“Crap.I hadn’t heard that.Neither has Sasha.”Ivan paused, and Edwina could almost hear him thinking.“I’ll call Sasha and get in front of this recent development.Be upfront and tell her we’re working with Roscoe.Believe nothing she reads in the paper.”
“What if Smirnoff contacts her?”Edwina asked.
“Sasha hates Smirnoff.He’s more likely to get Mikhail’s grandfather to call her.”
“We should prepare her for that possibility.We can’t tell her we have Mikhail.Not until he’s more lucid.He has no idea who we are and probably won’t recognize Sasha.”Edwina didn’t mention her disappointment at being unable to introduce herself as Mikhail’s wife.
She slapped down her pique and concentrated on the immediate future.“Hopefully, once the drugs wear off, he’ll contact Sasha himself.”
“Yeah.”Doubt rippled down the line.“I hate to say this, but it’d be better if Smirnoff died and the Smirnoffs fought a leadership battle.”
“We can’t lead Smirnoff here.You and Gregory can’t come here.If we must meet, we’ll arrange another place.”
“Excellent point.The last thing we need is a gunfight with Smirnoff’s people.Talk to you later.I’d better run interference with Sasha before she jumps into this mess.”
“Good luck,” Edwina said and disconnected.
Roscoe had finished his call, his expression grim.“Smirnoff knows we have Mikhail and wants to make a deal.”
27
Edwinagasped,herhearthammering her rib cage.“Does he know, or is he guessing?”
“He called me,” Roscoe said.
“What’s our next move?”
“I’ve called in my aerial team, and they’ll keep watch to give us an early warning,” Roscoe said.“Short of taking out Smirnoff, I’m unsure what to do.”
“Can we pay someone to take him out?”Edwina asked.
Roscoe grimaced.“It doesn’t seem sporting to kill a man with limited time left.”
“That might be our sole option.Leave a power vacuum and let them battle it out within the family.”
“I’ll speak with my team.Maybe one of them will have a bright idea to solve our problem.”
“You heard that Mikhail’s mother is…concerned about her son and demanding answers.”
“I’ve heard she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
“I’m not sure Ivan can hold her off for much longer.Mikhail is still sleeping, but his headaches worry me.Could I contact the healer for something stronger than our painkillers?”
“I’ll call her because I’m worried.I thought if we removed him from Smirnoff’s clutches, Mikhail’s feline would do the rest.”
“I thought the same.”
A raucous bird call sounded overhead.
“Crap,” Roscoe said.“They’re here.”
“Smirnoff?”
“Someone from that house.Can you shoot?”
“Weapons aren’t a thing in New Zealand.I can use a knife and fight hand-to-hand.That will have to do.Let me check Mikhail first.”
Edwina hustled to Mikhail’s bedroom and found him asleep.Good.That made things easier.She closed the door and hoped like hell this situation didn’t turn to custard.
