Page 118 of Break Me
I was about to blow them off and sic my two guards on them when I realized avoiding the topic wasn’t going to force them away. They’d hang out until they got their sound bite.
Why not use the moment to poke the bear a little bit more?
Stopping short, I turned to face them, instantly planting a smile on my face. After buttoning my jacket, I looked from one to the other. “While I’m running late for a meeting, I’ll be happy to address those questions. Yes, I believe I was able to help a little girl who’d been kidnapped from her first day of kindergarten. Imagine the monster who would do something like that. By the grace of God, I was given the opportunity and the strength to save her.
“As far as Ms. O’Leary. Yes, she is the child’s mother, and I’m extremely fond of both of them. Thank you for asking about her. Halle is doing well despite the attacks she endured on herself and her beautiful, intelligent little girl. The reason we’re being targeted is simple. As with every other business, we have our share of enemies, men and women who refuse to work as hard as we have to achieve success.”
I egged it on by sweeping one arm out indicating the resort. “They are vile people with no understanding of family or respect of the law.”
When the reporters were about to toss out additional questions, I threw out my hand. “As I said, I’m late for a meeting, but I will say this.” I shifted my gaze from one camera to another so every network would see the exact expression on my face. “Given we are aware of exactly who’s to blame, I assure you that they will be dealt with in the most appropriate way. Now, thank you for your time.”
I offered a smile and headed into the lobby, taking long strides and easily making it to the elevators without being stopped.
Maybe that would draw Papadakis out into the open.
Or maybe he’d throw another fit.
I chuckled the entire time the elevator moved to the top floor, more relaxed since I’d tossed out the gauntlet. I pushed my way through the double doors, and several of the employees nodded as I walked by.
The executive conference room inside Ecstasy was full of family. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d all been together other than at the warehouse a few nights before. In addition, Mikhail had brought several of his top soldiers with him so that after our discussion he could toss out orders.
He was more agitated than usual, which meant he’d learned something that I doubted any of us would like.
I suddenly realized at least one reporter had gone live when I’d started talking. What the heck. I looked pretty damn good on camera.
“You’re in rare form today,” Kazimir said before taking a sip of his drink. It was barely noon and he was drinking. That meant he was unnerved. Granted, we all were.
Mikhail turned off the television. “Baiting them is dangerous.”
“Yeah, well, so is leaving a little clue in a child’s backpack.”
My brother and Pakhan cocked his head. “What are you talking about?”
“The assholes who took Emily left a Russian proverb in the bag she was carrying, knowing we’d find it. You cannot postpone death.”
At least Vissarian and Mikhail instantly understood the significance, Vissarian huffing. “Your father as Pakhan used to say that seconds before killing an enemy.”
“Yep. That’s why I thought I’d toss out a few crumbs.”
“Why do I have a feeling the Papadakises have harbored these plans for months if not longer?” Sasha looked from one of us to another.
“That’s my guess as well,” I answered for all of us. “Did you find any bugs like the one on the vehicles?”
Mikhail held up one hand with all five fingers flexed open wide. “And they’re not done searching. No one has made it to any of the executive offices at any of the hotels, so business hasn’t been compromised, but this is starting to get out of hand.”
“Anything from our computer people as to the origin?” Vissarian asked. He’d taken up a perch at one of the windows, leaning against it and staring out at the horizon.
“Russian, used by the military even today although the bugs discovered are an older version.”
Everyone standing in the room turned to stare at our Pakhan. While we’d always had enemies through the years, some lingering from the days of our father leading the Bratva and eliminating anyone who got in the way of doing business, we hadn’t expected members of our own family to add themselves to the list.
We also hadn’t known that we had another uncle still in Moscow, running a very dangerous Bratva with a vendetta against the two brothers who’d escaped tyranny. So naturally, hearing that any piece of equipment had come from Russia caught our immediate attention.
“Are you suggesting the Russian Dmitriyev Bratva refuses to stay out of the US?” Sasha threw out.
Mikhail placed one of the bugs on the table. “I’m not suggesting anything. However, as you all know, rumors flew after dealing with Uncle Yuri that we have a weakness. That could be when Papadakis theorized he could best us. I wouldn’t put it past the Greeks to believe if we were chasing our tails then they could more easily infiltrate and destroy.”
The theory worked very well with what I’d heard about Liam and the O’Leary family.
