Page 59 of Sinful Embers

“That’s why she scathingly told me that day she died that I’d never find the antidote for you without her,” Timir tells me. “But I knew as soon as I found out your real father was still alive, I knew he’d find the antidote for you.”

“What about you?”

“At the time, I didn’t realize the arrow was poison until black streaks started spanning out from the point of impact.” He wipes his mouth again. “I still have them only now they’ve spread across nearly my whole body.”

He rolls up his sleeves and I suck in a breath. That’s why he wears long sleeves all the time. He looks like someone took a permanent marker and drew lines all over it.

“I’m sorry!” The words escape my lips before I can stop them. “What are you looking for in my mind?”

“The gold key,” Timir repeats what he’s told for what seems like the millionth time.

“Yes, but what is it?”

“I always presumed it was a key that unlocked some safety deposit or bio box,” Timir answers.

“What the heck is a bio box?”

“Whoever engineered Vivienne’s designer poison also made her a series of bio box’s.” He shakes his head. “They arereally nasty lock boxes too. If you put the wrong DNA on it… poof, contents destroyed.”

“Did you try tracking down the person who made this shit for her?” My eyes search his questioningly.

“We did and that person is dead,” Timir answers and my eye widen. “My only hope now is to find the golden key and then the lock box it opens.”

“How much time do you have?” My mind starts to tick over with possibilities.

“Six months at the most.” Timir shrugs.

“Then why are you doing this?” I ask him. “Why kidnap me? Carlos has made your plans quite clear to me. I know you somehow manipulated Mamma…” my voice trails off. Shit I nearly slipped there. “Galina Molchanov into getting my uncle Mark to deliver me to Radomir so they could force us together to create a super heir. Our marriage and child cement the alliance between two huge global giant corporations with their fingers in pies that would serve the Brava well.”

Timir sighs again. “Can I trust you with a secret, Leigh?” He looks at me. And I’m stunned at the sheer resignation in the depth of his eyes, and he looks exhausted.

“Sure.” I shrug. “Who am I going to tell? My good buddies Brick One and Brick Two in my cell?”

“If this gets back to Carlos, we’re all in danger and I won’t be able to protect you,” Timir’s words shock me.

I want to laugh. Is this what he calls protecting me? But I don’t laugh as he’s dead serious and Mark and Carla taught me to never be rude to my elders no matter who they are. I nod instead.

“Nineteen years ago I had big dreams. I created the Golden Hydra Syndicate to take down my family’s Bratva and show my father, I have always been the better son. My older brother was a lazy dick who rode to success on the backs of otherhard working people.” Timurs eyes darken with anger. “I started hanging around with your mother and Carlos again. Vivienne was distraught because she’d just found out that Nikolas was filing for divorce.”

“I remember that argument, well,” I tell him. “I can remember feeling so excited. We were finally getting rid of the bitch.”

“You really hated her?” His eyes search mine. “But what she put you through, it’s no surprise.”

My eyes widen. “Oh shit, you’re one of her partners in crime.” My stomach rolls.

“I was.” Timir nods. “A few weeks after Carlos killed your grandfather and uncle. We thought Nikolas was dead and Carlos had plastic surgery to fit into your life. You told Vivienne to get that man out of your house. He wasn’t your father. You knew right away Carlos was not Nikolas.”

“What plans?”

“Vivienne, myself, and Carlos had all been disowned or somehow tossed aside by our families,” Timir explains. “We wanted revenge. We wanted undeniable power and control.”

“That’s not psycho at all.” My voice drips with sarcastic disdain.

“The plan was simple but brilliant. Carlos would become Nikolas. As your father he had full control over you.” He stares out over the ocean lost in his memories. “We were going to wipe out all the Vasiliki’s, Archontis, Mirochin, and Molchanov’s. Leaving only a few. A few that would have no option but to follow me as the Pakhan of what would then be the biggest most power Bratva not to mention it’s power associated with giants like Matriarch and Archontis.”

“Wow!” I look at him astounded. “And I was the tool to getting you all that.”

“You were,” Timir answers honestly. “But then after the plan was set in motion things changed.”

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