Obsidian Music (Lion Security Book 3) (20 page)

I blinked, seeing something I had never seen before in her eyes. Hate. Pure, unadulterated hate for me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Calmly, I added, “Katie, why don’t you put the gun down. We can talk about whatever you want to. Without the gun.”

“Bullshit!” she barked, taking a step toward me.

I skittered back.

“I know they talked. They would have loved to tell you.”

I stayed mute, wondering if I could make a run out of the bedroom before she did something insane. “What would they have told me, Katie?” Best to keep her talking for right now since she was watching me with crazy eyes.

She snorted, taking another step forward. “Oh, please. Don’t start with that bull. You already know.”

I shook my head slowly. “No. No, I don’t.”

Slowly, it clicked. Katie had brought in the gift that had been supposedly left outside for me. Valentina and Bogdan knowing that Daniil’s kids were there. Where we were exactly. It had been a planned attack with them getting into the ventilation system like that, knowing the layout. Oh, God.

“No, Katie.” I shook my head, moving back farther into the room as she advanced. “Why? God, why would you do this? I love you! You love me! Why would you do this?”

She pulled a cigarette pack out of her pocket even as she raised the gun, pulling a cigarette out with her teeth and tossing the pack on the bed. “You don’t mind, do you?” She pulled a lighter out of her pocket, lighting her cigarette, not waiting for my answer. She waved the gun she had pointed at me toward the bed. “Sit down. It’ll make this easier.”

I sat slowly as she puffed on her cigarette, and froze…there was someone in the closet. I didn’t look too closely because it was Artur. He was texting from the quick glance I had, the white light of his phone shining on his face, illuminating it before he shut it. I scooted back slowly on the bed as Katie bent over, ashing into the little clay bowl on the nightstand Daniil used for spare change he had in his pockets.

Katie cocked the gun and aimed it directly at my chest, instead of in my general direction, and opened her mouth to speak. Artur heard the sound, and made his presence known then, stepping out into the light of the room, cocking his own gun, it already aimed at her. She jerked, thankfully not shooting me, taking a quick glance at who had snuck up on her.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?”

Artur drawled, “I could ask you the same thing.” He snapped his fingers at me with his free hand. “Get over here, Elizabeth.”

“Don’t move,” Katie shouted, her attention swinging back to me. “Don’t you fucking move!”

“Okay,” I said slowly. My heart was in my throat, and I felt like puking again with all of these guns being waved around by people I loved. I wasn’t sure which I hated more. Katie aiming a gun at me…or Artur aiming a gun at Katie. “Katie, why are you doing this? This won’t end well for you.”

Again, she didn’t answer me, her attention going back to Artur.

Daniil slipped into the bedroom, breathless, but slowly moving closer to Katie. He didn’t have a gun drawn, but his eyes encompassed everything, and his expression didn’t bode well for her.

Katie hadn’t even noticed his entrance. She hissed at Artur, “Put the fucking gun away. You know you aren’t going to shoot me.” She smirked and took a drag off her cigarette. “We had sex. Men like you don’t shoot someone you had sex with.”

I kept my attention firmly off Daniil and watched Artur shrug, his attention also off his dad while he said bluntly, “You’re a decent lay, but you were only a job. I’ve been watching you since I first saw your file. Anyone with as much debt as you have would be a threat. The weak link, so to speak. And I will shoot you. You weren’t that good of a fuck.”

Katie’s face had turned furious at the beginning, and her grip on her gun faltered at the end.

That was when Daniil struck.

I ducked, rolling in on myself as Daniil slammed into her back, grabbing her arm with the gun. The gun went off as I felt them hit the bed where my legs used to be. I peered up seeing the gunshot in the wall above our bed, and then down to Daniil ripping the gun away from her, and handing it off to Artur as she kicked and screamed under him. Daniil had her contained in less than two seconds, even if still squalling loud enough to be heard over the new ringing in my ears. That’s all it had taken.

I shouted over her, “What the fuck is going on with her?” I glanced at Artur since he seemed to have the most information. “Answer me!”

Daniil yanked her off the bed, none-to-damn-gently, and handed her off to one of the bodyguards that were filing into the room. Artur glanced at his dad, his expression hooded, and Daniil sighed heavily and turned to me, sitting down slowly on the bed. He pulled me into his arms as I watched Katie being drug out of the room, and he slowly began to speak, “When your family showed up at the resort, I had a profile ran on all of them. Katie’s came back with all the classic signs of someone who might accept bribes. I asked Artur to watch over her while we were there,” he glanced at his son, “although, I did not tell him to sleep with her.”

I blinked, feeling really fucking lost.

Artur shrugged, a small smile lifting his lips. “After the money showed up in her account, I needed an in.” He shrugged, putting his gun away. “She offered. I accepted. In accomplished.”

“Anyway,” Daniil growled, shaking his head at his son, and turning back to me. “I also asked Ember to watch over you at the resort since Katie had stayed with you that one night.”

“Ember slept in my damn room,” I muttered.

Daniil nodded, still giving dagger looks every so often to Artur. “She helped watched over you there. And the rest is hit or miss. There was fifty thousand dollars placed into her account the day before you were taken. It was cash so we couldn’t trace it. That’s when Artur really started,” he cleared his throat, “watching her. We know she gave you the mask. Although, since your father doesn’t have cameras in his church, we didn’t know if it was really left as she stated. We continued watching her. I even gently questioned her. But she never gave any indication that she knew where you were or even that she was a part of it, saying the money came from a generous benefactor in her escort business, which could have been true.” He shrugged. “We had to wait and see if she was a real threat.”

Artur snorted. “She gave it away when you pegged Valentina and Bogdan in the music room. She couldn’t wait to get out of there.”

I shook my head, burrowing into Daniil. “That still doesn’t explain why she did it.”

Daniil nodded, pulling my chin up to look into my eyes. “Do you want me to find out? Or do you want to talk to her?”

Honestly, I didn’t want to be in the same room with her after seeing how much she hated me, but I couldn’t just let someone else find out for me. She was my damn cousin. My responsibility. “I’ll do it.”

Daniil nodded, glancing at Artur. “Call the police. Inform them there’s been an attempt on Elizabeth’s life.”

Right then and there, I fell in love with him all over again. He hadn’t brought a gun out earlier. He hadn’t used lethal force on her when he could have. And, even now, he was going the legal way about this with the police. Because I loved her.

“I love you,” I whispered, kissing his cheek, and moving off the bed. “I have no clue how we’re going to keep her from talking about what I did tonight to Valentina and Bogdan.”

Daniil grabbed my hips, instantly stating in a business manner, “She wasn’t in the room. The surveillance has already been wiped tonight. Just state that they ran, dumping Inna here with us once they found out we knew they were the kidnappers.” He paused and nodded. “Their car is gone, and so are their bodies. Everyone will believe they just fled as far as they could. I’ll inform Inna and Mary of what they need to say if questioned. My kids will know to keep their mouths shut.”

I nodded slowly. This was a lot of fucking effort to do legally. “Okay. You go and talk to everyone, and I’ll go and talk to Katie.” I glanced at Artur. “Will you come with me?” I knew the guards were in there…but, damn, there had been a lot of hate in her eyes.

His lips lifted in a gentle smile. “Only if you promise those are boys inside your body.”

I blinked. “Not you too.”

He lifted his hands and shrugged. “I am my father’s son.”

Daniil snorted. “Get your ass in there with her, son.”

“Why?” I asked, staring deeply into her furious eyes.

Katie glared and hissed, “Think, Elizabeth. Really think.”

I was at a loss. I shook my head. “I don’t know, Katie. This doesn’t make any sense to me.” I waved my hand up and down her body, where she was being restrained by two of my guards. “You attacking me? Wanting to kill me? That makes no sense to me at all.”

She snorted. “You are so selfish that it doesn’t surprise me.”

I crossed my arms over my nightgown. Waiting.

Her faced flushed red in anger. “Daniil fucking killed my ex-boyfriend!” Her eyes were wide in fury. “I know he hurt you, Elizabeth, but I loved him. I did. He only had ten years left on his sentence.”

My expression went blank. “A poppy seed killed him.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

I grimaced, and my lips thinned. “Maybe.”

She shook her head. “Again, bullshit.”

Yes, it was bullshit. I didn’t doubt for one second that Daniil had caused his death.

My voice was small, deep hurt clenching my heart. “Was he really worth having me killed over? Your own flesh and blood? Someone who has loved you forever—no matter what?”

Her jaw clenched. “They offered me money. And your death would hurt Daniil in the process.” She stared straight into my eyes. “And I want him to hurt. To hurt just as bad as I do.”

Tears burned my eyes, and I took a step closer to Artur. “I just can’t believe this.” I shook my head in confusion. “I really can’t. I love you, Katie.”

My cousin didn’t even flinch. “How bad did you want to kill those people tonight for hurting you, for killing your friend?”

I could only blink repeatedly, trying to keep my tears at bay.

She lifted her chin, staring down her nose at me. “It was no different, Elizabeth. I feel the same way about Daniil.”

I shoved my hands into the air. “But that meant you would have to kill me!”

“I know. That was unfortunate.”

My hands slowly lowered back to my sides. “You truly feel that way.”

Katie merely raised a brow. “He was the love of my life.”

I swallowed hard and gently shook my head. “So much death.”

She snorted. “That’s what you get when you sleep with the devil, my cousin.”

“But I never expected it from my own family,” I growled, stepping closer to her. Artur instantly put a stopping hand on my shoulder, keeping me a safe distance from the threat. “Never my goddamn family.”

Katie shrugged, but her eyes were so full hate. “Family is what took him away from me.”

I stopped breathing for a second, my heart pounding in my ear with her truth. My brows creased. “If I had known you still had real feelings for him—”

“What? You would have asked your baby daddy to not kill him?” She grunted. “That man will do anything to take care of what he perceives as a threat against you.”

My shoulders slumped. “I know.”

Her gaze ran over my face. “Yes, you do. And you still stay with him.”

“He’s the man I fell in love with. Maybe you and I aren’t so different after all.” I steeled my shoulders and stared down my own nose at her. This shit would continue on if I allowed it. Because she was my weakness. “I just picked the villain to fuck.”

She blinked, not understanding. “What?”

I turned my attention to Artur, my tone turning cold. “Tell your father not to call the police. He can put her in whatever jail cell he wishes.”

Artur slowly raised his brows, as she sputtered. “You’re sure about this?”

I nodded. “She’ll get out of jail for good behavior before I want her out. She’s not insane. She’s just pissed. Time will only enhance her vengeance.”

“What?” Katie screamed, now understanding. “You can’t be serious, Elizabeth.”

My hard gaze snapped right to hers. “I’m very serious. You know that hole I was put in thanks to you? That hole changed me. And you’re a threat. So I’m going to let my villain love cart you off to a horrible place where you will live for the rest of your life.” I brushed my hands off. “Threat eliminated.”

Artur nodded his head. His eyes were full of approval. “You’ve finally become a Kozar.”

I glanced in his direction. “If your father would just put a ring on my finger.”

He blinked, and his mouth bobbed. “Oh.” Another blink. “Does he know you would say yes?”

“All he has to do is ask to know.” I turned away from Katie’s shouts, heading back to my bedroom door. “Anyway, get her out of here. I need sleep.” And even more therapy now.

“Wait!” Katie hollered. “I have more information. I’ll trade you for it!”

I peered over my shoulder at her in surprise. “What else could there be?”

She spewed quickly, tears now running down her cheeks. “Their family. Olya and Valentina’s parents. You just took away their last remaining daughter. Daniil has killed both their children now.” She shook her head. “Where do you think the money came from? Their parents are the ones who contacted me.”