Page 137 of Fall into Savagery

Beautiful. Cold. Vindictive.

I looked around the smoothie shop formyboys.

I knew they would recognize their mother if they saw her, and I didn’t know how they would react. I just didn’t want them to get hurt.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to take the little brats back. When Nikolay finally comes to his senses, he’ll bring the boys back to me, and we can be a happy little family again. Maybe even with the Pakhan andSovietnikof the Vasiliev Bratva.”

I took a step toward her.

Her smile widened, and she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You really think you can keep their attention? Besides, you have me to thank. Nikolay finally took my advice and became one of the most powerful men in the world.”

I could see Gleb standing up from the corner of my eyes. Something about my face must have given that away because Alina turned. “Ah, it was nicetalkingto you, but I think I need to go.”

And then she turned and walked out to the back.

I didn’t stop her. I could only stare after her, even when Gleb stood in front of me and asked who that was and whether he should give chase.

He signaled to one of the men to go after her without waiting for my reply, and I didn’t stop him. For some reason, I knew they wouldn’t catch her.

She was gone …

For now.

Thatwas the woman Nikolay was married to?

27

MIKHAIL

It wasafter we got home early that evening when Catalina informed us about Alina.

From what Catalina said, Alina had deluded herself into thinking that she would get back with Nikolay soon, but six years had passed since she took the kids and left.

She never once tried to get in contact with Nikolay, and at one point, I was convinced Nikolay might never see his kids again.

So why now?

What was her plan?

And I had a feeling she was the one who followed Damien to the strip club that day.

But we couldn’t do much since she had all but disappeared into thin air, and we still had to tell Nikolay that his ex-wife was around.

Nikolay was due to come home today after a successful raid against the Mexican Cartels, though we didn’t tell Catalina that. We didn’t want her to stand around all day, waiting for him to walk through the elevator doors.

We didn’t even know when he would fly home.

We rarely sent each other’s schedules through phones or emails in case someone hacked into the system.

All that was left was for Gabriel to get rid of the traitors and take control of the South.

We would have to dispose of the rogues that worked the crossing between Mexico and South America.

We would have to take out Agnello, but the fucker was a slippery one.

No one had heard or seen him for weeks, but I was sure he would crawl out from whatever hole he was hiding.

We had cut off all of his resources. His associates had turned on him. The only backing he could have depended on was Luis and the Cartels, and even that was cut off.

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