“I have some reports on the shooters who ruined the ceremony,” my ears sharpened to listen to what he had to say. “Italians. They were hired through a cutout, and I believe that the money came from one of Arkady’s missing accounts. It’s a crazy turn he’s making. Trying to clean up his mess with someone else’s bullet. That’s fraud.”
“To hell with them all,” I hissed. “I’ll make them pay for what they did to Liza. For ruining my wedding.”
“I believe there’s more to be found,” Konstantin uttered as the chair turned to the left and right as he moved.
“Dig deeper. As long as we have a lead on this, we’ll follow it up with all seriousness.”
“Of course. It’s all under control.”
“Don’t forget to freeze every asset of Markov that’s still in the hands of the Lobanovs. If we get careless with that, a lot willstill go wrong, and it’s best we handle this in order. No matter what we do, we should not be on the suffering end. Let’s make them pay.” I said to Konstantin, knowing how brutal he can be, and his half smile said it all. He was just the right man for this kind of job because, although he had his own issues, he wasn’t the kind of man anyone would mess with and go free.
I hated how Arkady still stood tall after all the commotion he caused. All my public charities were crumbling, and more money was being lost. Liza’s condition was my major concern. It’s a shame that her father’s poor actions harmed her this deeply. That type of man doesn’t deserve to see the breath of morning, I thought. He deserved to see everything he owned taken away from him, and I’d enjoy watching him burn to the ground, helpless and without pity. For all I cared, the report was more good news to me, and I was glad that it came sooner than I expected it to.
Konstantin didn’t stay for long. We shook hands right before he left, and he told me to expect the next report in a short time. Already, my hopes were high, and I trusted him to do whatever it took. From victory to victory, that was the motto we’d chant after all this was over with.
I returned to the room and took my place on the chair beside her. Her eyes were still closed shut, and I observed how she breathed in and out. I kissed her forehead again and stroked her hair with a gentle touch. She looked so innocent.
And while I gazed at her, I reminisced on the first time she came in, all grand and posh. Fearless and brave. She hated that I kept her hostage. She made lots of demands that I knew I could meet. I liked the fact that she was stubborn and knew how to strike a good deal on her own terms. Although I didn’t enjoy the trouble, I missed her trouble because it was the best kind. Liza wanted freedom more than anything in the world. She wanted her peace of mind and most of all, attention.
“I promise you, Liza,” I uttered in a calm whisper. “You will always be safe with me.”
Chapter Eighteen
Roman’s POV
It took a little persuasion for Alina to move into the mansion as Liza’s on-call physician. She arrived with her trunk of clothes, and I ensured that her room was set up in the best possible way next to ours. God knows that I needed Liza to get all the care and attention she needed, and Alina was the right person for the job. With her around, I’m assured of Liza’s recovery, and I’m also assured of the child’s safety. Alina’s care for Liza came naturally, and I liked that she found my dear Liza to be more than just a patient. But it wasn’t just her who changed around Liza. My brother’s changed too. I noticed the slight shift in their attitude. The way they asked after her and urged me to stick with her no matter what.
The other day, both Viktor and Konstantin came over for a visit. They came to my study, and we talked for hours, trying to straighten out all that needed to be dealt with regarding Arkady’s case.
“How’s Liza?” Viktor asked, and it surprised me for a second. My lips pressed against themselves until they pouted out.
“She’s recovering well,” I answered. Konstantin’s eyes looked at me, his face unsmiling. “I had the nurse move in some days back.”
“Who, Alina?” Konstantin asked, and I nodded. “You think it’s safe?”
“Sure. I mean, why not? I want Liza to get the best treatment she can. I dread the thought of having an emergency, and we’d have to wait for her to get dressed, which would delay us. With Alina here, it’s stress-free.”
“Smart. Can we meet her?” He asked, and I nodded.
“Of course, but she’s asleep. You’ll have to wait for her to wake up before you can talk to her. But she’s holding up well, I think.”
“Take good care of her, Roman. A lot has been going on, and I want you to protect her at all costs,” Viktor uttered, his tone heavy with concern. “She’s one of us now.”
“You mean…”
“Yes, Roman. She’s a Bratva wife, and that means that we should put all hands on deck and figure out how to deal with Arkady as fast as we can, but we have to protect Liza from all of it. She shouldn’t get affected.”
“Oh…don’t worry about it.” Konstantin brought out his Cuban cigar from the side pocket of his blazer and lit it carefully with his lighter. “ Everything is coming along well. I decided to take this case a little bit personally, and presently I’d say that the reports I’m getting are coming in handy. So far, we’ve frozen the majority of Arkady’s accounts.”
“Majority?” Viktor asked with a slightly befuddled gaze at Konstantin.
“Yes, majority.”
“So you mean there are other accounts that aren’t yet closed?” I asked.
“None that we know of. We don’t know how many accounts Arkady opened up. But I’m sure that all the accounts that’ve been released to us are closed down and locked forever.”
“What about Arkady himself? Any lead on him?” Viktor asked, and Konstantin took a huge drag on his cigar. The room sank into a still silence while he did, and then he puffed out the smoke before he looked at both of us.
