Page 64 of Dark Seduction

“Was,” interjects one of Alexei’s lieutenants, a burly man with a keen eye. “He turned out to be a thief. We ran him out of theorganization. He died a year ago.”

My interest piques. “And did you have anything to do with his death?”

The lieutenant shakes his head, his expression unflinching. “No. He got himself killed over some petty drug bullshit. Nothing to do with us.”

I sit back, processing this information. It’s a dead end in more ways than one—a lead gone cold and a suspect literally deceased.

Alexei seems interested as I explain the connection. "So, why doyouknow that name?"

I lean in slightly, making sure I have his full attention. "He was linked to a motorcycle used in the attack on my family.”

Alexei's response is to drum his fingers thoughtfully on the table, his brow furrowed in concentration. "This is an odd development considering he’d been dead long before that incident occurred," he muses aloud, then adds with a hint of skepticism, "sounds too convenient, doesn’t it?"

I nod slightly, encouraging him to continue. "What’s on your mind?"

He meets my gaze with a calculated look. "Someone might have purposely linked the bike to this man knowing he was already dead, a way to connect him to the attack without risking anything."

I press for more clarity. "Are you suggesting this was a plot to frame your organization? To make it look like you were behind the attack?"

"I believe so," Alexei confirms. "Look, Lev, I may be competition but I’mcivilcompetition. There’s more money to be made with deals than with bloodshed."

I sit back, considering his words. His rationale makes sense. Alexei's explanation feels sincere and it fits the pattern of a setup designed to pit powerful players against each other.

This could mean there's another player in the game, one who stands to gain from our mutual destruction.

Alexei leans back, his expression turning more contemplative. "If you want my opinion," he begins, pausing for effect, "I think that 'the call is coming from inside the house,' as they say."

"A traitor?"

Alexei nods slowly, his gaze steady. "Indeed. It seems like only an internal job could stir such trouble within your organization," he asserts, his voice laced with a hint of disdain for such tactics.

He then shifts forward again, clasping his hands on the table, signaling a move toward a solution. "I have a proposal," he continues, "a truce between the Ivanov and Plushenko organizations until this unseemly matter is all sorted out. You now know we had nothing to do with the attack and with that, we need reassurance you won’t try to retaliate. Together, we can find out who is trying to pit us against one another."

I consider his words carefully. In the underworld, alliances are as fragile as they are necessary. Alexei, with his keen understanding and strategic mind, could indeed be a valuable ally in this tangled scenario. Having him on our side, even temporarily, might just give us the edge we need to root out the true culprit.

I rise from my seat, extending my hand across the table. Alexei reaches out his own.

"Truce it is," I say, and seal it with a handshake.

Chapter 27

Dalia

It's the day of the wedding, and my nerves are practically dancing with anticipation. The room is alive with the buzz of excitement and activity, hair and makeup artists swirling around me, each brush stroke and hairpin transforming me into a breathtaking bride.

After Lev proposed, things moved very quickly as he didn’t want to put off the marriage any longer.

I'm sitting in the middle of this beautiful chaos, trying to calm my jittery heart with deep breaths, feeling both elation and a hint of nervous anticipation.

Maura and Elena, looking absolutely stunning in their bridesmaid dresses, are providing much-needed laughter and lightheartedness. They're chatting away, their stories drifting over to where I'm sitting, making me smile.

A sudden wave of nausea sweeps through me, and despite my best efforts to hide it, it must show on my face because Elena and Maura are instantly at my side. Elena places a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Maura, who’s always had a knack for reading me like an open book, chimes in with a half-teasing, half-serious tone, "Is it just nerves or the baby stirring up trouble? Or maybe a little bit of both?"

“Hard to say,” I reply. “The morning sickness has been killer this last week.”