Page 60 of Vow of Silence

I didn’t breathe until I was safely lying in the backseat of Jayden’s SUV several miles from the prison.

“I already have Kim working on a version of the tape that proves that Samira betrayed Felix and Arkan. It will be ready for you to give to your father. I hope it’s enough to keep you alive. I won’t make you wear a wire, but I’ll give you a phone to call us. I have the tracker in you. I’ll be able to locate you. Don’t tell anyone it’s there. It should remain our secret.”

The hell it will. I’m going to have Mikhail get this out of me ASAP.

I nodded. “Thank you for coming back.”

He rubbed his neck. “I have some bad news. I’ve been waiting to tell you that Viktor Vinogradov has Mila. We can’t figure out why, and we can’t get any information on them. Your sister is in danger as long as she’s with him.”

Thank God, Viktor has her. She needed some time away from dad.

“Why are you happy?”

“This means my father will keep me alive long enough to get her away from Viktor. He’ll need to make sure that she tells him everything about him. Mila and I are close. I’m the only one who can get her away from Viktor. She turns from a mouse into a lion when she thinks I need her.”

19

CIAN

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

Mikhail and I snuck into Vesim’s party. It wasn't as hard as I thought because Irma sauntered to the door and let us inside. Her gown was scandalous, and I was certain it caught the eye of every heterosexual man in the place. She was model gorgeous and her outfit made a man surrender to his basic needs. Tarion and Besa were on the roof while we were inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Jetmira talking with two arms dealers. Mikhail knew what he was doing by having these lethal females accompanying us as part of the team. I hadn’t seen Zakhar since this morning but I knew he wasn’t far away. Mikhail’s brothers were never far away from each other. We made our way to the attic. It wasn’t hard considering the auction for the armed weapons was happening in the cellarium. We just needed to avoid the staff who were trained to scatter when Vesim had visitors. Mikhail immediately set up at the back of the room in the corner and began hacking into the hard drive.

Touching my pocket, I felt my binoculars. There was no way I would sit here in total silence. There were too many arms dealers in attendance. Pulling out my phone, I texted code four one nine, which meant I wanted to mingle. After a few minutes she texted back code fifty, which meant all clear.

I quickly made my way to the roof. After getting in an advantageous position, I watched them. I recognized the Chinese arms dealer Wu Jin arguing with Vesim. From my angle, it was impossible for me to read Wu’s lips. I could only see Vesim’s astonishment and then anger. I needed to know what this argument was about, since it warranted privacy. Wu had approached him and they moved away from the others. They were standing in a room adjacent to the cellarium.

I moved so that I could see Wu’s face. He was the one leading the conversation. Vesim’s body language suggested that he had more to lose. His lips would be sealed tight because there were too many people who might overhear.

This is a bold move Wu. What game are you playing?

“Vesim, I expected a fifty percent discount. I helped you out with hiding Nedim Cejvan. If Arkan had found out, it would have started a war. I took a significant risk for you, and you’ve done nothing but offer me empty promises.”

Who is Nedim Cejvan? What does he have on Arkan?

“Keep this up, and I’ll be forced to tell Arkan that he’s hiding in Urumqi. Our partnership is one sided. I take all the risks and you reap the rewards. That ends today.”

“I don't like threats. I will give you the discount. You and I are going to have problems if this is how you negotiate business with me in the future.”

Wu shook his head. “I expected you to do right by me because I've done right by you. That's not asking too much.”

Wu had won the battle but he was about to lose the war.

Vesim’s body language suggested that he was irate and that the matter wasn’t put to rest. I doubted whether Wu would live long enough to buy weapons.

Wu turned and walked down the hall.

Vesim signaled to Cun over his shoulder. Before Wu made it back to the auction, Cun walked up behind him, and slit his throat. It wasn’t long before both men rejoined the auction as if they hadn’t slain Wu.

A fleeting glance at my watch showed that forty minutes had passed. Mikhail should be finished by now. The auction would soon move to the rest of the house. We shouldn’t be here for that. Vesim was a horney bastard. After he made billions selling weapons, they would all gather around and have group orgies. Irma and Jetmira would have to get out of the house before the auction ended. Irma was sitting on a Russian’s lap. It was impossible to text her without it going unnoticed. The small powder room had two male dealers inside. If they had been using the bathroom, I could’ve waited them out but one was on his knees giving the other oral sex. I had to find another way inside.

Running across the roof to the other side, I found the window to the study unlocked. I slipped inside and slid my knife up my sleeve. If I had to kill, it would be stealth. Bending, I looked under the door. When I didn’t see any shadows, I cracked the door and looked out. The hallway was clear. I entered the kitchen and snatched a jacket off a nearby chair. I had chosen something that any respectable arms dealer might wear. None of these people would recognize me, except Wu, and he was dead. Crossing into the next section of the house, I entered another hallway. This side of the house was formal and there was no place to hide. Traveling this way was beyond risky. I entered the next hallway and saw Vesim talking with Cun.

“We took care of him but he might have already warned Arkan. If he didn’t, he had a backup plan. Until we know for sure, we’ll have to be careful.”

Vesim took a sip of champagne and smiled at a woman standing nearby. “We’ll have to move him soon. It’s the only way to ensure his safety.”

If either of them turned their head a certain way, I would be completely exposed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a nook with a wet bar. I crept over there. This wasn’t the best place to be but I could pretend that I was getting a drink. I poured myself a shot of brandy. After downing the liquid, I looked up and saw Tran. Without hesitation, I moved back into the hallway passed Vesim.

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