Page 53 of Disgraced (Russian Sinners 3)

“Why?”

“I want to know if she was kidnapped before.”

I didn’t expect that comment. “What?” I asked in surprise, sticking to Russian. “That would be some shitty luck. What makes you think she was kidnapped before?”

“Something she said before she passed out.”

“Do you think she was kidnapped by Boris or his people before? That she’s marked?” Nikolai asked the question I was thinking. If she was kidnapped before and she got away, the same people would come after her. They would mark her as a target, spread the word on the black market, and offer a hefty prize until they got her.

And I handed her over. I should have done my homework, instead of thinking with my dick.

“I don’t know,” Dimitry muttered, and I knew he hated not knowing. He always did all his research. This must have been something her family was hiding.

“Has either one of you heard from Vlad?” he questioned both Nikolai and me.

“Yeah, he came to the Russian Orchid a few weeks ago,” I told him. “He pissed off the Italians. Again. You know, same shitty story. We shouldn’t give them business; we can do it all on our own. He’s hell bent on keeping business going the way it has been done for the past thirty years. I got tired of listening so I told him to take it somewhere else. He said he’d lay low in Naryan-Mar.”

“He’s starting to cause more trouble than he’s fucking worth,” Nikolai cursed low under his breath. I saw him glance at Anastasia to ensure he didn’t wake her up.

“Agreed.” I wished Dimitry would just end the fucker. I had a gut feeling he was up to no good. But Dimitry was big on keeping his word.

Vlad was always sneaking around and wanted to keep our business dealings illegal. He relished working on the black market and dealing with illegal smuggling. The problem was that he helped us put Boris away. He handed the information to Dimitry and he gave him his word that he’d be protected and taken care of when it was all said and done. Vlad was the only one who knew where Boris disposed of bodies. When Dimitry turned in the evidence against Boris, he wanted to ensure Boris got the worst possible sentence. Fraud and murder were a jackpot. If only he wasn’t still causing all this havoc from behind prison walls.

“But we have to follow through with our deal,” Dimitry voiced his opinion that Nikolai and I were well familiar with. “We promised him a clean cut when he helped us put Boris away.”

“If there is ever a promise to break,” I added grudgingly, “that would be the one.”

I had a bad feeling about Vlad. I recalled how quickly he gave up last time I spoke to him. It was uncharacteristic of him. Could he be coordinating all this with Boris? That fucking bastard of a father would cost me Scarlett and my brothers with the damn games he was playing from the death row. It was certainly telling that if he could cause that much damage from prison, how much worse it would be if he was out on the loose.

“Unless he gives me cause,” Dimitry retorted dryly, “I won’t break my promise.” We both nodded in agreement, although it was reluctant on my part. “Nikolai, we should check if there is any connection between Boris and the Manciatti family,” Dimitry continued.

“Why would there be?” Both Nikolai and I asked in surprise.

“He was the prosecutor, right?” Nikolai added. “I wouldn’t think there would be a further connection than that.”

“Anastasia asked whether Boris was after her family,” Dimitry explained. “There is a connection; I know it.”

“I’ll do the search,” Nikolai agreed.

The mood was getting tense and we all felt something was brewing. There were too many things happening, all at once… and none of them were good.

I couldn’t help but help relieve the tension in the air by teasing my oldest brother, “I think she likes you.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked curiously, glancing at the sleeping woman in his arms. Every time his eyes landed on her, the expression in them softened. It was actually nice seeing this side of my brother.

“When I stepped towards her to introduce myself, she backed herself closer to you.” I told him. “And each time we talk, her eyes search you out.”

“She feels most threatened by me, which is probably the reason she keeps watching me.”

Nikolai scoffed. “You keep telling yourself that, brother.”

His eyes shifted to her again and there it was again. That longing I was well familiar with.

“People of her status don’t mix with people like us.”

I wasn’t sure if he was reminding us or himself.

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