Exposed Target, page 21
It hit her like a baseball bat to her chest.
“You killed my father and mother?” Her knees almost buckled. “It was not a rival family? You did not send mother to a care center?”
Oleg gave a casual shrug and waved his gun with the movement. “I did what needed to be done and eliminated the weakness in this family.”
Natalia stared at Oleg, her mind incapable of comprehending what he was saying.
He almost looked…amused.
Deadly and amused.
Nothing made sense.
“I have sent orders to have Niko taken care of in prison.” Oleg studied her. “We no longer have use for him.”
“Not Niko.” Natalia could barely breathe. “Please, not Niko, too.”
Oleg shrugged. “I tire of yours and Niko’s stupidity. We lost many men because of the choice Niko made when he asked this outsider to marry him.” He gestured to Ciara. “He would not listen to me. Niko must have told her about the books, and perhaps the broach, as well.”
Natalia’s entire world crashed down on her. Oleg had killed her parents, her lover, and now her twin?
Family is everything…
Her heart shattered.
She would have no family.
Oleg was not family. He is a monster.
“No.” Natalia’s life crumbled around her like dust scattered in a windstorm. “Uncle Oleg, please don’t. Please spare Niko’s life.”
Oleg looked at Ciara. “How did you know of the ledgers and the broach?”
Ciara glared at Oleg, who rose from his chair. He opened the middle drawer of his desk again and pulled out a NRS-2, a Russian-made tactical knife that also fired one round out of the handle, along the knife blade.
The owner could slash up his victim before burying the blade in his skull then firing the bullet to ensure the person died.
Just like what happened to Papa.
Black spots appeared before Natalia’s eyes, and she grew dizzy.
This isn’t happening.
Oleg sat on the edge of his desk and showed the blade to Ciara. “I killed my brother using this.” Oleg swiped the blade through the air. “Like this.” He moved it again in an expert motion. He leaned forward and held the knife an inch from Ciara’s nose. “All I need to know is how you found out. If you do not tell me, I will start by carving your face.”
Ciara’s throat visibly worked, her face pale. “I overheard Natalia telling Niko he needed to be more careful of where he hid the ledgers and the broach, and he shouldn’t keep them in his office safe.”
Natalia’s skin turned to ice.
My fault.
Oleg slowly turned and stared at Natalia. “You spoke without caution and did not think that someone might overhear you?”
“I don’t know how she heard—”
Oleg waved a hand at Ciara as if waving off a fly. “I care little for what happens to Ciara now that I know where the real fault lies.” Oleg raised the knife and pointed it at Natalia. “Niko dies. Your punishment is to live the rest of your life, knowing you are at fault for his death.”
Natalia wanted to lunge for him, to dig her fingers into his eyes then strangle him with her bare hands. To avenge her parents’ and Viktor’s deaths.
And Niko’s?
Please, God, no.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. Natalia forced herself to put on a mask of calm despite the tears. If Oleg let her live, she would get her revenge.
Oleg underestimated her. He believed she cared more about self-preservation over a willingness to die for those she loved.
He laid his weapon on the desktop. “I have arranged for the trade of the Zvezda Rossii for Ciara tonight. My assassin, Vadim, will see to it that all goes as planned.”
Natalia wanted to ask him how he had arranged it and tell him that she did not need nor want Vadim involved. She said nothing. She had no more tears, not now.
Oleg nodded to Yuri. “Take Natalia and Ciara to the Krasnoyarsk Zvezda.”
Natalia kept her mask neutral. Why send them to The Red Star?
The yacht Oleg paid for with my father’s blood.
It took all Natalia had to sound submissive to Oleg. “Yes, Uncle.”
Oleg waved her away. “Go.”
Natalia forced herself not to look at Viktor’s body. Her beautiful Viktor.
No more crying. Be strong.
Yuri grasped her arm as she reached the back door and she tried to shrug him off. When he wouldn’t let go, she glared at him. “Release me.”
He ignored her.
Mikael gripped Ciara by her arm and jerked her alongside him.
When they were outside the office, and Yuri had closed the doors, Natalia said, “I must first visit the ladies room.”
Yuri scowled.
“Not this one.” She nodded to the bathroom next to Oleg’s office. “I need to use the one in my room.” Natalia paused. “For female reasons.” She gestured to Ciara. “Allow her to use this one.”
Mikael and Yuri exchanged glances.
Yuri shifted from side to side, looking uncomfortable at the mention of “female reasons,” but escorted her to her own room, upstairs in the south wing. Natalia tried to shut her bedroom door, but Yuri insisted on leaving it open. However, he allowed her to close the one to her bathroom.
Natalia reached under the sink and detached the holstered petite Beretta Pico .380 she’d always kept for emergencies but had never needed. She couldn’t grab her favorite Beretta Nano because she had left it hidden in her bedroom where Yuri now stood. She had intentionally not worn her Beretta to meet Uncle Oleg, in case he had her searched. He hadn’t.
Apparently, he underestimated her in many ways.
She had never killed before, but she would for her family.
However, to be prepared for later, if she had a later, she had fastened the pouch she preferred on the inside of her jeans’ waistband. She flipped the pouch open, slid in the weapon, and slipped the pouch back into her jeans.
She drew a sheathed dagger, like a small version of a traditional stiletto, from beneath a stack of towels in the linen closet. She tucked the sheathed weapon inside her waistband, on the left.
A knock on the door startled her. “Miss Natalia. I will be forced to open the door if you do not come out.”
“One minute,” she said in Russian. She hurried to flush the toilet then ran the tap and washed her hands. She opened the door then continued drying her hands on a hand towel.
When she walked into the bedroom, she tossed the hand towel into a laundry basket then grasped her purse from her dresser.
Yuri put a hand on her arm, holding it down until she dropped the purse. “Nyet.”
She scowled. “I need this.”
He shook his head again. “Nyet.”
She raised her chin and jerked her arm away from his touch. “Let us go to the Krasnoyarsk Zvezda. I am prepared to be done with Ciara Cruz once and for all.”
Yuri ushered her through the door where Ciara stood.
“Come, Yuri.” Natalia would take control from this point on. “We have work to do.”
She’d expected Yuri to try to regain his position, but he let her walk ahead of him. Perhaps he thought he had the advantage this way. She doubted he realized just how dangerous she could be.
24
Sheets of rain drummed on the SUV’s rooftop and slammed against the windows.
Beck checked his Glock at the same time Reno eyed his own 9mm. They sat in Reno’s black SUV, hidden in a copse of trees half a mile from Oleg Sokolov’s four-acre Lloyd Harbor estate. Only the two of them had gone to his mansion.
Beck was taking a big chance, coming here instead of going to the Russians on the island where they were scheduled to meet.
Thank God, he hadn’t let Ciara take the broach with her. He had no doubt once the Russians had the gems, they planned to kill Ciara. They couldn’t be trusted. And they wanted her dead as badly as they wanted the broach.
The Zvezda Rossii for Ciara’s life.
Reno had said he’d kick Beck’s ass if he tried to go it alone tonight. Or if Beck tried to stop Reno from joining him on his mission to save Ciara.
The tracker in Ciara’s shoe still showed her in the Sokolov mansion. He couldn’t imagine what must be going through her head. They had talked about her nightmares of this place and how she never wanted to return.
But there she was.
Fuck.
It was his fault. He never should have allowed her to go where the Sokolovs had instructed her to. She would have hated him, but she’d be alive and that’s what counted. But she would never have forgiven herself if her mother lost her life.
Beck gritted his teeth and had to take deep breaths to calm himself. He wouldn’t do anyone any good if he lost his composure.
Reno extended his hand. He held the pouch for the Zvezda Rossii on his palm.
“I thought you handed this over to Claudine.” Beck took the pouch and felt the weight of the broach. “She’s going to be pissed.”
“Who gives a fuck if she’s pissed?” Reno shrugged. “The last thing you need is anyone getting in the way of you getting Ciara back.”
“You’ve got that right.” Beck didn’t bother to look at the diamonds in the broach, just shoved the pouch in his pocket. “Thanks.”
Reno slipped in his ear com. “Anytime.”
Beck adjusted his own ear device. Reno had procured the tiny units from someone he knew on the outside. High-powered, waterproof, and impossible to see when worn.
Both Beck and Reno had dressed in lightweight black tactical clothing from head to toe. Plenty of pockets for weapons and waterproof to protect them from the rain.
Beck swiped black shoe polish on his cheekbones. “Ready?”
“Always, my friend.” Reno gave Beck a solid pat on the shoulder. “We’ll get her.”
Armed to the teeth, they each lightly pressed their ear coms with their fingers. Then they left the vehicle and slid into the storm.
Reno dissolved into the darkness, headed north of the estate. Beck would take the south side.
Beck gripped his 9mm. “How’s the reception?”
“Crystal.” Reno’s voice came clearly over the earpiece. “I’ve got her on my radar.”
“Good.” Beck held his Glock in a firm grip as he worked his way through the acres of manicured trees and shrubs. The well-kept land made it simple to navigate, but without the storm it would have been easier to be spotted.
Lightning cracked the sky, illuminating Beck’s position and the rumble of thunder followed close behind. He pressed his back against a tree for a moment. The lightning could easily give them away.
Beck wiped rain away from the tracker on his wrist. He frowned. “She’s on the move.”
“Roger that,” Reno said. “Looks like they left the house.”
“They’re headed to the water.” Beck’s heart rate kicked up a notch.
They must be going to the meet to get the broach via the yacht.
Beck wouldn’t be able to make this happen if he didn’t get on that boat.
He put on speed as he headed down toward the water. “I’m coming around south to the water instead of the house.”
“I’ll do the same on my end,” Reno said. “Don’t worry, buddy. We’ll get her.”
We damned sure will.
Beck slid through the night and neared the harbor where a massive yacht started to pull away from the dock.
“Oh, hell no.” Beck increased his speed, branches tugged his shirt and shrubs grabbed at his boots. Lightning seared the heavens, illuminating Beck in a jagged flash that lasted far too long. If any of the Sokolovs’ men saw Beck or Reno, this could go from bad to worse in a hurry.
“They’re leaving port,” Beck said. “I’m going after them.”
“Not sure I can make it in time,” Reno said. “Watch your ass.”
“See you on the other side,” Beck said.
He had to get to that yacht before it got too far to reach.
Beck burst out of the tree line and slid down an embankment to the shore. He didn’t have time to stay low.
He shoved his handgun into a waterproof pouch in his pants, grateful he wore waterproof tactical clothing. He yanked off his boots and socks, tossed them on the sand, and waded into the water as fast as possible until it was deep enough to dive into.
He cut through the yacht’s wake with swift strokes. If the luxury boat didn’t increase speed, he’d make it.
The yacht seemed to move at a slightly faster pace.
Shit. Beck didn’t know if he’d imagined it, but he swam faster yet. The Sokolovs held Ciara on that boat, and he would damn well save her.
She meant too much to him to lose. Not now. Not ever.
As he neared the yacht, he saw a tender on the port side and a Searay on the Starboard. The Searay would make for a better escape.
He reached the Krasnoyarsk Zvezda and let out a gasp of relief as he grabbed the ladder at the yacht’s stern.
Beck only paused long enough to take a breath before he scaled the ladder. He peered through a gap between the wood and the brass rail running along the top.
A guard with a rifle firmly in his grip paced the deck.
Shit.
Beck ducked.
He unsheathed the knife at his hip before he peered between the gap again. He couldn’t use his handgun without alerting others to his presence.
Beck imagined Reno hadn’t made it this far, so he would face this alone.
Not a problem.
No one could get in the way of him saving Ciara from this family of butchers.
When the guard slipped into the darkness on the starboard side, Beck climbed over the rail and landed in a crouch on the wet lower deck. He kept low as he hurried through the near darkness to the aft door. He took care not to be seen through the lone window, illuminated by warm lighting.
Rain slashed against his body and the yacht rocked with the strengthening waves from the powerful storm.
He pressed his back against the wall beside the door and waited.
The guard walked around the corner.
Lightning illuminated the night the moment Beck attacked, his movements swift and deadly. He sliced the man’s throat. He didn’t have time to make a sound before he dropped to the deck.
Thunder hid the sound of the body dropping and the thump of the rifle on the deck.
Rain washed away the blood.
Ciara shifted in her seat and watched Natalia, who fingered a large sapphire pendant that hung from a chain around her neck.
Pale and beautiful all in black, Natalia stared through a starboard window of the upper deck master stateroom, out into the storm. She seemed lost in thought. Or maybe numb.
Viktor had been important to Natalia, and Oleg had shot him.
Oleg had told Natalia he had ordered someone to take care of Niko.
And he had her parents murdered.
How could anyone stand that much pain—losing her lover, her brother, and her parents to an evil man? Her uncle, her flesh-and-blood?
She knew what it felt like to have her mother kidnapped, threatened, and in danger. She now knew what it felt like to be chased, shot at, and nearly killed multiple times.
But the murder of a family member or lover? She hoped never to feel that devastation.
Ciara had a difficult time grasping all that had happened. Natalia had been involved from the beginning, but she had let Ciara’s mother and the other woman go.
Why?
To get them out of the way?
Or because it bothered her conscience to hurt a helpless woman and her caretaker?
“Why did you let them go?” Ciara surprised herself by breaking the silence.
Natalia didn’t look away from the window. She didn’t speak for a long moment. The only sound was the raw hunger and rage of the storm.
“Oleg and Roman never should have ordered that massacre.” Natalia shifted and rested her cheek against the glass. “They should never have taken your mother and the other woman. It is one thing to track those who intend harm upon the family. It is another to abuse the truly innocent.”
Ciara couldn’t find words. Only the sound of rain on the roof of the luxurious cabin filled the room.
Her thoughts twisted in her mind, but she kept coming back to Natalia’s losses. “I’m sorry about Viktor and Niko. About your parents, too.”
Natalia turned her gaze on Ciara. “You wanted Niko locked away. You would not have cared if they put him to death in the electric chair if this state allowed capital punishment.”
Ciara swallowed but didn’t look away. “Natalia, Niko and Oleg planned to kill me after the wedding. They threatened my mother if I didn’t behave.”
Natalia frowned. “They told me no such thing.”
Ciara studied Natalia. Was she telling the truth? “How could you not know? You treated me like an outcast.”
“Oleg said you lied to Niko then stole the ledgers and the Zvezda Rossii before going to the police.” Natalia moved away from the wall. “He put me in charge of tracking you down.”
Ciara tilted her chin. “And having me killed?”
“Yes.” Natalia nodded. “I thought something seemed strange. But I did what Oleg ordered me to.”
“And you did it well.”
“Not well enough.” Natalia’s throat worked. “You’re here, Viktor is dead, and Niko may very well be already.”
“And your parents?” Ciara shifted in her seat. “Niko told me they died when you were young.”
“We were six.” Natalia moved to the chair closest to Ciara and slumped into it. “Our uncle told us a rival faction had murdered him. My mother became ill, and Oleg sent her to a care facility. At least that’s what he told us. Now I know we have been living a lie.”
Natalia raised her hands. “This is all a lie. My life is a lie.” Her ice-blue eyes, so like Niko’s, grew watery.
Natalia leaned back in her chair and stared up at the chandelier. She gave a mirthless laugh. “Oleg has an assassin, Vadim, coming to kill you and likely me as well. Oleg has no reason to let me live.”
