And there was…a lot. Daniil dabbled in just about everything. The only thing his ‘organization’ didn’t have a hand in was drugs. Apparently, he drew the line there. His Papa hadn’t, and when Daniil took over five years ago as the boss, he cut that part out, causing a slight conflict that only recently had been resolved between himself and his dad.AfterDaniil proved they weren’t hurting for profits from their other businesses, which included respectful businesses, such as construction and property management, to not so respectful businesses, such as extremely risqué nightclubs providing anything sexual a person could want andsomewhatlegal arms stores. There was a plethora in between too since it took him a half-hour explaining all of his assets that were, as he put it,run with a firmer hand than most genteel businesses.
I stayed mute. And it would be a lie to say I hadn’t been a little freaked that he was so easily giving up the information on the inner working of the Russian Mafia. I wasn’t a fool to believe he was spilling all of it, but he was giving more than he should have to a reporter, even one who was his exclusive lover.
He explained the attacks that were taken against him so far and what could happen to me. He said it was too vast to list all of the attempts on his life, but explained the most significant times.
He began with the attack on him and his late wife. He hadn’t shown any emotion when speaking of her, which made me wonder. She died in a fire after she was drugged at one of the clubs, at the same time Daniil was beaten almost to death. The result was he was in a coma for almost six months, his children fled—he showed emotion there—and his wife died. All at the hands of his brother who wanted to take over the family business. It hadn’t worked out so well for the brother though in the end—somehowbeing slaughtered and Daniil’s dad taking back over.
He then explained the seven other attempts at his life in the past five years, none as deadly as the first, but still very serious nonetheless. He hadn’t really needed to say what the hazards would be for me after all that, but he did. In explicit detail.
And it utterly and completely scared the shit out of me.
He wasn’t surprised by my reaction, almost accepting of it. So, when I fled his room, telling him I needed time to think, he let me go without a word, just watching me with a hooded gaze…but he had stolen a quick, succulent kiss before I raced out.
Shaking and freaked, that was when Brent and Cole stopped me, managing to get me in the elevator alone…Trofim was lagging behind since Daniil had poked his head out the door, calling him back for a moment to speak to him. Right as the elevator opened, Cole and Brent stepped out of the room the maid had been cleaning and followed me into the elevator—leaving Daniil shouting down the hallway.
I knew a bad situation when I saw it. I tried to get out, but before I could even scream, Brent wrapped an arm around my waist and a hand over my mouth just as Cole pressed the close button, also hitting the button for my floor.
Cole stated quickly and quietly when I started struggling, “We only want to speak with you privately.” All three of us could hear the racing footsteps out in the hallway, coming fast at the elevator. Cole thumped the close button again. “We aren’t stupid enough to harm you publicly like this, so calm down before you do it to yourself.”
The door had closed before anyone became visible, but the three of us still heard Daniil’s furious uproar through the doors as the elevator began to travel down. It was more than unnerving that Cole said ‘harm you publicly’ so I kept up the struggle for a few beats. Pretty much until I completely wore myself out. The previous day had taken a toll on my body. I wasn’t sure what it was with the Lion Security’s group, but it was like they were all made of steel and couldn’t be hurt because, no matter how hard I fought in Brent’s arms, he didn’t even flinch or break a sweat while keeping me restrained.
Cole hit the button to stop the elevator. We came to a halt between floors. He asked, “Are you done so we can speak?”
I nodded, exhausted.
Brent released me, and I slumped against the wall. I crossed my arms and glared at these two men. No one enjoys being cornered in an elevator to ‘talk.’
“What were you trying to imply last night at dinner?” Cole questioned.
In return, I rolled my eyes, not wanting to play this game right now and be stuck in an elevator all day with them. “I wasn’timplyinganything. What Imeantwas that if you go and pick a fight with Grigori for something that happened while you two were supposedly dead, I will write an article,”no, I won’t, “about the two of you… experimenting… complete with photos of your tongues down each other’s throats.”
I shrugged as they glared. “Be fucking men about this. You two were gone. Life moves on after death. She did. He did. You can’t hurt him for that. For them making each other happy.”
I sucked in a breath, noticing they were actually listening to me. “What happened when you were gone you can’t erase. Or blame them because they decided to live after tragedy. That would be selfish as hell, and the two of you are very far from that.” I believed that wholeheartedly. In the armed forces, which we all knew they had been a part of, most of the time you’re put in situations that require sacrifice. And they figuratively sacrificed their lives for their country. So, no, they weren’t selfish. They made the ultimate sacrifice. And they may have lost the most important part of their life because of their selflessness.
Brent cleared his throat, and his fierce eyes moved over my shoulder where he stared at the wall. “We get that now. Last night, we were reacting off emotion. We’d only just realized…” He cleared his throat again. “We won’t harm him for what he did in the past.”If he does it again, though, it’s a different ballgame—I heard him even though he didn’t say it.
Cole stared, his eyes ice as he hovered over me. “What are you going to do with the information you have?”
In other words—are you going to write the article about us smooching?
“Nothing. I wouldn’t ruin you two just to ruin you.” Not after my new—annoying conscience—kept bugging me. “For now, anyway.” Best to keep them on a leash if need be.
Cole’s eyes flashed. “Blackmail?”
I shook my head. “No. Just insurance.” In case they ever get stupid again. “Now, can we get the elevator going? And if you don’t want to be shot, I would stay back until I exit. Daniil didn’t sound very happy.” Those words really shouldn’t have rolled off my tongue as easily as they did, and my eyebrows snapped together. Daniil wasn’t going to be shooting anyone today.
Brent grinned a crooked smile, and it was adorable with his blond curls falling around his face. “I think we’ll be fine.” He turned toward the panel of buttons, popped open the small door after he removed two quick screws with a small kit he pulled out of his pants pocket. Only fifteen seconds of messing with the wires, and the button for my floor went dark and the floor we had come from—theirs—lit. The elevator started moving again. Up this time, while Brent put the panel back on, just as the doors opened.
Cole pushed my floor’s button again.
They both exited into a quiet hallway.
The doors closed.
I blinked.
It was good to know Brent knew a thing or two about wiring.
