Page 78 of Tangled Roses
“Arman.”
Titus answers immediately, and I’m guessing it’s just after lunch there.
“Is everything okay?”
He sounds concerned and I sigh heavily. “I’m not sure. We have some information that needs checking out.”
As I fill him in on Adele’s conversation with Ellie, his sharp intake of breath tells me he’s heard every word and understood the meaning behind them.
“This is interesting news.” His low voice wraps me in confidence that he will soon have the answers we need.
“The photograph is known to us. Mama, herself told us she was friends with the women but had lost touch with them years ago. She was scathing of Marsha Steele and it appeared her closest friend was Adele Heatherington, now Kenricky. I will ask her about the Russians.”
“Are you sure about that, Titus?”
I’m aware it’s not a good idea to question my brother and his silence would normally make a grown man break out in a sweat, but I’m not the enemy here and say carefully. “She may not be aware of Veronica’s involvement with pa. We need to discover who these men were and get a clearer picture before we ask her the story behind it.”
“I take your point.” He sighs heavily. “Ana is due to start work at The Rose Foundation in Los Angeles in a few days, and I’ll ask Alexei to delve into the past.”
I breathe a sigh of relief because my brother Alexei will relish the challenge and his new girlfriend, Serena, is the granddaughter of Don Vieri, of the Vieri Mafia. They have connections that can rival any secret service and deflect any heat from our door.
Titus sighs heavily. “We take one step forward and three back. If we can understand the connection between Burning Roses and The Rose Foundation, we may understand the reason behind pa’s death. His mistress was murdered too. I am in no doubt about that and I have a strong feeling that Marsha Steele knows why. Send Luka to extract the information. I am done with this shit. That woman is the key to unraveling the mystery, and my patience has run out.”
“Consider it done.”
He cuts the call, which tells me everything. Titus is not a patient man and if he loses his shit, empires will crumble and it’s up to me to make sure it’s not ours, so I do as he says and I make the call.
I leave a note for Ellie in case she wakes up and finds me gone, assuring her I won’t be long and to order breakfast.
Then I head down to the garage level and find Luka waiting along with my men.
The atmosphere is full of tense anticipation because they are like dogs on leashes and desperate to let off steam. It’s unusual for us to execute this kind of work. My brother Mikhail revels in this type of mission. My men are more suited to intimidation and coercion. Our business rivals often fall foul to their attention if they attempt to go against us.
It’s at times like this I realize the full extent of what The Romanov business involves and my heart is racing with adrenalin as I head off in search of answers.
I fill Luka in as we proceed toward Marsha’s Steele’s home in New York. She has several in various countries, largely because her empire scans continents and her stay here may be a fleeting one now that Nikolai has left for home.
“What are her movements?” I ask Luka, who has been monitoring her stay here.
“It appears she was here for Nikolai. She stayed mainly at her home in the city. A few deliveries have arrived from well-known clothing brands but otherwise no other movement.”
“And her conversations?”
“Business.”
Luka bugged her apartment and her phone and he laughs softly. “She has been arranging more parties for Burning Roses and setting up interviews for girls who have been recommended. She had a visitor, Michelle Jackson, a woman who runs a bar on the East side. She has recommended girls in the past and they met up for coffee at The Blue Room where they discussed some potential escorts.”
“Business as usual then.” My heart hardens because Marsha knows Ellie is in town and despite her apparent fear, she hasn’t even attempted to get in touch with her. So much for motherly love. Marsha never had any in the first place and treats Ellie like a stranger.
Luka’s phone lights up and I don’t miss the frown that darkens his face as he says quickly, “She’s leaving.”
“Any visuals?”
He flicks through his phone and finds the recording of inside her apartment and we watch Marsha frantically packing, almost as if she’s in a hurry.
“What happened?”
I’m confused and Luka says angrily, “Give me a minute.”