Page 40 of Angel's Forever

At least we had a starting point. It was far better than everywhere north of New York, like we’d had up until now.

“We are certain we know who they are contacting, and I am having them brought into my office. Hopefully, they haven’t destroyed the phone they are using. If I get any details, I will forward them to you.”

“Good. I will find them. Knowing what they have done both now and in the past, I will make sure that they never do it again by finding them for you. If I don’t, you won’t need to kill me, because I will do it myself.”

Even if my contact didn’t find Vincent and Gabriella, I would never kill him. He was far too important to me. He had never let me down before, and I was sure he wouldn’t again.

“I know you won’t let me down.”

Our call ended just like that. I trusted that man with the life of my malyshka and her child. If he thought he needed to go in and unmask himself to save them both, then he would. However, he liked the anonymity that he had. Hardly anyone ever saw him, and there were only a few people who knew his name. He was only known as Teneva Diable, or Shadow Devil. No one ever saw him, just a shadow before losing their life. He was good, but very costly. I didn’t care, though. I would give up my entire fortune to save Gabriella.

There was a knock on the door, and my trusted friend Aleksandr walked into the room.

“We have him downstairs waiting for you. Have you heard anything from TD?”

I loved how Aleksandr called him TD. I had gotten to know him through Aleksandr, one of the only people to know his true identity, having been friends with him in the home country for years.

“Yes. Vincent is somewhere in Old Orchard Beach. He is hoping we can get the phone from whoever he is messaging here in New York so he can put a trace on the calls.”

A smirk came over Aleksandr’s face, and I looked at him, puzzled for a moment. That was until he pulled a phone from his pocket and placed it on the desk in front of me.

“You mean this phone? I had already thought that TD would want it. The passcode is 101598. He was stupid enough to use his own birthday. There haven’t been any recent messages from Vincent, but they have been in contact with each other. A lot. Including an hour before we arrived at the clinic. Nikolai called him and spoke for about thirty seconds.”

That was all the proof I needed to kill him. He had put Gabriella in the danger zone and almost cost Gino his life. For that alone, he would pay with his own.

“Does Nikolai have any family? Wife or kids?”

I wanted to see him dead, but I would never abandon any family he had. I would make sure that they were looked after. They shouldn’t have had to pay the price for what their traitorous father had done. I didn’t follow the ways of the old, to tar every member of a family with the same brush.

“He is single with no living relatives.”

Even better. There would be no one ever looking for him or wondering where he had disappeared to. It made my life so much easier.

“Good. Let’s go down and meet this traitor, then.”

I had purposefully asked Aleksandr to place him in one of the rooms in the basement. They were soundproof and easily cleaned. It had been a very long time since I had come down to these rooms. I usually left my men to deal with this. For traitors and the likes of Vincent, I would sometimes come down to watch if the mood took me. However, this was one time when I wanted the blood on my own hands.

I walked into the room to find Nikolai sitting down on a chair, looking quite carefree and comfortable. As soon as he heard the door open and my footsteps enter the room, he turned and immediately rose to his feet, showing me the respect I deserved. He stood tall and straight, lowering his eyes as he spoke to me.

“Privet, Mr. Koslov.” Hello, Mr. Koslov.

I didn’t say a word as I walked in front of him. A chair had been placed for me, so I walked up to it and sat down.

“Please sit, Nikolai.”

He sat, almost relaxed, in the chair. I was going to see if he admitted anything first before I decided to torture him.

“Do you know why you are here?”

His answer was immediate.

“Mr. Aleksandr said you had a special job you would like me to do.”

Aleksandr had done his job well, and Nikolai didn’t suspect anything, which gave me the advantage.

“That was partly the reason, yes. But there is also some information that I would like from you. Do you know a Vincent Forbes-Stuart?”

Not many people would have noticed the slight change in demeanor at the mention of Vincent's name, but I did, and when I looked over at Aleksandr, so did he.