Cruel Love Page 14

  “Madam Lutrova,” I greet.

  She descends the stairs slowly, her eyes scanning each face. They linger a little longer on Dante’s as she sizes him up. I recall her doing the same to me the first time I set foot on the estate. Maybe this time, I’ll fare a little better than an old couch in a cold storage room.

  Nina reaches the bottom and squints at me. “You look different,” she says. “Why do you look different? Where have you been?”

  “Los Angeles,” I answer.

  “California?” she spits with disgust.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She rolls her big eyes. “Too much sunlight. It’s bad for your skin.”

  I grin. “It’s nice to see you, too, Madam Lutrova.”

  Her finger points up. “You saved my grandson. You can call me Nina.” She points behind me. “Who is this?”

  “This is Dante Hart and Lucy Vaughn,” I say, turning to introduce them.

  Nina glides closer to welcome them as a petite shape appears in the corridor.

  “Fox?”

  Sofia stands with one hand clenched over her heart. Her smile grows wider and she gasps.

  “It is you!” she says, chuckling through her accent.

  A bolt of warmth fills my chest. “Sofia,” I say, bowing my head in respect.

  She rushes forward and throws her arms around my neck. “I can’t believe you’re here…” she says. “You look well.”

  “Eh…” Nina titters.

  I chuckle. “Well, I’m alive.”

  Sofia takes a step back to look at me again. I know she’ll get the joke better than anyone. She’s a survivor, too.

  “Some days, that’s all we need,” she says, glancing at Dante and Lucy behind me. “This isn’t a social call, is it?”

  I shake my head. “No.”

  She shows a bit of worry on her face but holds her smile.

  Nina nudges my arm. “How many beds?” she asks.

  “Uh…” I pause to think. “We may not need—”

  “You two,” she says, pointing at Dante and Lucy. “Are you married?”

  “Nina,” Sofia says, her cheeks pinking.

  “Yes,” Dante answers, clenching Lucy’s hand.

  Lucy’s eyes twitch wide-open, giving the lie away, but Nina doesn’t question it.

  “I’ll prepare the guest suites,” she says. “Markov, will you please tell the kitchen to add some extra plates tonight?”

  He nods and wanders toward the hall. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I share a silent look with Dante. I hold up a hand, presenting a tight fist with my thumb laying across my fingers. He nods in understanding.

  Nina waves us up the stairs. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  I move to follow but Sofia takes my elbow. “Come with me,” she whispers.

  I hesitate. “Well, I should—”

  She gives me a light tug and guides me out of the foyer. I glance up at Dante, but he seems more preoccupied with protecting Lucy. He walks with a more relaxed stride now but keeps a hand on her arm. I’d do the same in his shoes, no matter how safe a place was supposed to be.

  Sofia leads me outside onto the back patio. I recall this place looking a little more barren before with nothing but dead leaves and cigarette ashes left behind by the patrolling guards.

  Now, it’s cleaned up with several flower beds along the edges. Bright blue and pink flowers pop out of the jet-black soil. Sofia’s certainly brought a little color to the Lutrova household, that’s for sure.

  “Once my husband gets a hold of you it will be all business so before that happens…” She exhales and smiles again. “Tell me some good news, Fox.”

  “Good news?” I ask.

  “I think of you often,” she says. “Last we spoke… well, I hoped for the best, but you…”

  “Yeah.” I nod. “I, uh… things were dark for a while.”

  “Were?” Her smile grows. “Does that mean what I hope it means?”

  “It might.”

  She lightly stomps her foot. “Please, tell me you found Dani.”

  I relax a little more. “Yes,” I answer.

  Her hands come together in front of her. “And?”

  “And…” I laugh. “I asked her to marry me.”

  She lets out a sharp squeal and hugs me again. “Congratulations, Fox! I’m so happy for you.”

  I hug her back, letting the happiness sink in a little. It feels nice telling good news. I don’t get to do it often. “Well, she didn’t exactly say yes…”

  She leans back and squeezes my arms. “She will.”

  “I hope so.”

  “She will,” she repeats. “Trust in me.”

  I smile. “All right.”

  “Fox Fitzpatrick.”

  Luka steps out onto the patio with Lucian balanced in one arm. I look from him to the boy, taking in their similar features. Lucian’s dark hair is long and thick like Sofia’s, but I blink twice at his eyes. No wonder Gio figured it all out. Those eyes are clearly Luka’s. No paternity test necessary.

  “When Markov told me you were here, I didn’t believe him,” Luka says. “Please, tell me you’ve reconsidered my offer for employment. I could use you now.”

  I shake my head. “I’m afraid not.”

  He huffs in disappointment. “Then, who are these people and why are they in my house?”

  Sofia steps closer and Luka passes Lucian off to her. “See?” she says to me. “All business.”

  I fight my grin. “His name is Dante Hart,” I answer him. “The girl is his girlfriend, Lucy.”

  “Markov tells me they’re Snake Eyes,” he says, drawing a slight flinch from Sofia.

  “He is,” I confirm. “Dante and I worked together in the same squad before I escaped.”

  “What does he want?”

  “He and his family are trying to track down the Boss.”

  “Why?”

  “Same reason you are,” I say.

  He nods. “Can I trust them?”

  “You can trust me.”

  “That’s not good enough, Fox,” he says. “I have my family here.”

  “I understand,” I say slowly. “I only ask that you talk to Dante before making a decision. He can help you.”

  Luka looks at Sofia. A bit of resistance shows on his face against her determined stare, but it doesn’t last.

  “All right,” he finally says, running his fingertips through Lucian’s hair. “We’ll talk.”

  Sofia pushes up onto her toes and kisses my cheek. “And we’ll talk more later,” she says to me.

  I give her a nod and she takes a step back to carry Lucian inside.

  “Say goodbye to Uncle Fox, Lucian,” she tells him.

  He waves a tiny hand at me. “Bye, Unca Fots,” he says.

  I grin and wave back. “Goodbye, Lucian,” I say.

  Sofia smiles even wider as she disappears inside with him. “No, Fo-x,” she says softly, prompting him to repeat it until he gets it right.

  I think of the night I met them. Her covered in blood, him screaming and crying. There wasn’t a moment then I didn’t sense fear in her eyes. That’s all gone now. Now, I see strength and confidence. I see a happy mother and a laughing child.

  I see what my future could be like once all of this is over.

  “He’s getting big,” I say.

  Luka’s nose curls. “It was all that Italian sunlight. Stunted his growth.”

  I chuckle. “Right.”

  He takes a quick step closer to me. “You know, Fox…” he says, clearing his throat. “I would appreciate it if you’d stop making my wife fall in love with you.”

  I smirk. “And who was it that broke up her first marriage again?”

  He points a stiff finger. “Shut up.”

  I let out a dry laugh, taking a moment before asking. “This...” I pause. “I realize this might not be the best time, but I would like to ask you a personal favor.”

  He nods, going serious. “There’s no suc
h thing as a bad time to start repaying my debt to you, Fox. Name it.”

  “There’s a woman,” I say. “From Los Angeles. She’s in hiding right now but if anything were to happen to me...” I look him in the eye. “I’d like for her to be looked after. I know that if I can trust anyone with that, it’s you and Sofia.”

  “Of course,” he says. “Give me her information and I’ll have Markov make arrangements.”

  “Thank you.”

  He pats my shoulder and gestures toward the door. “Now, tell me more about your friends.”

  Chapter 25

  Dante

  I hold Lucy’s hand a little tighter as we make our way down the long hallways of the Lutrova estate. There are several armed guards standing between the front entrance and the guest wing. Each one eyes me carefully as Nina leads us through the house, sizing me up just as she had before.

  “So, what do you do?” Nina asks, casually peeking back at us.

  I clear my throat. “I—”

  “Not you,” she says with a wink. “I can tell what you do. I’m talking to Lucy.”

  Lucy hesitates. “I’m a dancer.”

  Nina’s eyes open wider. “Ballet?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She claps her hands together. “Oh, I love the ballet. We have some of the best dancers in the world here in Moscow.”

  Lucy nods. “I know. I auditioned for the Bolshoi a few years back, but I wasn’t nearly good enough.”

  Nina throws her head back and smiles as she pauses in front of a large doorway. “My sister studied at the Bolshoi.”

  “Really?”

  “She’s long retired now, but she could dance,” she says, looking pensive. “Always hated her.”

  Lucy chuckles.

  Nina pushes the doors open for us and stands back as she motions us inside. “You two can stay in here. The linens are fresh, and I’ll have clean towels delivered to the washroom.”

  We step inside but I don’t feel any less nervous. It’s a nice suite, decorated with a bit more color than the rest of the house, with a large bed and several shelves lined with books and other trinkets. I walk in far enough to confirm the other doorway leads to a bathroom. One doorway means one way in, but the two windows mean another way out if needed. My training runs deep.

  I look at Nina Lutrova and she smiles at me. “Madam Lutrova,” I say.

  “Yes?”

  I squint. “How can you tell what I do?”

  “People are my business, Mr. Hart,” she simply says. “I’m sure my sons will be with you shortly. I’ll leave you to get comfortable.”

  “Thank you.”

  The door closes behind her.

  Lucy rushes into my arms before it even latches.

  “Oh, my god…” she whispers.

  I press my lips against her forehead. “It’s all right.” She clutches my shirt. I hold her tighter to stop her from shaking. “We’re safe now. You can relax.”

  “That was so scary.”

  “Shh.” I lay soft kisses on her head.

  Lucy looks up and kisses me on the lips, hard and deep. “I thought we were dead for sure.”

  “I wouldn’t let that happen to you.” I kiss her again and smile. “Fox was right. You held your own.”

  “Barely,” she mutters.

  “I’m proud of you, Lucy.”

  Her lips curl and she exhales hard, making the tears in her eyes disappear. “Felt good,” she says with a chuckle.

  “Looked good, too.”

  “Are you okay? They tased you a lot.”

  “I’ve had worse, believe me.”

  “I’ll bet…” She glances around. “Damn, this is nice.”

  I smirk as she slips from my hands to wander around the room. “Mafia families always go overboard like this,” I say. “The Zappias have a similar place back in Chicago.”

  Lucy hops up to sit on the bed, bouncing it beneath her to feel the mattress. “So, these people really like Fox.”

  I walk over to kiss her again, mostly for my own comfort. I still haven’t quite shaken off the black void in my gut from watching her get torn away from me.

  “Yeah,” I say.

  “Is that good?”

  I nod. “Should be for you.”

  She grabs my arm. “Wait, what do you mean?”

  I take her hand. “The Lutrova crime family have made a name for themselves hunting down and killing Snake Eyes agents.”

  “I know that, but… they wouldn’t hurt you, would they? We’re here to help them, for Christ’s sake.”

  “There’s a chance they won’t care.”

  Her brow furrows. “And when were you going to tell me about this chance, Dante? How big of a chance are we talking about here?”

  “Luce…” I cup her face, feeling the warm anger flood her cheeks. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “How big, Dante?”

  “I don’t know,” I say, lowering my voice. “We just have to play it by ear.”

  “And what happens when they shoot you in the ear?”

  I kiss her again, enveloping her lips. She tries to jerk away but I hold her in place. She doesn’t try it again.

  “Lucy Vaughn,” I say. “I’ve spent over a decade of my life as a professional killer. I’ve lived through moments that I never should have seen the other side of and I did it without you standing beside me. Trust me when I say that having you here gives me a whole lot more incentive to see the other side of this. I’ll kill all of them to keep you safe if I have to. Fox included.”

  “You sound like Lilah.”

  “She’s been right before.”

  “Has she ever been wrong?”

  Someone knocks on the door.

  I loosen my grip. “It’s going to be okay, Lucy,” I say again.

  She presses her lips together, her face growing hard with that locked, determined stare that I’ve always found equally admirable and frustrating. I walk to the door and open it with my other fist rolled and ready at my side.

  Fox stands in the hallway with one arm casually leaning against the wall. I look behind him. He’s all alone. Not even an escort or a lingering guard peeking around the corner. They trust Fox Fitzpatrick enough to let him wander through their home by himself.

  “You’ve got a meeting,” he says.

  “Now?”

  “He’s a busy guy.”

  I nod. “All right.”

  I turn to Lucy and she waves a hand.

  “Go,” she says. “I’ll be fine here.”

  I hesitate, not wanting to leave her alone but I quickly realize that she’s made up her mind. She crosses her arms and digs her left foot in, making her right hip pop to the side. That’s Lucy Vaughn.

  Attitude incarnate.

  “I’ll be back,” I tell her, meaning every word.

  She says nothing as I join Fox in the hall. I close the door and pause, wondering if I should check if it locks from the other side or not before leaving.

  “She’s right,” Fox says, tilting his head at my concern. “She’ll be fine. You both will be.”

  “Excuse me for not sharing the same confidence, Fox.”

  “Come on…” he says, pushing off the wall. “When was the last time I put you directly in harm’s way?”

  “Austrian train job comes to mind.”

  I walk around him as he nods in agreement.

  * * *

  Luka Lutrova.

  I’ve heard the name. The Zappias used to talk about him as if he were some kind of boogeyman. According to them, the Lutrova brothers were maniacal phantoms who ran into Chicago with the sole purpose of bringing hell and damnation on the poor, innocent Zappia clan. It was all bullshit, obviously. There’s no such thing as an innocent Zappia.

  Still, I never thought that one day I’d be sitting in Luka’s office asking him for help.

  He’s different than I pictured. He’s youthful and spry but his calloused hands tell a story like mine. I was much younger than him when I wa
s recruited into Snake Eyes but he’s no doubt already lived and seen more than I have. He was raised in the Russian mob.

  I keep my eyes forward, relying on my instincts to get a feel for the room. Fox sits in the chair beside me, looking more relaxed than he did the entire flight out here. Luka’s wife, Sofia, lingers silently behind us by the door.

  And then, there’s Luka behind a large wooden desk, looking over at me with sharp distrust.

  I sit tall, showing respect, but I stay beneath his eye-line. I speak slowly and calmly, just as I used to when I worked for Antony Zappia. It doesn’t matter what family you’re talking to. Mafia is mafia. You don’t disrespect the leader. Especially not in his own house.

  “Marilyn Black,” Luka says her name, nearly growling every syllable of it. “This is the Boss’ name?” he asks.

  Fox nods. “If our hacker is right… and he usually is.”

  Luka twists slightly in his chair and it squeaks beneath his weight. “M. Black,” he mutters at the window. “Your master file lists an M. Black as the agent who killed my grandfather.”

  “There are many of them,” I say. “Mercer, Myra.”

  “They’re too young,” Fox points out. “Viktor was killed in the 80s. It had to have been Marilyn.”

  “Or another one we don’t know about.”

  “Either way,” Luka says, “blood leaves a trail. It’s a start. Do you have any leads?” he asks Fox.

  “We know of one place she’s known to hide out,” he answers. “A house just outside of Paris. We have people looking into it now.”

  “Trustworthy people?”

  “For the most part.”

  Luka raises a brow.

  “Yes,” I say. “The agent with them is my little sister, Lilah. You can trust her.”

  He pauses. “Lilah…”

  “If you’ve studied the master file, you’ve probably heard of her.”

  “Oh, I have,” he says, shifting in his chair again. “Her record is… impressive.”

  “She’s good at her job.”

  “A little too good,” he says. “A record like that means loyalty.”

  “If that were still the case, I never would have set foot in Russia,” I say. “My family served Snake Eyes loyally for a long time. When they were exposed, we weren’t given the same courtesy. Myra Black murdered my brother to collect a bounty from Enzo Zappia, so you can imagine our loyalty is a little up-for-grabs at the moment.”