Alessandro waited for the news to sink in. “Are you trying to suggest that Selena is Natasha Antonova?”
He nodded. “Yes, Katerina’s daughter by a man she fell in love with out of wedlock, a man who was later murdered. This is where everything begins to unravel and much of the information has been lost or purposely destroyed. From what I could find, Katerina was also killed, or she took her own life. That is something I’m not certain of. So many records were destroyed by acts of arson. If I had to connect the dots, I’d say for political reasons. Given most of her family was murdered, any direct descendant would be considered a valuable commodity.”
“For the other families attempting to gain even more power.” I shook my head, glancing out the window seeking some type of clarity.
“Again, this is conjecture, but from bits and pieces, it would appear Katerina had been promised in marriage to someone. The identity of that person we couldn’t find, but it would have been someone of importance.”
“Someone to bring two families together to increase their weight of power in all of Russia.” I sat back, raking my hands through my hair. What the fuck had my father and uncle hidden from us for decades?
“You said you believed you were the intended target of the killing seven years ago. What if you were incorrect and Selena was?”
DiAngelo’s voice was deep, as reflective as the way I was feeling. “I don’t see how that’s possible. She was a young woman who I accidentally met from a little family in Illinois. Her parents were killed when she was young. I think she had an aunt taking care of her. I never met her. She was American through and through.”
They studied me with the same intensity I’d seen from my father and uncle.
“Maybe you’re right, but why would she have the birth certificate in her things?” Alessandro was right of course.
I lumbered to my feet, heading toward the open door. At this point, I needed a breath of fresh air. “This is crazy. So you’re trying to make me believe that Selena, aka Natasha was Russian royalty. What happened? Did she run away? How old was she when her mother was killed?”
“Four, maybe five. We’re not sure. Young enough she would have lost any accent.”
“Then what the hell are you certain about, Alessandro?” He certainly didn’t deserve my anger. He’d discovered some very intricate details I’d yet to find. Even with all the contacts I had. Granted, maybe a few of them were fearful of telling me what they’d found.
“I don’t think I’m telling you something you don’t know, Sasha, but the factions still exist inside Russia. They do their best to keep the rest of the world from discovering much about them, but from what I’ve seen and from our sources inside Italy, two of the three Bratvas now control factions of the government. And there’s enough support behind the Antonova family that if they were to find their… for the lack of a better phrase, royalcouple, they could create a coup. Sounds crazy, but this is Russia we’re talking about.”
“Selena was supposed to take her mother’s place for this royal coup.”
Alessandro nodded. “Completely plausible, but when she married you, she became soiled, especially given the rift in the family.”
The tension in my body was becoming painful. “Do you want to know the truth? I’ve heard only a few select stories about what my father and mother endured or my uncle when they still lived in Moscow. They told us just enough to use as a reminder to be thankful for where we grew up and how lucky we were.”
“Perhaps they were trying to protect you,” DiAngelo suggested.
“Or trying to hide their lies.” I hated myself for thinking that way. “If what you’re saying is true, it’s the reason Nina was kidnapped. A bloodline. She’s fucking seven years old.”
“Yes. That’s the conclusion I came to. The other reason is that Nina has both Antonova and Dmitriyev blood in her. That would solidify an alliance that had originally meant to be handled through marriage. Even if they were forced to wait, just her appearance in the world would be enough to alter the course of power.”
I fisted my hand, bringing it to my mouth. “I need more proof. Even what you’ve told me won’t be enough to force the truth from my father.” I spun around, glancing from one to the other. “Does she have an aunt or was that just a story?”
Alessandro stiffened. “Yes, Sasha. Katerina’s sister who brought Natasha here. She changed her name from Elena to Betty Martin. I can only believe she had connections that enabled her to erase their previous identities. Selena was raised American with few memories of her life in Russia.”
“If this is true, then my marriage was a lie. Maybe she was being used by Uncle Yuri to destroy us.” My jaded thoughts were eating me alive. The love had been real. I could feel it even now.
Both men appeared uncomfortable, neither wanting to answer.
“Only you know the truth to that, Sasha. I will tell you something my mother used to say to us. Fate can never be twisted enough that it won’t find its way back home. Sometimes you just need to believe in what’s in your heart.”
DiAngelo’s words were haunting. I’d loved her. She’d loved me. Her legacy had given me a precious gift in Nina. And the way Selena had been as a woman had allowed me to fall in love again with an incredible woman that I refused to lose.
Nothing and no one from my past would ever be allowed to take something so precious again.
“What are you going to do?” Alessandro asked.
“Whatever it takes to get them back.” I meant every word. “Did you find out where Yuri resides?”
“He has several estates, all highly protected. We don’t have anyone inside Russia who I would trust with accurate information,” DiAngelo admitted.
“But I do.” I had enough people who owed me favors. Time to call them in.
