Page 40 of Twisted Obsession
Chapter Twenty
Dmitri
When I returned to the mansion, its grand facade looming in the dim light of dawn, I quietly made my way to the bedroom. There, Lara lay still, enveloped in the soft glow of early morning. Her serene face, framed by cascades of blonde hair, exuded an ethereal beauty, and her peaceful slumber seemed untouched by the world’s chaos. As I stood frozen in the doorway, admiration mixed with a longing that tugged at my heartstrings, a desire to be near her once more.
Despite the pull to join her in the warm cocoon of the bed, I chose a different path. Gently closing the door behind me, I descended the marble staircase to my study. Sleep had abandoned me, leaving me alone with Maxim’s harsh words echoing relentlessly in my mind. His audacity had crossed a line—his ignorance was palpable. Had he endured the loss I had, with family ripped away in a brutal, unforgiving manner, hewould have understood the depths of vengeance that consumed me.
Settling into the leather chair behind my expansive mahogany desk, I poured a generous measure of my finest, most expensive vodka. The clock’s hands crept toward six in the morning, yet the clear liquid was my only solace, the only balm for the turbulent thoughts battling within my mind. First, it was my uncle, a gaping wound in my heart, and now this stranger, stirring the waters once more.
If I were a betting man, I would stake everything on the notion that the Balestrinis had orchestrated the hijacking of my shipments. Though the Red Knights lurked in obscurity, it seemed that the Balestrinis might have finally uncovered the truth about those responsible for their heirs’ demise. Piece by piece, they were rebuilding what I had dismantled, attempting to reclaim their lost empire by destroying mine. No fucking way would I ever let that happen.
After finishing the last sip of my drink, I opened my laptop to check my emails. To my surprise, an email from Gavin awaited me, announcing that the Zhukov family home had found a buyer. That was incredibly fast. Like me, Gavin was a relentless insomniac. He wanted to meet with me this morning at his office to finalize the necessary paperwork for the sale. Not only had Lara unknowingly signed our marriage license, but she had also inadvertently granted me power of attorney over all matters related to the property. Although I had no intention of keeping the proceeds from the sale, as they rightfully belonged to her, I still desired to maintain control over them.
After swiftly firing off a quick email, I headed back upstairs to refresh myself with a shower. I needed to wash away the tension that had clung to me over the past twelve hours.
I ascended the sleek marble stairs two at a time when my cell phone rang. “Hello,” I answered.
“Dmitri,mi amigo.” The voice belonged to Carlos Acosta, someone I hadn’t anticipated hearing from. “I think you might have a problem.”
“Carlos. To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice?” I inquired, teasing him, as always, about his thick accent.
“One of my men just laid one of your weapons on my desk. It seems someone has intercepted one of your shipments, and somehow, we ended up with it.”
While this development could be beneficial, it wasn’t the kind of news I had been hoping for. If my merchandise had made its way to Cuba, there was no telling where the rest might have ended up.
“How much?” I pressed.
“Ten crates,” he replied with an air of gravity. “This is not good, my friend. But luckily, one of my men noticed something was wrong. They were very nervous. Too nervous, so he brought one of the thieves to me. We are holding him prisoner.”
“Fuck.” That was over three million dollars’ worth of weapons, and they would fetch even more on the street. The gravity of the situation hung heavily in the air. “How much do you want for them?”
“For you, my friend, half of what I paid.” Carlos was known for being a fair man, but with him, there was always an angle, a hidden twist, waiting to be revealed.
“What else?” I inquired, knowing there was more to this bargain.
“You know that beautiful sailboat of yours?” he hinted with a sly tone in his voice. “My family would love to own a sailboat to sail the islands.”
“Done,” I agreed with a tight smile, gritting my teeth. “I’ll contact you when I can arrange the exchange. Oh, and Carlos, I want to be there when you question the prisoner.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll even treat you to some Cristalino Tequila instead of that vodka shit you drink,” Carlos added, his laughter resonating like a low rumble.
As I stepped into the shower, the water cascaded down my body, each drop a soothing balm for my tense muscles. The steam enveloped me, and for a moment, I allowed myself to hope that I might finally uncover the answers I had been desperately seeking.
After drying off, I wrapped a plush towel around my waist and walked into my expansive closet. Gavin had insisted on meeting this morning to finalize the paperwork for the sale of the Zhukov home. Once dressed in a sharp Armani suit that fit me like a second skin, I emerged from the walk-in closet to find Lara still nestled in the bed, her breathing soft and rhythmic.
Before leaving the room, I leaned over and gently placed a kiss on her lips. She stirred slightly, her lips curling into a sleepy half-smile that warmed my heart.
“Come back to bed,” she murmured, her hand reaching out blindly to find me.
“Go back to sleep,kukolka,” I whispered, kissing her once more on the lips before quietly slipping out of the room.
~***~
I left Gavin’s office just in time to meet the mysterious stranger who had texted me the day before. The Red Knights were strategically positioned, and though their presence was invisible to the naked eye, I felt the reassuring weight of their support. Not sharing this endeavor with Stepan gnawed at me, but this was a mission I needed to undertake alone.
The stranger had chosen this meeting spot with intention; it was a desolate section of the port, abandoned and forgotten. The area was a graveyard of empty loading docks and dilapidated storage warehouses, relics of a time when they were the lifeblood of old crime families. Now, they stood silent and lifeless after the port’s shutdown. As a child, I recalled crouching behind massive freight containers, my eyes wide with awe and fear as I watched clandestine deals unfold and money change hands. It was a miracle I’d never been caught during those reckless escapades.
Sitting in my car, anticipation coiled in my stomach, I waited for this enigmatic figure to arrive. My uncle’s ominous threats echoed in my mind, a relentless loop.“To maintain your position, you must secure a wife, a family,”he’d intoned, his voice heavy with unyielding authority. My grip on the steering wheel tightened with every word.“The hijacked shipment is a sign of weakness. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider your position asPakhanand let the brotherhood decide what is best for the Bratva.”The audacity of him, to dictate my actions and foretell the consequences if I failed to comply, sent a surge of anger through me. To hell with him.
