First, I want your word that you’ll see this through for me.”
Gabriel waved his hand impatiently. “You have it.” As if it was a stupid request. “But fuuuck, Vasily. A kid? Just out of curiosity, why are you putting this one on me? What about Maksim or Alek? Or any of your boys for that matter? We both know they’re more than capable. Not to mention here. She is in New York, isn’t she? Who’s taking care of her now? How old is she? Is she even out of diapers? And, again, just out of this raging curiosity that’s kicking my ass, why the hell isn’t she in your life?”
Huh. Not bad. He’d expected the cross-examination to last at least another minute or so. Feeling his chest expand with love for this man he’d missed like hell, Vasily began. “At any other time, I would trust my nephew with this. But not in the shape he’s been in lately now that he and Sacha aren’t together anymore. Maksim? Of course, but I just don’t want him.” The idiot would try to have sex with Eva—who, at twenty-four, was very much out of diapers—and Vasily would have to permanently maim him. Perhaps castrate him. He didn’t want to do either. “Anyone else would lead the Baikovs right to her, so they’re out. It has to be you.”
“The Baikovs.” Gabriel’s eyes frosted over. “Alek told me you had no choice but to shave them down a few members. I can’t believe they’re still fucking with you.” The grudge match between the Tarasovs and the Baikovs had gone on since Vasily was a child.
“Me either.” Regardless of the reasons he’d cited, wanting Gabriel on this came down to one thing. No one could compare in their world with the man sitting across from him; there was no contest. Gabriel’s instincts were well honed; he had unparalleled street smarts and was effortless in a battle, whether it be with fists, bullets, or blades. Could read a situation in the blink of an eye and react accordingly just as quickly. He possessed an impressive intelligence that nearly matched Maksim’s—but that might be because Maksim’s PTSD, along with the dash of ADD he suffered from, put him at a distinct disadvantage.
Coming in closer, Vasily loosely clasped his tattooed hands on the table in front of him, deliberately choosing not to acknowledge the question as to why his daughter wasn’t in his life. That he’d save for a day when this tragedy wasn’t so fresh. “Yes, she is here in New York, attending Columbia, as a matter of fact,” he supplied with a father’s pride.
“Wait. She’s old enough to be in college?” Gabriel shook his head. “How the fuck did you keep a secret like this for so long?”
Keeping Kathryn and Eva’s existence under wraps hadn’t been that hard. But it had been necessary. “You seem surprised that I could keep a secret, Gabriel.”
“No, it’s not that. But . . .”
Vasily could tell he was still stumped over the news, but time was of the essence. He could explain the hows and whys once the Baikovs were no longer a threat.
“Her name is Eva. She’s twenty-four. She’ll be returning home to Seattle, where you’re conveniently based, when she finishes school in a few weeks. Luckily, you have the freedom and resources to travel back and forth as often as needed until she graduates. You also have Vincente to step in when you can’t be here.” All the information Gabriel needed was in the envelope. “Aside from all of this, I want you on her, Gabriel, because I trust you in a way that I don’t trust many people.” Their eyes locked, and a deep understanding was shared. “This is my daughter.”
A rare smile tipped up just the corner of the Italian’s mouth. “Okay. And now that we’ve risked sprouting a pair of D-cups with the sap, let’s move on.”
Vasily did so without hesitation. “Maksim set up what he claims is an untraceable e-mail. I’d appreciate a weekly report detailing her movements—the people she’s with, places she goes. She doesn’t have a lot of friends and leads a very simple life, so you won’t be running.”
Gabriel nodded absently as he withdrew an eight-by-ten and a single sheet of paper from the envelope provided.
Vasily sat up straighter, curious to see how his friend would react once he saw his daughter.
Gabriel’s nostrils flared slightly as though he’d drawn in a sharp breath. He brought the photo in for closer inspection, and, just that quickly, his expression closed down completely. He lifted cold eyes to meet Vasily’s over the top of the photograph. “Not a lot of friends? This one leads a simple life.” His tone said he didn’t believe it, but he’d see. “Tell me—does my brother and his fucked-up vendetta against me figure into this? I’m assuming—since she’s . . . since she looks as she does—you’ve considered it.”
Of course he’d considered it. He’d also taken into consideration Gabriel’s ability to remain distanced from his beautiful charge and keep his focus on the task at hand.
“If at some point Stefano gets wind of this, and he targets her despite learning that she’s my daughter?” Vasily’s blood ran cold. “The consequence of such an action will be severe. To avoid any possible problems, I’d like to warn him off right out of the gate, but that might draw his attention when he may not take any notice in the first place. With Vincente in so deep, you’ll instruct him to keep his ears and eyes open so you can deal before anything gets anywhere near her. Is that clear?”
The retired underboss dropped his attention to the photograph once more, and when he spoke, a threat was clear in his voice. “I’ll do everything in my power to make sure no harm comes to your daughter on my watch, brother. You have my word.”
Vasily took the outstretched hand and shook it, comforted to know he’d just guaranteed his daughter’s safety from anything that dared come at her.
CHAPTER 2
PRESENT DAY
Eva Jacobs nudged the cab’s door shut with her knee while juggling the awkward cardboard box full of her friend’s things.
“I’ll just be a minute. Wait, right?” she confirmed, thinking of her suitcase and carry-on in the trunk.
The gaunt Egyptian nodded eagerly. “To JFK, yes?”
“Yes. I’ll be right back.”
As she turned and crossed the busy Washington Heights sidewalk, her cell rang and she quickly fished it out of her pocket as she entered Caleb’s apartment building.
“Hey, you,” she greeted her best friend. The display had shown a pic of her and Nika as they’d sat together on a Starbucks patio last summer. She pressed the cracked elevator button with her elbow and waited, phone between her ear and shoulder.
“Hey. I have bad news.”
Nika’s subdued voice had Eva’s smile fading. “You can’t come,” she guessed, shoulders slumping.
“No. Kevin said he made plans for us and can’t change them. He wouldn’t say what, but apparently whatever we’re doing tomorrow night starts at the same time as the benefit.”
For as long as Eva could remember, her mother had helped or
ganize the annual Pediatric Cancer Foundation gala. Two things would be different this year. One, instead of the Washington State Convention Center, the function would be held at the Crown Jewel, one of Seattle’s most exclusive hotels. Two, Eva would now be attending alone. Something she’d hoped Nika would have helped her avoid.
She swallowed a wave of emotion and, as she got into the elevator, forced a lightness into her tone. “Don’t worry about it. I understand.” She understood that it wasn’t Nika’s fault that Kevin had a habit of springing sudden plans on her. But only when those plans would prevent Nika from doing something that didn’t involve him.
And there was no way Eva was inviting Kevin to the gala.
She still found herself struggling to wrap her head around that marriage. After meeting Kevin Nollan through Nika’s brother, Caleb, she’d always thought him to be sort of creepy. He was too quiet and always seemed to be staring. Or glaring, in her case. And in a way that made her hair stand on end, leaving her to wonder what the heck he was thinking. It hadn’t helped that his dark eyes had homed in on Nika the minute she entered the room and wouldn’t leave until she walked out again. But, apparently, her best friend had seen something in Kevin that no one else did, and she’d liked it, because she’d called Eva eight months ago and announced the two had gotten married in Vegas. Eva had been in shock and, after forcing an enthusiasm she was sure came across as fake as it was, she’d hung up and called Caleb. She wasn’t sure what his reaction to his sister’s announcement had been when he’d spoken to Nika, but when Eva had asked what the hell was going on, he’d lost his shit. And when a six-foot-two biker with a possessive streak a mile long freaked out, it was wise to attempt to calm him as quickly as possible. To this day, both she and Caleb had a hard time talking about the couple without the conversation ending in frustration.
“I wish I could come. I know how hard it’s going to be for you.”
The regret in Nika’s voice brought Eva back to their conversation. “Hey. Like I said, don’t worry about it. I’ll go, spend a little time with my mom’s friends, make a donation in her name, and then go home. I’ll probably be too tired for much else anyway since I’ll be unpacking most of the day tomorrow.” Which was true enough. “I’m glad you guys are going out,” she forced herself to add. Even though “out” probably meant to the garbage chute in the hallway of Nika and Kevin’s apartment building, but whatever.
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