Chapter Six
Raven sat against the top of the bed and watched as Pepper paced back and forth. They had come in here a while ago, so the guys could discuss things. Raven knew very little about what they were talking about but that wasn’t anything new. Since she’d gotten hooked up with Yuri, she’d learned there were things they didn’t discuss in front of civilians. Yuri told her once that this was his way of protecting her.
Pepper sat down and glared at Raven. “I need to think about something else. Please talk to me.”
Raven chuckled. “I hear you. So what do you want to talk about?”
“What’s the story with you and this guy Yuri?”
Raven shrugged and looked away. “Apparently, he doesn’t think this baby is his.”
“Then he truly is a dumbass, isn’t he?” Pepper scoffed.
Raven looked back over at her. “Why do you say that? You don’t even know me.”
Pepper shook her head. “You told me you knew me before we met, well I sorta feel the same towards you. I don’t need to know you very long to know you wouldn’t cheat on anyone you love as deeply as you love him. And you do love him. Even I can see that much.”
“I thought he loved me too,” Raven whispered.
“He does,” Pepper assured her. “I could see it.”
“Then why did he deny our child?”
“I don’t know but he’s got a lot to learn about women.” She frowned. “He can’t treat you like he did and expect you to fall in line.”
Raven took a deep breath and released it. “I’ve been on my own before and I can do it again. I can raise this baby alone.”
“If you’ll let me I can help you,” Pepper offered. “I’d like to help you.”
“Why?” Raven asked. “You don’t even know me.”
Pepper shrugged. “You didn’t know me either yet you helped me when I needed it. I just have this feeling that somehow we’re meant to connect with each other. Like we were meant to be friends.”
Raven reached out and squeezed her hand. “Me too.”
“So now what do we do?” Pepper asked. “So far, all we know is a big fat nothing. Nothing that would help us understand anything anyway.”
“Not true,” Raven disagreed. “We know you have a connection to the artist, Jessie Carter. We know you were there with her the night she died. That you were taken away by someone unknown. We also know her attorney was killed under suspicious circumstances.”
Pepper sighed. “We don’t know why Jessie died or why her attorney died or who killed them. We also don’t know why someone might be after me.”
“We don’t know that stuff yet. But knowing those guys out in the other room, we will know before this is all over.”
Pepper worried her hands together. “Do you think they’ll find out who my father is and why he never came forward to claim me after my mother died?”
“I’m sure of it.” Raven nodded then she tilted her head at her. “Sooo, you and Mikial? How the hell did that happen?”
Pepper blushed. “It sorta happened last night.”
“How did it sorta happen?”
“I was having the nightmare again, and he woke me up. Then things got out of control and we ended up sleeping together.”
Raven shook her head. “He took advantage of you? That doesn’t sound like any of the guys.”
“He didn’t take anything I wasn’t willing to give freely,” Pepper admitted. “I mean have you seen the guy? He’s so hot.”
Raven giggled. “They all are but I know what you mean. When I first saw Yuri, I damn near exploded with lust.”
“I know right?” Pepper nodded. “But there’s something more with Mikial. I can explain it but he just fits somehow.”
“Yeah, like you’ve been waiting for him to wake you up from a deep sleep or something,” Raven agreed. “It was the same for Yuri and me. It was like he was my missing piece. He just somehow completed me.”
Pepper looked over at her and nodded. “So now what do we do?”
“I don’t know. I never imagined I would end up without him. We weren’t together very long but it felt so right while it lasted.”
“Do you have other family?”
Raven closed her eyes and swore. “My father and grandfather will kill him.” She stared at Pepper. “How do I stop that?”
“What makes you think they will hurt him?”
“They told him if he hurt me they would kill him,” Raven stated flatly.
“I’m not sure they meant literally.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong about that.” Raven shook her head. “They don’t do betrayal very well.”
“What are they, mobsters or something?” Pepper joked.
Raven nodded her head seriously.
“Are you kidding me?” Pepper squeaked as she stood up. “They belong to the mob?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No I didn’t know,” Pepper admitted as she gulped heavily.
“They all belong to the Russian mob. My father and Grandfather live in Russia but my dad is making plans to move back here to be with me. Grandpa is the head of the mob over there. Everyone here answers to them.”
“Good lord almighty.” Pepper whispered. “Is Mikial mob too?”
Raven nodded. “Yuri is leader in this area.” She paused then added, “Why do you think we’re under armed guard? If one of his enemies got to us, they would either kill us to hurt him or hold us hostage to negotiate a deal that wouldn’t be so good for the Russians.”
“I had no idea.” Pepper began to feel shell shocked. “I can’t be linked to the mob!” She panicked. “I have to get out of here.”
“It’s too late for that now,” Raven assured her. “I’m pretty sure you’re in it now. Mikial won’t let you go so easily.”
“I can’t stay here!”
“Even if you go, he’ll find you again. He won’t stop looking for you and if something happens to him because he was looking for you, the rest of them will hunt you down. They have a very strong bond, if you hurt one of them you hurt them all.”
“The same goes for you doesn’t it?” Pepper asked.
Raven nodded. “But in a different way. My father ranks higher than Yuri but I still don’t want his blood spilled over this baby. I have to find a way to make it right with Misha and Sergi, as well as Yuri.” She shrugged. “I just don’t know how yet.”
“What are you going to do about Yuri?”
“I don’t know that either. He took something very special and threw it back in my face. I don’t know if I can forgive him for that.”
“But you still love him don’t you?”
Raven nodded. “I guess my feelings mean more to me than his do to him.”
“I think you’re wrong about that part. He does love you. Maybe there’s something you don’t know about,” Pepper suggested. “I don’t think that man is going to give up on you yet.”
Raven lifted her shoulders and dropped them again. “I don’t want to be done with him either but I can’t live with him if he doesn’t trust me for something I didn’t do.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “He knows he’s the only man I’ve ever been with.”
“Maybe he was just in shock and didn’t think about it.” Pepper wrapped her arms around the weeping woman and held her for a moment.
“I didn’t do this to trap him. I didn’t think about it really.”
“You just have to give him time to figure out things. Men can be stupid sometimes.” She rolled her eyes. “Hell, more often than not. But we all make mistakes and sometimes, you have to be a bigger person.”
“I don’t know if I can forgive him for this,” Raven whispered as she swiped at her tears. “I mean this is his child too. I know what it’s like to be rejected by someone who’s supposed to love you unconditionally. I lived that life and I will not subject my child to that kind of life.”
“Neither would Yuri. He too, knows how it feels to be alone in the world. We all do.” Came a voice from the doorway.
They turned to see Roman standing there.
“Yuri is hurting right now and in his anger, he lashed out at you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive him for being a stupid man?”
“I don’t know. He hurt me so much,” Raven whispered.
“Please don’t run away. Stay and fight for what you both want, for something you both need very much. If you leave him, he will never be whole again,” Roman told her. “You complete him like no other woman could these last few weeks. He’s known plenty of women in his day but you are the one woman that he needs. He needs you and without you he won’t survive.”
Raven shook her head. “He threw me away yesterday.”
“There is much more to the story that you don’t know yet. Please do not give up on him,” Roman pleaded. He held out his hand. “But I digress. We need you out here. We’ve come upon new information.”
When Pepper and Raven joined the group in the living room, Sazon was gone but Barshan had joined them. “I spoke to your foster parents this morning. They confirmed everything you told us so far.”
“Did Paul have any other information you could use?” she asked. “With him being a cop, he would have access to the police files and stuff.”
“He’s looking into it for us.” Barshan nodded. “They asked that you call them later today. They just want to know you’re all right. They know we will keep you safe.”
Pepper turned her phone back on. “Oh, dear.” She looked up at the group.
“What is it?” Raven asked.
Pepper held up a finger and dialed a number. When someone answered, she didn’t even get the chance to speak before her roommate began shouting at her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, what’s going on?”
“Our apartment was broken into last night!” Sami exclaimed.
“What?” Pepper whispered. She looked over at Mikial. “Our apartment was broken into last night. We must have been followed there. Are you okay?” Pepper asked her friend.
“Yeah, I didn’t get home until this morning. I stayed with Jake last night. Whoever broke in tore the place up.”
“Can you stay with Jake until this mess is over?” Pepper asked.
“What did you get yourself into girl?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ve got people looking into it.”
“Yeah, I can stay with Jake but you be careful,” Sami warned. “Ben was asking about you. I think he’s worried.”
Pepper rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why he’s worried. I’ve never given him any reason to think that way.”
Sami chuckled. “You know Ben, he seems to think you two belong together.”
“And I tell him every time I see him that we don’t,” Pepper reminded her. “It’s starting to get a little creepy.”
“Well, until you get someone to tell him different he’s going to be hanging around.”
Pepper sought out Mikial who was staring back at her. “Yeah, well we’ll see about that.” She shivered at the look of possession in Mikial’s eyes. “I gotta go. Be safe and I’ll call you in a few days.”
“You be safe too,” Sami told her before the line went dead.
“Is your roommate okay?” Roman asked.
“Yeah, she’s going to stay with her boyfriend until this is over.”
“And the other matter?” Mikial asked.
“That’s nothing. Just another friend worried about me.”
“And is this friend a boyfriend?” Mikial growled.
“No he isn’t,” Pepper assured him. “Well, he is a boy and somewhat a friend but I’ve never seen him as more than that. Just a friend.”
“But he wants to be more?”
Pepper shrugged. “Maybe, but I never have, so the point is moot, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps.” Mikial frowned. “Perhaps not.”
“Let’s not go there right now.” Pepper reasoned. “We have other fish to fry at the moment.”
“Fine but this subject isn’t over.” Mikial snarled.
Pepper rolled her eyes and placed another call. This call was to her foster parents, Paul and Marie.
“Oh thank god, you’re all right,” Paul answered the call.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just spoke to Sami.”
“Yeah, she called here first thing. I spoke to the cops that went to your apartment.” Hesitating he told her, “Some of your things are missing. A laptop and a camera then everything else is pretty busted up.”
“I have the camera and the laptop,” Pepper explained. “I had time to take a few things with me when I left but that was before the break-in.”
“I got a phone call earlier from a man I’m not so sure about. Barshan Stanikoff,” Paul told her.
“Yeah, I’m staying with them for a while. I kind of got mixed up in something.”
“I know, he explained it all. I’m getting police records and files for them…” Paul hesitated. “I know we didn’t help you when you were a kid but I’m hoping they can help you now.”
“Oh Dad, you did help me back then.” Pepper felt her throat closing with tears. “You gave me a safe home and the kind of love that helped me grow. You gave me everything.”
“I hope so baby girl. You came to mean so much to Marie and I.”
“You guys mean the world to me too,” she whispered.
“Mr. Stanikoff explained that you think you’re related to the artist Jessie Carter. Is that true?”
“Yeah, we kind found that out by accident and apparently, someone didn’t want us to find that out.”
“That’s what worries me,” Paul said. “Why after all this time does it matter?”
“That’s what these men are trying to find out.”
“Just be safe. It never mattered to us who you were.” Pausing he added, “Please be careful around these guys. They could pose a danger to you as well. They are dangerous men to cross.”
“I know. It never mattered to me before either. It’s just nice to finally know who I belong to. Take care of yourself and Marie. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you guys because of this.”
“Don’t worry about us. I’ll keep both of us safe. You just stay with these men and keep safe. Tell them I’ll send them whatever report I have soon.”
“I will,” Pepper assured him as she ended the call. Looking over at Barshan, she relayed Paul’s message.
“Get down!” someone yelled out just as the window glass shattered.
Mikial surged toward her and dragged her down to the floor while Barshan grabbed Raven and dragged her down as well. Sazon came running from the bedroom in nothing more than his jeans and a gun in his hand. Then he and Roman as well as the security guy manned the windows.
When no other shots were heard, Barshan dragged Raven to her feet.
Mikial did the same to Pepper.
“We no longer have a choice. We’re going to the hotel,” Barshan told them.
Mikial grabbed Pepper’s bag and the painting then hustled her out the door to the garage. Pushing her into the vehicle behind Raven, he forced her head down while Barshan did the same to Raven.
Roman was behind the wheel and Sazon was in the front seat with his gun in his hand. The security guards followed them in a second vehicle and when the door opened, they took off like a shot.
The second vehicle broke off and went another direction while Roman took the closest way to the hotel. He sped through the city with no regard for the speed limits. He pulled into the private entrance and didn’t stop until he got as close to the elevators as possible.
Sazon got out and searched the area before he called the elevator and no one in the car moved until they got the all clear when the doors opened up. Then Mikial and Barshan escorted the women inside and when the doors closed again, they were whisked up to the penthouse floor.
When they arrived and the doors opened up again, Yuri was waiting for them. He hustled them down the hall and opened the door to his apartment. When he closed the door after them he asked, “Is everyone all right?” he asked the question aloud but he was staring at Raven.
She nodded her head. “We’re fine.”
Yuri turned to Barshan. “What the hell happened? How did someone follow you to the safe house?”
Barshan ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t think anyone did. I was very careful on the way over there.”
“What were you doing just before the shot?”
“Pepper was on her phone talking to Paul Windjue. She’d called her roommate earlier.”
Yuri turned to Pepper and held out his hand. She gave him the cell phone then he turned it over and took the battery out. “They must have traced the calls to find her.”
Pepper felt faint and would have collapsed if Mikial hadn’t been holding on to her. She turned to him and whispered, “Why? Why is someone doing this to me? I’ve never hurt anyone in my life.”
Mikial wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t know but we will find out.”
“What about my friends, and Paul and Marie?” she asked. “Are they going to be okay?”
Yuri turned to observe Raven.
They all looked over at her.
She seemed pale and shaken. When she saw Yuri staring at her she turned and ran for the bathroom. He followed her and when he opened the door, they heard sounds of someone vomiting. Then they heard Yuri swearing as the door slammed shut.
“Oh dear,” Pepper groaned. “The joys of being pregnant.”
“Maybe you should check on her,” Barshan suggested.
Pepper shook her head. “She doesn’t need me at the moment. Yuri is with her.”
“Perhaps she’s right. Yuri wouldn’t appreciate being interrupted right now,” Mikial offered his opinion.
Raven crouched beside the toilet after emptying her stomach. She heard the door open and was hoping it was Pepper. But when he knelt beside her, she knew it was Yuri.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked as he handed her a wet washcloth.
“Not long,” she murmured as she tried to move away from him.
“Please don’t,” he whispered. “Don’t turn away from me.”
“What do you want from me, Yuri?” she asked.
“I want you in my arms where you belong.”
“And the baby?” she asked.
“For more than half my life I was told I would never have a child. I got a very bad infection as a teenager, one I was told had taken away the ability I had to reproduce. Now you tell me you are carrying a child and that child is mine.” He laid his hand on her stomach cradling the baby she held in her body. “For a brief moment in time, I forgot how much I loved you. I’ll never do that again.”
“You love me?” she whispered.
“Of course I do. I don’t know where or how it happened but it did happen. It took you being gone from my life even for a night, to make me realize it but I can no longer live without you in my life. I felt empty without you here.”
“I am still not sure. You accused me of…” Her voice fell away. “You acted like I’d gotten pregnant like to trap you or something.”
“That was never it, and I made a mistake. I know you were never with anyone else. It just took me by surprise after I believed I could never father children. Please forgive me. It was stupid. I am so sorry to have hurt you. I love you too much, in fact. So, it hurt me to think…” He paused as if he was overcome with feeling. “I love you, Raven.”
She sighed as tears fell down her cheeks. “I love you too. And the baby?” she repeated.
“My son or daughter will know that he or she is wanted and loved by its mother and its father.” He smiled down at her. He got to his feet and helped her up off the floor. “Come on, we have work to do. You need something to eat and I need to find out more about this other woman.”
When he opened the door, they found everyone waiting for them.
Raven smiled at Pepper.
Barshan looked down at his phone and growled. He looked up at Yuri and shook his head. “We got the hospital reports on the day Pepper was found.”
“Print everything out.” Yuri nodded toward his office. “We need hard copies so we can share the information.” He glanced down at Raven. “Your brother sent along the information he found earlier as well.” He looked over at Roman. “Download the security tapes from the safe house. Let’s put a face to our shooter. Then we can track that bastard down and take him out.”
An hour later, they had a face and a name to go with it. “Oscar Mann.” Yuri swore. “This man is becoming a pain in the ass.”
“But have you noticed anything strange about both shootings?” Sazon commented.
“Strange? Like what?” Mikial asked.
“Strange…like he only shot out the glass.” Sazon nodded. “If he was that close, a sharp shooter like him would have gone for the kill. I think this man is playing head games with us.”
“What kind of head games?” Yuri asked in an angry tone.
“It’s like he’s daring us to come after him.”
“He could be right,” Roman agreed. “From what I know of Mann, he likes the challenge of being smarter than the next guy. This could be his way of calling us out.”
“And while we’re out there looking for him, it would be easier for someone to slip past us and get to Pepper or maybe Raven,” Yuri concluded. “No way in hell is that gonna happen.”
“But why?” Pepper asked. “I’m no body important. I don’t have any money.”
“There’s somebody out there that doesn’t want you around,” Mikial said. “We just have to find him or her and ask them why.”
“It’s time to take a break,” Yuri announced. “Raven and the rest of you need time to eat and regroup.”
Just about that time Yuri’s fax machine began to spit out page after page of information. Raven walked over to pick up the pages from the floor. Glancing over them, she looked up at Yuri. “Nicky found more information. He dug deeper into Pepper’s mom.”
“My mom?’ Pepper repeated. “What about her?”
Yuri joined Raven and began reading the pages Nicky sent. After a moment or so, he gazed up at Pepper. “How about the fact she was worth a great deal of money when she died? Money that went into a trust she had set up for you.”
Pepper shrugged. “This is the first I’ve ever heard about it.”
Yuri turned another page to read it. “Money someone has been using for eighteen years.”
“Who would do something like that?” she asked.
“The bank papers say it’s Cullen Brandt,” Yuri explained. “Not only is money coming out of the account but money is going into it as well.”
“That’s not possible boss,” Mikial spoke up. “Cullen Brandt died within a month of Jessie Carter.”
Yuri shook his head. “Not according to the bank records. He just made a monthly withdrawal of fifty thousand dollars a week ago.” He looked over to Barshan. “Get the banks’ security tapes and let’s find out who this man is.”
“Who is putting money into the trust?” Pepper asked. “There should be no activity at all. Not withdrawals or deposits.”
“That would depend on if your mother’s paintings are still being sold somewhere.”
Raven made a call, “Nicky, we need to know if there is any paperwork regarding a new attorney for Jessie Carter. Someone has been taking Cullen’s place all this time.”
“I know,” Nicky replied. “I just uncovered some video from the bank. I’m sending it to Yuri. I don’t know who he is yet, but I’ll find out and let you know.”
Raven glanced over at Yuri. “Nicky is sending you some video. It shows someone who’s been using the trust.”
Yuri checked his phone and swore. He watched the video for a moment then turned it so everyone could see it. It plainly showed a man walking to the counter and cashing a check. It wasn’t until he turned around that they could see his face. When they recognized him…everyone swore.
“Who is this guy?” Pepper asked as she listened to the grumbles from everyone.
“His name is Timothy Flynn and baby, he’s bad news any way you slice it,” Mikial told her.