Lost Bastard Page 23

  “Oh, he works for us, but he has never taken the oath.”

  Deva stuttered. “But his tattoos? I recognized many of them as Bratva.”

  “Yes, in many ways he has successfully passed Bratva tests, but he has never taken the final vows. He wanted more than what we could offer. He used Bratva’s assignments to get money, to go to college. He still works for me, on a more personal level, on assignments. Didn’t you find it surprising that he didn’t know Semyon when we met at The Drake? If he had been Bratva on a regular basis, it would have been common knowledge.”

  Gerasim seemed to be enjoying having Deva completely blindsided, the mirth on his face was a sight to be seen. “You assumed that the underground cage fighter was with us when he is, in fact, one of the most sought-after accountants in the city, specializing in fraud and embezzlement. A money cop, as he jokes about it. Don’t say that to him, though. He had some difficult cases with his brother, Liam Harker, who’s a cop in the Chicago PD. There is a strain between them, although, in reality, they are often on the same side.”

  An accountant. Her brain couldn’t seem to compute the information. And it made her laugh. “I can’t see Aleksei as an accountant, in a suit, in front of a computer all day.” And then she frowned. “But you risked his life when you sent him undercover to find out what Finch was up to. And he told me that he needed to fight, and spoke of some sort of debt to repay. That’s the reason why I believed he wanted out of the Bratva at first.”

  “Not quite. I asked Aleksei to accept Finch’s help. The man also thought that Aleksei wanted out and we decided to spin that wheel. Finch was becoming more and more insistent, and I used Aleksei, with his consent, to find out what he was up to. The risk was minimal.”

  It made sense. When Finch turned his back on Aleksei in the locker room, leaving with all the money, the Russian hadn’t looked that upset. If she had been the one losing so much effort, so fast, she wouldn’t have let go of it without a fight.

  “But I think that the debt my nephew was referring to, has more to do with his mother than Finch. I always believed that Aleksei fought more to relieve himself of the pain he had buried inside him.”

  “What pain?”

  “His mother. My dear Zoya. He was only a child, but he still can’t forgive himself for being unable to save her or for having left her body behind. And I can understand, I can’t forgive myself either.”

  So much sorrow, she thought. So much suffering because of Jamieson Finch. Well, it seemed that her final gift to Aleksei would alleviate some of his, and of his family as well.

  “I have one small favor to ask you, Gerasim. Would you be kind enough to give this to Aleksei? I tried to reach him, but he’s not answering my calls or his door.” She handed him a white envelope.

  The older man’s face softened. “I can’t make him listen to you, Deva. But all you have to do is tell him that you love him.”

  She shook her head. “I already said it. I can’t push him, force him to love me in return. He thinks I betrayed him because I didn’t reveal why I was in Chicago early on. And everything I said afterward, he interprets it as lies. It doesn’t matter anymore, and I understand and respect his choice. His decision. So, what is in this envelope is a token of my gratefulness for all he did for me. And I think it is a little bit for you too.”

  Gerasim’s eyebrows shot up, eyeing the sealed envelope with curiosity.

  “Can you reveal what it says now or must I wait until my nephew opens it?”

  Deva grinned at the evident, childish impatience in the older man’s demeanor, eyeing the paper as if he could see through it.

  “I’ll have mercy and tell you, only if you don’t say a word to your nephew. Deal?”

  “Deal. So, what’s in this?”

  “The most probable site where Zoya was interred.” When Gerasim’s face turned blank and incredibly pale, Deva swallowed hard but continued. “I have incredibly resourceful friends. And they did the research for me. Dug deep into Russian’s archives, police reports. With the little information that I knew about her location, time of her death, my friends could find the best possible mass graveyard where she was laid to rest.”

  Gerasim shook his head, breathing hard without saying a single word.

  “And what we found out was that the mass grave where she is isn’t as massive as we initially thought. No more than ten or fifteen bodies in it. I took upon myself to contact a forensic anthropologist in Russia, who will be able to dig up the remains and identify Zoya as soon as he gets the adequate genetic markers, from Aleksei, or from you. The information you need is in there. All you have to do is call.”

  Gerasim looked so intently at the envelope, Deva thought it would catch fire.

  “If I had the money, I would have paid for it beforehand, but I’m now unemployed, so kind of broke. Sorry about that, Gerasim.”

  “Sorry?” The older man’s voice sounded strangled. “Deva… I don’t know what to say. Zoya…”

  “There is nothing to say. Just give the letter to Aleksei with my thanks. That’s all.”

  Deva pushed to her feet, looking around at the fading sun. The night to come would be beautiful. And for some time now, she felt steadier, confident that she would soon find her way.

  “Goodbye, Gerasim.” The man stood up, looking at her proffered hand. Ignoring it, he took her in a tight bear hug. Kissing her forehead, he stepped away from her, the letter clutched hard in his hand.

  “And again, I’m in your debt, Deva Landry. If ever you need something, never hesitate. And the offer is from me, not Bratva. I hope you find peace and happiness too, my child.”

  And he was gone, swallowed by the crowd around them. Deva stayed a little while longer. As the sun set over the city, her mind cleared more and more. Her heart ached still, but she knew it would remain that way until the end of her days. Her heart wasn’t hers anymore, it was Aleksei’s, even if the man didn’t want it. Even if he didn’t return her love. But her life was her own, and she would make the best of it. Now, and forever.

  Chapter 38

  Five months later…

  “And after all this time, I thought you would have softened up a little. How stupid of me! Come on, Deva! I need a break!”

  Deva shook her head at Jason as he did another series of extension on the stabilizing bars. Deva wasn’t going to tell him, but she was impressed.

  “You are the one who has a sadistic side, Jason, not me. You are the one who transferred from San Antonio to Chicago just to be tortured by me again. I want twelve more before you collapse, little boy.”

  The veteran cursed under his breath, but it was impossible to miss the gleam of satisfaction on his face.

  When everything was in order, Deva had returned to San Antonio, but only to ask for a transfer to the Chicago therapy center. After much reflection, she loved Chicago, and she loved her job, and she wanted to continue doing it here. She emptied her apartment, filled up her car, said her goodbyes to many coworkers she would miss and headed north. She had kept her apartment in the North Side. Another feat was Rusty forgiving her for all that happened and offering her a part-time job at the gym.

  It had been so strange going back there. Hector was still training, having won his latest official fight, which she hadn’t attended. She wasn’t quite ready yet to see a cage fight. He was his same funny, outrageous self when she treated him and never talked about what had happened. It was as if life had followed its course without being disturbed by Finch. And weirdly enough, she didn’t mind. Even if she treated fighters who were mostly related to the different syndicates, it didn’t bother her either. It was as if she kept a toe in the water, a safeguard, without being fully immersed. Must be the controlling part of herself that liked it that way.

  But Aleksei didn’t come to Rusty’s anymore. Even after several months, she still found herself looking for him as if the Russian would be walking out of the locker room, or coming in the door. He hadn’t, and he wasn’t. And that was that.


  Shaking her head back to the present, she nodded at Jason who was making good progress. The young wounded veteran was stubborn, and that flaw worked at making him progress the best he could. Covered with sweat, heaving hard, Jason leaned against the bar as he finished his set.

  “They are fitting me with my sports prosthesis tomorrow. I should be able to start jogging the next time I see you.”

  “And who made you the expert? Let’s fortify your legs, preparing them for the next step which is standing. Followed by walking and then jogging. What about that?”

  The young man puffed at her but didn’t say anything. He had learned the hard way that skipping steps could mean a serious setback. “Okay, okay. But can you tell me an approximate when? When will I be ready to start running?”

  “What about when you don’t fall on your face using that prosthetic? Enough for today. Go shower. And don’t forget your exercises, I’ll know if you don’t do them properly.”

  Jason hopped to his crutches. “Not tonight! I’m going out.”

  Seeing him so full of energy made her smile. “Hot date?”

  “Trolling… It seems that Chicago women love wounded heroes. Moving here has been the best decision of my life.”

  Deva laughed at him and shooed him away. “Get out of my sight, manwhore.” Seeing her patient in such a good mood brightened her day.

  She’d only worked for half a day, as she wanted to enjoy the few hours of light that February offered. Sub-zero temperatures welcomed her when she walked out. The damp cold making her shiver but the air felt so good, she decided to walk instead of taking public transport. Driving her car in snowy Chicago was something she tended to avoid. Making a detour by Michigan Avenue, she saw the stores adorned with bright red hearts and festive balloons. Valentine’s Day was this weekend if she wasn’t mistaken. The Friday night crowd moved in and out of the stores, walking briskly in the winter weather.

  Deva wrapped her scarf around her head before pulling up the hood of her ruby-red winter coat. One thing she did invest in was a good winter coat, and she found the red color so cheerful, she couldn’t resist. Leaving the Boulevard, her feet lead her home. She could have gone to the gym. After all, Rusty had let her keep a key, but she was more interested in burying herself under one of her comforters and starting a TV marathon.

  And to make sure to lessen the time before she was able to fling herself on her sofa, she grabbed some Thai food for lunch. She intended on doing nothing, but turn her brain off, and that included cooking.

  Just as she stepped on the first stair leading to her apartment, her neighbor’s door flung open. Marcus’s wiry frame almost jumping on her. Deva yelped, and sidestepped, as her neighbor flung his arms in the air as if chasing flies away.

  “Marcus! For goodness’ sake! Don’t attack the poor girl!”

  Miss Lupe came into view, shaking her head at the hysterical man.

  “You have to come inside! You don’t understand. It was a summons from the IRS! A man, a delivery man, came and we had to sign! I had to sign! You know my credit is down the shithole, Devie! I can’t afford for the IRS to know about me! And I signed that dreadful paper!”

  Deva blinked and stepped into her neighbors’ apartment, shutting the cold wind out.

  “Oh, calm down, silly man. You are not the one being audited. Give Deva the paper, instead of waving it like a flag under her nose.”

  Marcus calmed down enough so Deva could snatch the envelope from him.

  “OMG! OMG! I can’t believe you came under their evil radar! Are they targeting the building, you think?”

  Deva tried to tone down the man buzzing around her and looked at the envelope. It wasn’t from the IRS. Frowning at the name printed on the envelope, she saw the header of a law firm, the same one that dealt with her father’s will.

  Tearing up the paper, she started reading the letter. It was technical stuff, but the more she read, the more Deva couldn’t believe it.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Her outburst only fueled Marcus’ anxiety even more, making him gig around her as if he wanted to pee. In an attempt to calm him down, she shoved her Thai food bag into his arms. Miss Lupe ignored him and limped beside Deva, putting a hand on her wrist.

  “What’s going on, Deva? Bad news?”

  Deva shook her head. “You know my father died a little more than seven months ago. I had to deal with a lot of paperwork. My father didn’t believe in keeping his personal finances in shape, which led to trouble with the IRS and so many other agencies and departments…” She sighed, not wanting to remember the burden and headaches of that period. “Anyway, now this law firm, working in the name of the government, is saying that there is more money, implying that I kept it somehow. They are insane! I’m not a thief, I don’t have that money. I gave them every possible piece of paper and bit of money that belonged to my father… what do they possibly need now?”

  Deva was ready to pull her hair out. And even worse, she had done everything by the book! Despair was replaced by anger and rage. That was enough! Those bloodsucking money vampires could go fuck themselves, and she was going to say it to their face, in person. Right. Now!

  Chapter 39

  Snow was starting to fall with some force when Deva parked her car in front of the building housing the Magnus, Christiani & Zayne law firm. She had lost some time in traffic and wanted to get there before those assholes left for the day.

  Leaving her car in a no parking zone, she dashed in. In the huge lobby, she barely slowed down to check the floor before skidding to a halt before the elevators.

  They had the entire fifteenth floor, and when the elevator doors opened, Deva zeroed in on a very blond, Barbie-like receptionist. Classic!

  Smashing the letter on the desk in front of Blondie, Deva waited for the dumb blonde to look at her.

  “I want to talk to the person in charge of my account. Now!”

  The poor woman blinked her baby blues at her a few times before finally looking at the paper.

  “You want to consult with one of our experts?”

  “No! I want to meet the person who sent me that letter. Is that too complicated for you to understand?”

  “No, ma’am. Let me check the account number.”

  Deva ground her teeth as the woman tapped her electric blue lacquered nails on the keyboard.

  “Oh, I can find your account, but it’s not linked to anyone of our people in particular.”

  It was the final straw, and Deva lost it. “Are you kidding me? I asked a simple question. Who sent me this goddamn letter!”

  “I did, solnyshka.”

  Deva tried to swallow a whimper of anguish at hearing that familiar voice behind her. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fists and schooled her face before pivoting. Nothing really helped when she saw Aleksei standing there in a charcoal gray three-piece suit that fitted his muscled fighters body like a glove. The cobalt blue shirt and tie set off his mercury colored eyes. His inky-black hair was slicked back. And there she stood, frozen, impossible for her to deny the pull. Fighting it as much as she wanted, it was there, alive and consuming her. But she wasn’t about to revisit her old heartbreak. Instead, she forced her mind to focus on what brought her there in the first place and was grateful when anger flooded her lust.

  “Don’t call me that. Ever again! And I want to know what this is all about.” She brandished the letter under his nose.

  Unfazed, Aleksei gestured toward the hallway. “Let’s discuss it in my office.”

  Bad, bad idea, she thought. Being alone with the man was the last thing she wanted, but Deva wasn’t about to have an argument in front of the baby-doll receptionist.

  Aleksei’s office had one wall entirely made of windows, offering a breathtaking view of the city slowly being veiled with swirling snow. She entered and looked around, definitely impressed. Gerasim had been right when he’d told her his nephew had a successful career. And when she looked at him, with his expensive suit, and the tatto
os on his neck and on his wrists and hands, she didn’t know if he looked more dangerous now or when he was fighting in a cage.

  “May I take your coat?”

  “You are about to take everything else I own, why wouldn’t I give you my coat too?”

  Now hot as hell, she started to unzip her coat while trying to pull her scarf off. Nervousness, anger, and clumsiness turned her scarf into a snake, almost strangling her while she ran the zipper onto the red wool, jamming it.

  Deva fought for a while, not looking at him until a shadow blocked the light.

  “Let me help, Deva.”

  “No!” It was childish, but she knew that if he reached for her, her heart would open up and bleed like a torrent again. The walls she had built around herself were fragile, ready to crumble, and they needed distance, protection.

  Instead, she leaned forward and pushed the coat and scarf over her head like a sweater, letting everything plop on the floor in a heap of red.

  A little out of breath, she straightened up, running her hands through her crackling hair and pulling at her sweater. Once the static settled, Deva looked back at Aleksei. He still stood no more than six feet away. Without a word, he crouched down, picked up her discarded coat and hung it on a hanger behind the door.

  “Red suits you, Deva. Especially on your cheeks.”

  Oh no, he didn’t just go there! “Stop this garbage. What is going on? Why did I receive this letter? I have paid everything that I could pay, I didn’t take any of the money my father left me. Do you think that if I had any sort of money, I wouldn’t use it? Get a nicer couch, instead of having one with springs sticking out and creepy crawlies lurking inside?”

  Aleksei ignored her outburst and turned to look at a file on his desk. “Some new information popped up. That’s why a new audit is required.”

  “What information?”

  “This time, your father’s inheritance raised a flag.”

  It was like talking to a wall. “What inheritance? I didn’t keep any of it!”