Page 155 of Golden Atonement

The woman stiffened in her chair.

“Yes,” several men said in unison.

“Well, lady, you’ve got the major heads of several factions scrambling. Want to tell me why my wife all but demanded I grant you sanctuary?”

Looking at me, she simply said, “Because Remi’s mother, Ekaterina Elizabeth Monet, is the daughter of Charles Henry Monet and his mistress, Sophina Olenski.”

Maxim stiffened, right before he slowly stood and growled. “Sophina Olenski?”

“Yes, sir. Your father’s mistress.”

“Everyone out. Now!” Maxim seethed while the Diamondbacks got up and left.

However, I just smiled at him while Maxim sneered. “That meant you too.”

I shrugged, not giving a fuck what he thought or wanted.

“Don’t think so. If it concerns my wife, then I’m staying.”

“Reaper,” Vladmir cautioned, rubbing his forehead. “Now is not a good time to push Maxim.”

“Don’t give a fuck.” I glared, pointing at Maxim. “You think I’m afraid of the Bloodletter? This fucker owes me big time for his major fuck up concerning my wife. Which, by the way, took me fucking weeks to fix. I don’t care whose hole his dad dippedhis stick into. All I care about is protecting my wife, your fucking daughter, asshole. I’m staying.”

Sitting there as I listened to the woman tell her story was eventful to say the least. And here I thought the Golden Skulls had a torrid past. Leave it to the fucking Russians to knock it out of the park.

Had to give it to the Russians, though. They were all taking everything with a grain of salt.

Well, all but Maxim.

That motherfucker was about to lose his shit.

“Sophina Olenski.” Maxim growled.

“Your father knew what Konstantin had planned. He warned Sophina and got her and her daughter out of the country and sent them to France. There she was introduced to Charles Henry Monet. A French aristocrat with no children of his own. Your father facilitated their marriage.”

“How old was the daughter when she left Russia?” Maxim asked.

“Thirteen.”

Maxim roared, slamming his hands down on the table, “She was born a year after my sister!”

“Yes.”

I whistled, shaking my head. “So, my wife is one hundred percent Russian. Explains the temper.”

Maxim rounded on me and shouted, “That’s what you took from all that? Remi’s temper! How about the fact that your wife is my fucking niece?”

“Yeah, I was hoping you would overlook that part.” I smirked.

Maxim growled.

“Maxim,” Vladmir said, getting his boss’s attention. “You need to let Aksana finish.”

“There’s more?” Maxim shouted. “What else is there? She said plenty already.”

“I never said Ekaterina was your father’s daughter, Mr. Fedorov. All I said was Sophina had a thirteen-year-old daughter and that your father helped them escape Russia,” Aksana explained calmly. “Like I was saying, after Sophina married Charles Monet, he raised Ekaterina as his own daughter. From my understanding, the man actually loved and doted on her. Ekaterina was fourteen when her mother died in a suspicious car accident. Charles, fearing that the Bratva had found his daughter, moved them to the United States, thinking they would be safer here. Only that wasn’t the case, because it didn’t take long for your brother to find Charles and kill him when Ekaterina was nineteen, but she was already attending school in New York City, and everyone knew Ekaterina as Nina Monet.”

“Yes.”

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