Ten

“Sir, this is Vankin with the De Luca entourage. We’ll be arriving in fifteen minutes.”

Alexei rose from his chair and buttoned his suit. “Copy that. See you soon.”

Alexei took the two-way radio with him on his way out of his private office. As expected, the snow had set back Tommy De Luca’s arrival by a few hours, but at least the man was finally here. Outside, snow continued falling harder than ever, marking the arrival of the snowstorm.

Alexei ascended the winding staircase to the second floor, headed for Dani’s chambers. He was half-expecting an emotional reunion, with Dani storming down the steps to her father’s arms in sobs. Then again, with the exception of yesterday, she had only shed a single tear in front of him. That girl was surprisingly resilient, or put on a good show of it anyway.

Alexei stopped in the middle of the corridor, finding Maksim by Dani’s door. The dog scratched repeatedly at the door, whining, and suspicion flared instantly in Alexei’s veins. He ran for the