She shoots me a warning look, but I just hold her stare. If she wants to test me, I’ll spill it all. I’m so over all this bullshit.
“I saved Mila from a pedophile, and from there, I uncovered just how deep the ring of sex trafficking and pedophiles runs in this part of the world,” she finally says tightly. She glances at Mila, who nods for her to keep going. “It didn’t take me long to fish out how the man who took her found her.” She looks at Ilya. “Her name and information were given to the man by Timur Belov’s contacts, on the order of the Bratva Butcher, to bring you to your knees while searching for her. They wanted you so distracted that you let everything fall apart. They were sure you’d never find her, because the man they sold her to was known for getting rid of his victims within twenty-four hours.”
I glance back and see Ilya and Zakhar’s expressions harden before looking over at my father with a look that promises retribution.
“I’ve already been planning on taking him down when the time was right, but well, this just sealed it.” I see her look at Mishka. “Mishka was smart, fast, and hungry enough to help me make it happen.” She looks back at me. “The problem was we could never get close. Until you called me.”
I narrow my eyes. “And that was the moment you realized that I could bring him out into the open.”
“Mishka didn’t want to involve you, but well, I do what I know will work. Personal feelings aside. He never wanted you to know he was alive.” She shoots him a pointed look. His expression never changes, but his eyes flick to mine. Regret and apology, even as hurt pierces my chest.
He wanted me to continue to think he was dead? Why? Because it was safer?
I look away from him, my head and heart warring with trying to understand and raging at him.
“So you concocted this plan to bring her here so you could kill him?” Zakhar demands harshly. “You deliberately put my daughter in danger because?—”
“She was never in danger,” Tatiana interjects, pinning him with a cold glare. “Who do you think kept all these fuckers away from her? Do you really think that no one ever tried to take her from that school? How many deaths she’s narrowly avoided thanks to my oversight?”
Zakhar is silent, but I can feel the confusion rolling off him. And I’m right there with him. What is her obsession with Mila? Why is she so intent on keeping her alive?
“I kept my fingers and ears to the ground as we waited to see just what was going to happen, because you, my darling, were in his way of total control of this part of the world, and the only way he could peddle his flesh market into this coast was through Belov’s territory, with some help with a certain Italian Don. It wasn’t enough.” She looks at Alonzo.
“I knew that fucker was involved,” Alonzo huffs. When I arch a brow, he quickly explains about Carlo Barone, giving me some context. The more I listen, the more things are starting to click into place.
“How did you convince Simeon to talk his father into this plan?” I ask.
“I let it slip to your father that you were in New York, and he told me to figure out how to get you back to California. From there, I used my connections and networks to get him to hire me and come up with the story to work with Ilya.”
“No fucking way,” Oleg rasps, and I see his expression has slackened in shock. “You? You’re…you…”
“I really do love it when they do that,” Tatiana giggles. She looks at Ilya, and when I look at him, I can see the shock on hisface as he finally starts to put the pieces together. Zakhar just gapes at her.
“You’re the Chameleon,” Ilya finally manages to get out.
“I’m many things,” Tatiana says, then shrugs, “but yes, the order came through to me. It was all I needed to put my plan into motion. I got Aurora, brought her to you, and made sure that you had no choice but to hire her.” She turns a wicked grin at me. “And here you were face to face with your ex-husband, and you never even realized the guard in Canada was him. You’re slipping, sweets.”
“I knew you were the one who called the cops.” Ilya seethes.
“I did. And you looked so cute rushing out,” she croons.
“You were there? Watching?”
“Keep up, dude, she was the woman who brought me to you and then let you know the cops were there,” I sigh. He stares at me and then looks at her like he can’t process that. “That’s her whole thing. She can become anyone and anything, and you’ll never know she’s there.”
I can sense their unease. They really don’t like the idea that she’s always been this close. Can’t say I blame them either. She’s not exactly the most sane woman out there.
Tatiana pouts. “Well, that wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for,” she whines. “Seriously, baby, you wound me.” She pouts at Ilya, and I stare at her in exasperation. What the fuck is wrong with her?
“How have you not shot her yet?” I ask Mishka, unable to help myself. He doesn’t answer, but another ghost of a smile covers his lips.
“Because he likes me and appreciates me for who I am, Aurora,” Tatiana sniffs. “But don’t worry, I’ve never slept with him. I’ve had my eye on someone else anyway.” Her gaze sweeps to Ilya.
No fucking way.
I gape at her. “You did all of this because of him? In what, some kind of fucked up way to flirt with him? You couldn’t just bang him and move on?”
“Ewww,” Mila groans. “I really don’t want to think about that.”
