Page 57 of Tainted Empire
Anatoly nods in agreement. “Same here. This requires careful consideration.”
Vladimir smiles, a predator sure of his prey. “Of course. Take your time. But don’t take too long. Opportunities like this don’t wait forever.”
As the meeting concludes and we make our way out, the weight of the decision looms over me. This could be a major shift in power and profit, but the stakes are incredibly high. And in this game, one wrong move could be catastrophic. Gabriette and I have a lot to discuss and even more to consider.
Before leaving Vladimir’s mansion, I spot Anatoly lingering near the entrance, his expression thoughtful. I make my way over to him, the question about Dasha’s brother burning in my mind.
“Anatoly, can I have a word?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
He turns to me, his gaze sharp. “Of course, Mikhail. What’s on your mind?”
I take a deep breath. “It’s about a kidnapping from years ago. Dasha Petrova’s brother. Do you know anything about it?”
Anatoly’s eyes narrow as he recalls the incident. “Ah, yes, the tragic story. Grisha’s boy turned up dead a day after his parents were killed. Dasha was taken in by her aunt before she left for... other pursuits.”
Fuck I have to be careful about what I say; he doesn’t know I killed Dasha. “And there was no doubt about the boy being dead?”
“Yes, it was a sad end to a terrible ordeal,” Anatoly replies, unaware of my personal connection to Dasha. “Why the sudden interest in this old case, Mikhail?”
I shake my head, disguising my turmoil. “Just tying up some loose ends of an old story. Thanks, Anatoly.”
As Gabriette and I leave the mansion and head towards our car, where Alexei is waiting to drive us home, we dive into a deep discussion about the night’s revelations.
Gabriette breaks the silence. “I hate the drug aspect, Mikhail. It’s dirty, dangerous. I know there’s a lot at stake, but...”
I nod, feeling a heavy weight in my chest. “I know, baby. It’s not a clean business. But sometimes, we don’t get to choose our battles.”
She looks at me with a frown. “I get that this life has a lot of undesirable things, but knowing we’ll be instrumental in distributing a drug like that…”
I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head. Sometimes I forget that she was only a mafia princess, not deeply ingrained in the ins and outs of what this life truly is about.
“I’ll have to discuss this with my father and see what he says, he knows the Vladimir’s world better than me, and—”
Before I can continue the conversation, the night erupts into chaos. Gunshots ring out, shattering the car’s windows. Alexei swerves, trying to evade our attackers, but they’re relentless.
“Hold on!” Alexei shouts, his voice tense as he maneuvers the car through the streets.
“Get down!” I shout to Gabriette, pushing her head lower as I try to spot our assailants. This is like fucking deja vu,
I try to shield her as best as I can as bullets whiz by, the sound deafening in the confined space of the car.
“Fuck, they’re not backing off!” I hear Alexei curse through gritted teeth.
He maneuvers the car with skill, but we’re outnumbered, outgunned. A bullet grazes my arm, and pain sears through me. I hear Gabriette screaming my name as another round of gunfire hits the car.
In a desperate move, Alexei attempts a sharp turn, but it’s too late. The car crashes, the world spinning wildly. I feel a jolt of pain, and then darkness begins to creep in at the edges of my vision.
The last thing I hear is Gabriette’s screams, her voice filled with terror, calling my name. Then darkness envelops me, and I lose consciousness, the night’s events spiraling into a void.
Chapter 30
Gabriette
I blink slowly, my vision blurry, the sterile smell of a hospital filling my senses. The room is white and impersonal, the steady beep of a heart monitor the only sound. I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my body, forcing me to lie back down.
I cry out and hear footsteps, when I open my eyes I see Lee, who is by my side in an instant, her face etched with worry.
“Gabi, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”