Page 68 of Dark Seduction
The remnants of the fire still hiss and steam around us as the firefighters wrap up, and I know I need to act fast to find out what happened before any evidence is lost in the cleanup. With a heavy heart, I turn back to the scene, my mind shifting back into high gear.
I spot Elena and Maura a short distance away, their beautiful bridesmaid dresses marred with soot and ash. Striding over, I check on them. "Are you two alright?"
They both shake their heads in the affirmative, brushing off their dresses with a resilience that's become characteristic. "We're fine," Maura assures me.
"Thanks for jumping in with the extinguishers," I say, clapping a hand on each of their shoulders gently. "Seriously, you two were incredible."
With reassurances exchanged, I turn my attention back to the church.
My gaze sweeps across the crowd, sharply assessing the situation as my mind races through the implications of today's disaster. I spot the officiant off to the side, looking dazed, and several children huddled together with EMTs attending to them. My jaw clenches at the sight, realizing what we came close to losing.
The sight of the kids, particularly my niece and nephew—Sasha and Michael, Maura and Luk now with them—stirs a fury within me like nothing else.
"Why were the doors locked?" I murmur under my breath, a question that’s been gnawing at me since we broke them down. This wasn’t just an accident.
As my anger simmers, threatening to boil over, I notice Vanya and Vladimir. They’re standing by the car, their expressions grim. I stride over to them.
"Vanya, Vladimir," I call out as I approach, my voice carrying the sharp edge of my barely contained rage. They both turn, instantly alert to my tone.
"We need to talk. Now.”
The gravity of the situation is etched deeply into their faces. Vanya looks particularly shaken, his eyes wide with concern.
"Lev, is everyone okay? Is there anything I can do to help?" Vanya's voice tremors slightly as he speaks.
"Everyone's accounted for. A few injuries here and there. Dalia's headed to the hospital to make sure the baby is okay." My words seem to bring a brief wave of relief to Vanya, though his hands continue to tremble.
Vladimir, who appears somewhat calmer, adds, "I was already running late when I got a call from Vanya about car trouble on my way over, so I went to pick him up."
I fix him with a sharp gaze. "And why were you running behind, Vladimir?"
He offers a weak smile, a rare break in his usually stoic demeanor. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a pair of cufflinks.
"It's silly, really," he begins, holding them up for me to see. "These are my lucky cufflinks. They were a gift from my grandfather, who said they bless any wedding with good luck. Dumb, I know, but it's sentimental. Anyway, I couldn't find them this morning..."
His voice trails off.
The unease in my gut deepens as I process Vladimir's seemingly innocuous delay.
I cut off the conversation abruptly. "Come with me," I instruct them sternly. They follow without hesitation, sensing the urgency in my tone.
I nod sharply to Luk and Yuri, signaling them to join us. I briefly consider calling Elena over, but she's entrenched with Maura and the kids, soothing Michael and Sasha amidst their tears and confusion. She’s needed there.
Once our group is huddled together, away from the crowd, I lay out the situation in no uncertain terms.
"It goes without saying we’re going to get to the bottom of what the fuck happened here today.”
Luk crosses his arms, his mouth set in a grim line. "It's almost certain this was a plot.”
Vladimir’s face blanches as he catches up. "Are you saying this was intentional?"
Yuri steps in, his voice steady but grave. "The doors to the church were sealed. If we hadn't managed to get them open..." He lets the implication hang ominously in the air. The potential disaster we narrowly avoided looms large over us.
My jaw clenches.
"This is the third goddamn attempt on our lives," I declare, my expression hard as I scan the faces before me. "This time, they aimed to wipe out the entire Ivanov family in one fell swoop."
Luk nods gravely. "We've been lucky three times in a row—asking for a fourth is tempting the fates. It’s only a matter of time before we’re not so fortunate."