LOGINJoey laughed. “What was it Matt told me? Oh yeah, some ancient Indian spirits came and made him face his worst crimes against his fellow man. That should have taken a whole week though, right?” He gazed over at Brian. “I bet it put your ass in a tailspin, old man.” He paused to laugh again as tears leaked from his eyes. “Did those spirits take what was left of your soul? Nah… you don’t have one of those, I suppose. Did they finally take you on a trip to hell where you belong, grandpa?”Brian just blinked at his grandson as if he didn’t even understand what the man just said, or he didn’t care. Then he turned his head and stared at Babe. He gasped when he saw her blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He stood up slowly and began to back away from her. He didn’t stop until he got to the wall and couldn’t go any further.No one said a word for a long moment, as they all stared at him.His face had paled and his wide eyes were glued to Babe. He looked damn near terrified.The MC men in the room
Talli shrugged. “He didn’t tell me his name but the man returned just before my father died. I came back to the store from lunch one day and they were in the office yelling again. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but it was loud and not good. Days later my father was dead.”Reaching for a stack of papers in front of him, Yuri searched for something then looking at her he asked, “Do the names George Windguard or Dexter Pavel mean anything to you?”Talli sat back in her chair and all the color drained from her face. “I know the name Dexter Pavel. Why? Who are they?”“They are aliases Russell Jerome has used in the past,” Yuri informed her.Talli raked her fingers through her hair. “One of those names might not be an alias.” She paused and stared at them all. “You might know one of them too.”Demi glanced at Yuri then turned to Talli and asked, “Which one?”“Dexter Pavel.”“Who is he?” Yuri asked.“He claims to be a distant cousin to Rizvan Dreususs,” Talli informed them. “I don’t t
“Maybe we can help you get the answers you need,” Barshan suggested.“Perhaps.” Talli ssemed to hesitated then asked him, “Did you see the ashes scattered on her clothing in the bedroom?” she sobbed briefly. “He couldn’t even give me that much of her.”“What are you saying?” Barshan frowned.“After he destroyed everything she was, he threw her ashes all over the mess he made.” She raised her hand to her eyes and wiped away her tears. “He left me with nothing but my memories of her.” Getting to her feet she whispered, “I think I need to be alone right now.” Turning, she went back to the bedroom and closed her door.Barshan stared at the closed door. This woman was different than most he’d known. She was in trouble, yes. But something about her was so graceful, so strong, yet there was a look in those beautiful green eyes that made him just want to hold her and never let her go.Barshan just sat there with his hands curled into fists. As he thought of the wrongs done to her, his rage ha
There were too many unanswered questions left unasked. Talli never knew what actually killed her mother. Her illness came from nowhere and that just wasn’t like her mother, who’d never been sick a day in her life until then. The fact Russell insisted she stay away from her mother at the end of her life still bothered her… and it bothered Talli even now. She wanted to know what he’d been hiding all this time.So far into her own thoughts, she missed the fact that Barshan joined her at the window seat. When he slipped in behind her and wrapped her into his arms, she didn’t pull away from him. Instead, she leaned into his embrace and began weeping softly. The man was a mystery to her. She knew he was with the Russian mob, but he had been so kind to her and tender. She did need him right now. She felt so alone in the world. Her sobs came from something deep inside her that was hurting so bad she couldn’t keep it inside any longer.Barshan held her in his embrace and just let her cry. “Are
Talli lowered her gaze to the floor and wouldn’t look at either man.Yuri glanced over at Barshan then back to Talli. “What makes you think that?”“I knew my mother and the last few weeks she was alive she was hiding something. Something big,” Talli informed them. “She wouldn’t tell me but I knew. She was my mother and I knew her better than she thought I did. She was afraid of him and it was killing me to see her living in that kind of fear and pain.” Talli took a sip of her drink. “Then when she got sick, he wouldn’t even let me see her. She died while I was out of town and he had her cremated before I could get back here to stop it.”“Why would he do that?” Barshan asked.“I think it w
A few minutes later, Ivan and Barshan joined her.Barshan knelt in front of her again and reached for her hand.“It’s all gone,” she whispered. “He’s destroyed everything I ever had.”Ivan checked the closet and asked, “Did he get into your safe?”Talli shook her head. “I don’t think so. It looks like he tried but he couldn’t get inside.”“Maybe you should get whatever is inside and come home with me for the night,” Barshan suggested. “You can’t stay here and at least in my home I can protect you.” Looking around he added, “We can get your sketches and other stuff tomorrow.”
On the way back to the hotel, they swung past the apartment Raven shared with her brother. Raven quickly packed the things that could be carried along with them and they left the rest. They had very few material possessions and barely any clothes but she took what
Raven went on, “Carlos taught us how to hide in plain sight, being a small girl, I could hide very well. I could also sneak out of any room he put me in. Over the years, I have gotten out of many locked rooms, so you should know you really can’t keep me
Yuri shook his head. “Gregor placed an extra sensor on the door to the penthouse a few days ago. I thought someone had been in there a few other times. The only strange thing about those times is there was never anything missing then either. The alarm I set a
Yuri motioned for her to sit and he waited until she sat down to again sit, behind his desk. Folding his fingers into a steeple, he rested them against his lips and watched as she simply stared at him. “Do you know who I am?”Raven still looked alert as she answered, “You are Yuri Anatoly.”Yuri no







