The plan B, as Gabrielle called it, wasn’t even a thought in Deva’s mind. Such a plan meant that there were sincere intentions or the pursuit of hope. And in her mind, that final decision squelched any possibility of a happy ending.
Yes, she loved Aleksei Voronov. As simple as that, there was no going back. She wasn’t a starry-eyed teenager, and Deva knew that if she went for everything she had fought against to gain her life and freedom, her life would turn sour and part of her would die inside.
Her only hope was that one day, the torment of her heart over him would lessen. Her last wish was that Aleksei would find happiness and peace, whatever the manner or with whom.
And following that wish, Deva had asked Gabrielle for one last favor.
It was under the setting sun of a very hot September day in Chicago that she used one last time Gerasim Egorov’s personal cell to ask for a meeting.
Sitting on a bench overlooking Lake Michigan at the edge of Navy Pier, Deva turned her back to the bubbly crowd, tourists, and families, her eyes lost in the moving waters and the beautiful hues of sky chasing the fading light. Keeping her thoughts clear, and her eyes dry was the most difficult task at hand.
“May I sit with you?”
Deva smiled as she recognized the Pakan’s voice. Turning her head, she was surprised to see such a powerful man in a pink polo shirt, cream golf shorts, and the most interesting cap.
“Gerasim? Is that you? Or maybe it’s a new trick to make sure you are not recognized when walking alone through the city?”
The man smiled, scratching his goatee as he sat beside her. “You are one of the few courageous enough to mock me, my dear Deva.” He looked down at his outfit. “My wife chose it. And I couldn’t say no. You know that none of my closest colleagues said a word about it.”
“Maybe they didn’t dare make a comment. From what’s happened in the last few months, it’s normal to be skittish.”
Gerasim boomed with laughter. “Qualifying my men as skittish is the funniest image. But I think you got it right. It shook us, but keeping my men on their toes will strengthen their loyalty. And between you and me, it made me realize that I must be careful. Even more so now, with people like Finch lurking nearby, that are cunning and dangerous. I never thought I would see the day when I would doubt the men around me and their loyalty.”
He waited a moment, looking at the lake, before turning to his bench companion once more. “I’m sorry you suffered because I couldn’t see the jackal in my pack of wolves.”
Deva shook her head. “I will survive. It just added scars to the ones I already have.”
“And are those new scars the reason why you and Aleksei drifted apart?”
Deva forced herself to joke about his question, to hide behind the teasing. “I never thought you’d play Cupid, Gerasim. Is this a service you offer to all your men?”
The man only shook his head. “I don’t care who my men put in their bed unless it has a direct impact on my business.”
“So why this interest in Aleksei?”
Gerasim frowned a little as if trying to understand beyond her words. She found his expression most unsettling.
“Do you know anything about him?”
It was her turn now to be confused. “What do you mean?”
“Aleksei is my nephew, the only son of my sister.”
Blinking, Deva gaped at him. “Zoya?”
There was genuine surprise in his gaze. “I see he at least told you that.”
“What he told me is that his family turned his back on his mother when they discovered she was pregnant with Finch’s child.”
Gerasim face turned grim. “And you are right. I was in the army at that time, going through difficult times of my own. That’s no excuse. I was her older brother, I should have known. It took time before I’ve learned she had left. And even worse, I didn’t find her before she died. But I knew of Aleksei. And as I was slowly transitioning from the army to the Bratva, I always kept an eye out for him. It took me years to finally find him, running scams in the streets of St. Petersburg.” A smile tugged the old man’s lips at the memory. “Such intelligence, and wrath. When I introduced myself, I almost got my head chopped off! It took time, like trying to convince a rabid wolf that I wasn’t a threat, worse, that he could trust me. I told him that even a wolf needed a pack sometimes. That whatever he wanted to do, I would help him. It was one of the reasons why he followed me to the United States, and let me help him from time to time. Even today, he tolerates me but does not fully trust me. Did you know that Voronov means wolf? He wouldn’t take his mother’s surname, wanting to forge his life for himself. It suits him, though.”
Deva swallowed hard. “That’s him, knowing what he wants and getting it, snarling along the way. I wish for him to find his way, his happiness in life. Especially after all he went through.”
“And that happiness doesn’t include you?”
It was difficult saying it out loud, but it was the truth, and this was Aleksei’s uncle after all. “I love him. I can say that much. But I didn’t flee Chicago back then and hide for so many years without learning some important things about myself. The MC, the Rows, they hurt me badly. They required much more of me than I ever had to give. Aleksei is Bratva, and even though I love him more than anything else, I also know that being dragged into your organization would be my undoing. I fear I would resent Aleksei at some point for the decisions he had made. For the path that he has chosen. I can’t do that to him. Or to myself, Gerasim.”
The Pakan patted her hand. “I understand your decision, dear Deva. But what I don’t understand is why you believe that my nephew is Bratva.”
Deva jolted at his words. “Don’t tell me he doesn’t work for the Bratva, I wouldn’t believe you.”
“Oh, he works for us, but he has never taken the oath.”
Deva stuttered. “But his tattoos? I recognized many of them as Bratva.”
“Yes, in many ways he has successfully passed Bratva tests, but he has never taken the final vows. He wanted more than what we could offer. He used Bratva’s assignments to get money, to go to college. He still works for me, on a more personal level, on assignments. Didn’t you find it surprising that he didn’t know Semyon when we met at The Drake? If he had been Bratva on a regular basis, it would have been common knowledge.”
Gerasim seemed to be enjoying having Deva completely blindsided, the mirth on his face was a sight to be seen. “You assumed that the underground cage fighter was with us when he is, in fact, one of the most sought-after accountants in the city, specializing in fraud and embezzlement. A money cop, as he jokes about it. Don’t say that to him, though. He had some difficult cases with his brother, Liam Harker, who’s a cop in the Chicago PD. There is a strain between them, although, in reality, they are often on the same side.”
An accountant. Her brain couldn’t seem to compute the information. And it made her laugh. “I can’t see Aleksei as an accountant, in a suit, in front of a computer all day.” And then she frowned. “But you risked his life when you sent him undercover to find out what Finch was up to. And he told me that he needed to fight, and spoke of some sort of debt to repay. That’s the reason why I believed he wanted out of the Bratva at first.”
“Not quite. I asked Aleksei to accept Finch’s help. The man also thought that Aleksei wanted out and we decided to spin that wheel. Finch was becoming more and more insistent, and I used Aleksei, with his consent, to find out what he was up to. The risk was minimal.”
It made sense. When Finch turned his back on Aleksei in the locker room, leaving with all the money, the Russian hadn’t looked that upset. If she had been the one losing so much effort, so fast, she wouldn’t have let go of it without a fight.
“But I think that the debt my nephew was referring to, has more to do with his mother than Finch. I always believed that Aleksei fought more to relieve himself of the pain he had buried inside him.”
“What pain?”
“His mother. My dear Zoya. He was only a child, but he still can’t forgive himself for being unable to save her or for having left her body behind. And I can understand, I can’t forgive myself either.”
So much sorrow, she thought. So much suffering because of Jamieson Finch. Well, it seemed that her final gift to Aleksei would alleviate some of his, and of his family as well.
“I have one small favor to ask you, Gerasim. Would you be kind enough to give this to Aleksei? I tried to reach him, but he’s not answering my calls or his door.” She handed him a white envelope.
The older man’s face softened. “I can’t make him listen to you, Deva. But all you have to do is tell him that you love him.”
She shook her head. “I already said it. I can’t push him, force him to love me in return. He thinks I betrayed him because I didn’t reveal why I was in Chicago early on. And everything I said afterward, he interprets it as lies. It doesn’t matter anymore, and I understand and respect his choice. His decision. So, what is in this envelope is a token of my gratefulness for all he did for me. And I think it is a little bit for you too.”
Gerasim’s eyebrows shot up, eyeing the sealed envelope with curiosity.
“Can you reveal what it says now or must I wait until my nephew opens it?”
Deva grinned at the evident, childish impatience in the older man’s demeanor, eyeing the paper as if he could see through it.
“I’ll have mercy and tell you, only if you don’t say a word to your nephew. Deal?”
“Deal. So, what’s in this?”
“The most probable site where Zoya was interred.” When Gerasim’s face turned blank and incredibly pale, Deva swallowed hard but continued. “I have incredibly resourceful friends. And they did the research for me. Dug deep into Russian’s archives, police reports. With the little information that I knew about her location, time of her death, my friends could find the best possible mass graveyard where she was laid to rest.”
Gerasim shook his head, breathing hard without saying a single word.
“And what we found out was that the mass grave where she is isn’t as massive as we initially thought. No more than ten or fifteen bodies in it. I took upon myself to contact a forensic anthropologist in Russia, who will be able to dig up the remains and identify Zoya as soon as he gets the adequate genetic markers, from Aleksei, or from you. The information you need is in there. All you have to do is call.”
Gerasim looked so intently at the envelope, Deva thought it would catch fire.
“If I had the money, I would have paid for it beforehand, but I’m now unemployed, so kind of broke. Sorry about that, Gerasim.”
“Sorry?” The older man’s voice sounded strangled. “Deva... I don’t know what to say. Zoya...”
“There is nothing to say. Just give the letter to Aleksei with my thanks. That’s all.”
Deva pushed to her feet, looking around at the fading sun. The night to come would be beautiful. And for some time now, she felt steadier, confident that she would soon find her way.
“Goodbye, Gerasim.” The man stood up, looking at her proffered hand. Ignoring it, he took her in a tight bear hug. Kissing her forehead, he stepped away from her, the letter clutched hard in his hand.
“And again, I’m in your debt, Deva Landry. If ever you need something, never hesitate. And the offer is from me, not Bratva. I hope you find peace and happiness too, my child.”
And he was gone, swallowed by the crowd around them. Deva stayed a little while longer. As the sun set over the city, her mind cleared more and more. Her heart ached still, but she knew it would remain that way until the end of her days. Her heart wasn’t hers anymore, it was Aleksei’s, even if the man didn’t want it. Even if he didn’t return her love. But her life was her own, and she would make the best of it. Now, and forever.