Scandalous Heroes Box Set (112 page)

Logan nodded as he wiped down the bar.  “Any old kind will do or are you partial to one in particular?”

Leo leaned in toward Logan.  “Well, now that you ask, there is one that I was looking for.” With a smug smile, he pushed a picture of Lilly across the bar with a hundred dollar bill on top of it.  “I’m looking for a very specific type.”

Logan looked at the picture of Lilly in her wedding gown standing beside Leo and then looked back up at him. A flicker of distrust laced his southern good looks.  “Shit, man.  She’s been gone for over a week from here.  And we don’t have no idea where she is.”  He turned from Leo and grabbed two bottles off the back bar display.  Turning around, he slammed them on the bar in front of them. “Now, I got two types of vodka. This here is my top shelf; this here is the house stuff. Which one you in the mood for?”

Leo sucked his teeth. “Who would know?”

“Know what?” Logan asked, being difficult. 

Leo over enunciated the words.  “Who would know where I could find her?” he bit out, trying to control his growing temper.

Logan spotted the tattoos on Leo’s arm and narrowed his gaze on the man. “You might wanna try the police, maybe.  Dude, I don’t know.  She just worked here. It ain’t like we were best friends.  Now you gonna by something or what?  I’m running a business here, not a location service.”

Leo contemplated his next action carefully.  He could have very easily snatched the man across the bar for getting smart with him and bashed his head in to the white meat.  But it was a very good chance with as many
good old boys
in the place as there were, he’d have to shoot his way out. 

“I’m going to pass on the drink, Jethro,” Leo said, snatching the hundred dollar bill up.  He turned to his men and sighed.  “Let’s get out of here.  This music is making my ears bleed.”

As they headed back out into the parking lot, a small red headed waitress who had been listening and watching from the other end of the bar came running out of the front door out after them. “Hey, mister?” she said, waving her hand.

Leo stopped and turned to her.  “Yes.” 
She would never know how her accent irritated him. 

“That hundred dollars still up for grabs?” Approaching carefully, she pulled out her notepad.

“Depends,” Leo said, tilting his head.  “Do you know where Lilly is?”

“No, but I know who would.  Her babysitter is an old woman who lives in the same apartment complex as my sister.  She’d know exactly where she is and when she’ll be back.”

“Babysitter?” he frowned.

“Her son, Dylan,” she said, like he should have known that already. 

“How old is this child….Dylan?” Leo asked, stepping closer to her.

“Eight.  He just had a birthday not too long ago.  I remember because she took off that day to throw him a party.” She took a step back from him, watching his chest swell. 

“And the father?” Leo pushed. “Where is he?”

“Hey man, the only reason I came to tell you is because Logan after you left said that Lilly must have been your wife at some point.  And Dylan is obviously not all black, so I just assumed….”

Throwing up a hand, he stopped her.  “Wait.  What does he look like, if he doesn’t look black?”

She stuttered at his directness. “Well, he looks like you…well…”

Leo frowned.

She tried to explain. “Maybe not like you, but he looks white.  Half white.”

“Just give me the address…now,” he said in a grave voice.

The woman did so quickly.  At the same time that she tore the paper off the notepad, Leo pulled the money out of his pocket and dangled it before her like a carrot.  Holding the hundred dollar bill in his hand, he slowly tore it down the middle.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. 

“Half the information, half the payment,” he said, throwing one half of it in her face. 

She was about to put the paper back in her pocket when he grabbed her hand roughly and took it from her.  “Thank you,” he said, winking at her.  “Let’s go!” he told his men.

When he got in the backseat of the truck, he had to take a breath.  At that moment, he wanted to kill Lilly more than he had ever wanted to kill her before. It was bad enough that she had testified from him and stole from him, but this was completely unforgiveable. 

“That bitch has my son?” he said aloud. 

The other men were silent, giving their boss a moment to adjust. 

Nostrils flaring, he passed the piece of paper up to the driver.  He counted back the years to figure out exactly where he would have been when the boy was conceived.  It was too hard to figure out without knowing exactly how old the boy was.  Yakov said that he couldn’t find Lilly when he sent him to kill her.  Did she pay him in sex to stay alive?  Was the kid Yakov’s or was it really his. They had been together the night that he was carried away by the feds.  “Lock that address into the GPS and take me to her now.  Someone is going to tell me what the fuck is going on.”

***

Vasily had never looked forward to much in his life. In fact, it had been a comedy of errors for most of his adulthood, but earlier that morning when he gazed into his son’s innocent face, he was looking forward to telling him who he truly was. Somehow the boy had given him hope, and whether he admitted it or not, all of the old feelings that he had for Lilly had resurfaced

He had left with his bosses that morning in a good mood, though he never showed it, and was literally counting the hours until he arrived back at the compound.

Then he got the call from Yakov.   

Now, his stomach was in knots and the questions that had lingered the first day that he had brought her and Dylan here were back on the table. 

When they got to the house late in the evening after their many meetings in the city, Gabriel went to the home gym, Anatoly went straight to his see his family and Dmitry hurried to the west wing to see Royal and his three children. 

Vasily envied them as they went on about their night, knowing that regardless of the nature of their relationships with their children and the women that they loved, there was no question of their places in each other’s lives.

Left alone, he grudged up the backstairs to his room trying to figure out how to handle the upcoming conversations that had to take place.  Should he be direct?  Should he be gentle?  Should he even tell the boy who he was?  One thing that truly bothered him was that if she would lie about the diamonds, maybe she’d lie about Dylan.  Maybe everything was a lie and he was just too stupid to see it.

When he turned the corner of the stairwell to head down the long corridor to his room, he saw Dylan playing in the hallway alone with a stack of Legos, waiting patiently for him.

“Hey,” Dylan said, jumping up.  He ran to him quickly and gave him a hug.  Wrapping his small arms around his legs, he looked up at him and smiled.  “Are you ready for our dinner?”

Vasily rubbed through his hair and tried to smile. “Yeah, about that…”

Dylan might have been a child, but he knew when someone was about to cancel on him.  He cut Vasily off quickly. “Mom has been getting ready for hours.  I haven’t seen her since before Anya and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean, but she must be getting awfully pretty for you.”

“Is she in there now?” Vasily asked.

“Think so,” he said innocently.

“Hey, do me a favor.  Why don’t you go and hang out in my room until I speak with your mother?  Can you do that for me? I’ll come and get you when I’m done.”

Dylan looked confused again.  “Why, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, buddy.  I just need to talk to you mother…alone.” Vasily tried to lighten his voice. “I promise that I’ll get ready right after.  And I stick by my word.  If I tell you that I’m going to do something, I do it.”

Reluctantly, Dylan agreed.  “Alright but don’t be long,” he said, twisting up his lip. 

“Promise,” Vasily said, winking at him.  He walked him to his room, unlocked the door and let him in.  “I’ll just be a little minute,” he said, urging the boy inside.

Knocking on Lilly’s door, he waited for her to answer.  When she didn’t come directly, he knocked again. This time a little more impatiently.  “Lilly,” he said, suddenly suspicious. 

Twisting the knob, he found it be locked.  “Lilly,” he said, knocking harder on the door now. “Open up.  It’s Vasily.”

Still no answer.

He took the key out of his pocket and unlocked it on his own.  As he entered, he noticed the television was off and only a lamp was on in the far corner of the room by the window.  There on the end table was a note.

If you’ve found this letter, then I’ve found a way to get off the property. I’ve been looking every day just in case, and it’s a pretty secure place, locked down like Fort Knox.  You won’t understand this, but I have to go.  I got an email from Ms. Clemmons because it was the only way that she could find me.  She told me that a man named Leo showed up tonight asking a lot of questions and threating her.  She told him everything that she knew to keep the other babies there safe.  This won’t end until he finds me.  And now that he knows about Dylan, he won’t stop until he finds him.  Take care of my son for me.  I’m going to finish this once and for all.  I can’t have him going after my baby, and I can’t risk getting your wonderful family involved.  I nearly cost you your life once. I won’t do it again.  I love you, and for all that you don’t know, I’m truly sorry.  Love, Lilly.”

Setting down the letter with shaking hands, Vasily picked up his cell and called down to Boris. 

“Yes, boss,” Boris answered quickly.

“Did Lilly leave the property?” Vasily asked, voice still calm. 

“Haven’t seen her,” he answered.  “Not that I’m aware of.”

Vasily’s heart dropped. “Pull the video from all the cameras and find out how she got off the property,” he said, gritting his teeth.  “Lock this place down now and send a team off site to the bus terminals and airport.  Find her tonight and do it now.”

“Yes, boss,” Boris said, hanging up.

Sitting down in the chair beside the table, Vasily took a deep breath.  He had to get a hold of himself.  There was too much to figure out and not enough time. 
Why did she think that she could do this alone?  What did she plan to do?  What had she not told him?  Why did she call Dylan her son?

Tired of waiting, Dylan walked into their bedroom, holding his toys.  “Vasily, where’s Mom?” he asked. “Are we going to have dinner? I’m starving.”

He looked at the boy, helpless and alone and knew that he had to be there for him like he’d never been before.  Straightening his suit, he stood.  “We’re going to have dinner alone tonight, buddy.  Just the two of us.  Mom…” he paused. “Mom had to go and take care of something.” He had just made a promise to the boy and he planned to keep it. 

“Are we still going to have that talk?” Dylan asked.

“We can have
a
talk, but
the
talk should wait for your mother,” Vasily said.  “How about we grab a bite and then I’ll put you to bed.  I have to go and take care of something.”

“Like what?” Dylan asked.

“Grown up stuff,” Vasily said, leading him out of the room.

Vasily knew that he had to find Lilly and keep her safe.  He also knew that all those years of waiting to get even with Leo had finally come to head.   Whatever Lilly had done or had not done, didn’t matter.  What did matter was that he loved her.  And no one was going to mess with his family.

To be Continued in Part II of Vasily’s Revenge

Coming November 2014

Other Works by the Author

The Agosto Series

Ivy’s Twisted Vine (2008)

The World in Reverse (2013)

The Medlov Crime Family Series

Dmitry’s Closet (2010)

Dmitry’s Royal Flush: Rise of the Queen (2010)

Anatoly Medlov: Complete Reign (2011)

Saving Anya (2012)

The Lonely Heart Series

The Ugly Girlfriend (2010)

Finding Opa! (2011)

The Grunt (2011)

The Contingency Plan (2012)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov Short Stories Series

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 1 (2011)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 2 (2011)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 3 (2012)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 4 (2012)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 5 (2012)

The Chronicles of Young Dmitry Medlov: Volume 6 (2013)

The Medlov Men: Short Stories Series

Vasily’s Revenge: Part 1 (2014)

About the Author:

National bestselling author Latrivia S. Nelson is the author of 17 interracial romance novels including the popular Medlov Crime Family Series, The Lonely Heart Series and The Agosto Series.  In her short four-year career, she has developed a base of over 50,000 readers in 120 countries.  She is also the President and CEO of RiverHouse Publishing, LLC and the mother of two beautiful children.  When she’s not busy working, she enjoys a strong jack and coke, a good cigar and the company of her future husband, Bruce Welch.