Stingray Billionaire: The Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (69 page)

CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE

Max

I
drove by the bar to see
if Kristov was out front before I headed over to his place. He often spent part
of the day simply being a presence on the street, and Papa encouraged it so
that rival gang members would think twice about coming into the bar and causing
trouble. It was also Kristov's way of thumbing his nose at the rival gangs who
thought they might be strong enough to usurp his place in the community. There
was no activity outside Ursus, so I told my driver to head to my brother’s
house.

Kristov had been
reserved with the money he'd received from my mother. He'd bought a two-story,
red brick house on Evergreen so that he could be near Papa and the bar, but not
too close that everyone would know his business. Papa did anyway, but my
brother said that was because the
bratán
reported back to Papa on a regular basis in order to curry favor. Unlike me,
Kristov didn't care. He liked being accounted for and he said that the fact
that Papa always knew where he was or what he was doing made him feel safer.

I called him again
from the car as we pulled up outside his house. His red Mustang was parked on the
street and there were several of the young
bratán
milling about outside the gate. I got out of the car and approached them
warily.

"Hey, where's
Kristov?" I asked.

"Who wants to
know?" a young boy with a shaved head asked as he eyed me suspiciously. His
buddy hit him and whispered something I couldn't hear. The boy looked at me
with wide eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Malinchenko. I didn't recognize
you."

"It's okay, I
wasn't expecting to come down here this morning so I didn't dress the
part," I said with a grim smile. "Where's Kristov?"

"We don't
know, sir," the boy said. "We haven't seen him all morning. Someone
said he went to meet with Dementyev this morning."

"Dementyev?
Aleksander Dementyev?" I shouted at the boys. "What the fuck does he
think he's doing? That son of a bitch!"

The boys shrunk
back from my rage as I yanked open the gate and stormed up the walk. I pounded
on the front door yelling, "Kristov, you'd better open up this damn door
right this minute or I am going to break it down and haul your sorry ass out on
to the street!"

When I got no
response, I stalked around to the back door and tried to peer into the kitchen.
There was no movement inside the house, and my heart dropped to my stomach as I
thought about what this might mean. I walked back to the front and addressed
the boys.

"You two need
to run over to Ursus and get my father, do you understand me?" I said in a
grave voice. "You need to bring him back here as quickly as possible. Take
my car and go. Just get him back here now!"

The boys hopped
into the back of the car and my driver stepped on the gas. It wasn't so much
that I needed them to get Papa – I could have picked up the phone and called
him more quickly than sending the two young ones to get him. I didn't want them
to witness what I was afraid I was about to find, but I did want my father to
come and see it.

I walked around to
the back of the house again, held the edge of the doorframe with my hands, and
kicked the back door as hard as I could. It took three tries, but the door came
loose from the hinges and I was able to push it aside and walk in. Inside, the
place was a mess. Pizza boxes and takeout containers littered the kitchen,
dining room, and living room; some had been there long enough to solidify in
the box. I walked through the lower level, shaking my head at the filth and
clutter.

"Kristov!"
I shouted up the stairs. "Get down here now! Papa's on his way, and you're
gonna be fucked if you're not down here to greet him!"

I heard a noise
from the upper level, but when my brother failed to appear, I knew I was going
to have to take more drastic measures. I took the stairs two at a time and
burst through the door to his bedroom. I was completely unprepared to witness
how far Kristov had been drawn into the web of the
vory v zakone.

On his bed in the
center of the room, lay my brother and two women. All three had been shot once
in the head from the front, leaving perfect dark circles in the middle of each
of their foreheads. My brother's eyes were still open. I walked over and pushed
his eyelids down, so that Papa wouldn't see him like that.

I felt the cold
rage welling up in my gut as I looked around the room and realized that this
had been a straight hit. The boxes of Kristov's drug supplies were untouched –
not a single one had been disturbed. Someone had wanted him dead and they
didn't care about collecting the rewards that went with the hit. They were out
for blood.

I felt the blood
in my veins icing over as I looked at the scene and tried to reconstruct the
last few minutes of my brother's life. Whoever had done this would pay. I would
make sure of it.

"Who did
this?" Papa asked quietly. I'd been so wrapped up in plotting my revenge
that I hadn't heard him enter the house. I turned and the pain on his face made
my blood begin to boil. "Who did this to my son?"

"Papa, I
don't know," I said. "But I have a guess."

"Who did
this?" he repeated more forcefully as he walked over to the side of the
bed and looked down at Kristov. He raised his head and bellowed, "WHO DID
THIS TO MY SON?"

"I'm going to
find out, Papa," I said. "I'm going to find out, and then, I'm going
to make him pay."

Papa stood next to
the bed, staring down at my brother for a long time. He didn't move or say a
single word. He simply stood and stared at Kristov's lifeless body. I could
feel my heart twisting my chest as I watched him out of the corner of my eye,
but I knew better than to say anything until he was ready. As angry as he was,
it wouldn't be surprising if he turned and took his rage out on me, and I
didn't want to have to fight my own father, not today.

"Maksimka, I
want you to find the son of a bitch who killed my son, your brother, and I want
you to bring him to his fucking knees," he said in a dangerous voice.
"I want him on his knees so I can watch him suffer as I drain the fucking
life from his veins."

"Yes,
Papa," I said. I stood not moving a muscle until he turned and walked out
the door. I knew that the weight of the family business and avenging my
brother's death were now entirely on my shoulders, and I felt myself sagging as
I added them to the weight I already carried.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX

Lexi

Moments
before I was
preparing to lock up the store and head to my audition, Max walked through the
door looking like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I
watched as he walked into the office, checked the day's sales, and then came
out to the sales floor and nodded.

"Break a leg,
fiancée," he said without a smile. I tipped my head and looked at him
curiously, wondering what had happened before he'd come to the store.

"Thank you,
Mr. Malin," I said with as much of a smile as I could muster. "I'll
do my best. I got you lunch, it's in the back in the fridge."

"I'll take
care of dinner tonight," he said as he looked at the case and reached in
to straighten a piece that was already perfectly straight. "I'll order
out."

"Are you
okay, Max?" I asked, softening my hard-line stance as I looked at him. I
couldn't tell if he wanted to cry or kill someone, but it was clear that
something bad had happened while he was away from the store. I softened a bit
more and asked, ”Do you need me to stay?"

"Oh no, I'm
fine. Don't be silly." He waved me off with an unconvincing smile.
"It's just a family thing, no big deal."

"Is your dad
okay?" I asked. I knew his father lived in town and that he often went to
see him. I assumed that his father was old and in need of help with basic
living tasks, so it wouldn't have surprised me to find out that he'd fallen and
hurt himself or something.

"Yeah, he's
fine," Max sighed. "He's good. It's…it's…my brother."

"Oh, is he
okay?" I asked.

"No, not
really," he admitted, but when he didn't explain further, I felt like
pushing wasn't what he wanted. Besides, I had an audition to make and I didn't
want to be late.

"I'm so
sorry, Max," I said. "Can we talk about it over dinner, maybe?"

"Yeah, sure,
no problem," he said in a distracted way. "Did you sell the
aquamarine set?

"I did!"
I replied. "Mrs. Zakhrov came in and bought it right after I'd opened up.
She also wants a special statement piece, and she want me to ask you about the
Star of Russia. Do you know what she's talking about?"

"I do. I'll
take care of it," he said as he checked another case. I could tell he was
trying to avoid looking at me, and there was something disturbing about it.

"Max, are you
sure you're okay?" I asked again, this time a little softer. "Is
there anything I can do?"

"Will you
stop asking me questions I've already answered?" he shouted. "I'm
fine! Just fine! Now get out of here and get to your audition!"

"Fine, I'll
see you later tonight," I said as I turned and walked out the door.

#

I
felt like I was
floating on clouds the whole way home from the audition. I'd nailed the part
and the chemistry between the actor who would play George and I was
spectacular. The director had said he was almost certain that he wanted me to
play Hedda, but that they had one more audition to see before they'd make their
decision. I floated out of the theater and down the street singing
I Feel Pretty
, much to the delight of
several small children playing on the sidewalk in front of the building. Max
had sent the car to pick me up and I was soon whisked away to the penthouse
where dinner awaited me.

"Max?
Anna?" I called as I stepped out of the elevator. As soon as I called her
name, a small gray ball of fur came flying past me headed toward the kitchen. I
followed her and found Max scooping some kind of exotic cat food into her bowl
as she danced around his feet purring and chirping. "Don't let her get
used to that. Once this gig is over, I'm not going to be able to afford your
fancy cat food."

"It's nothing
too special," he said. "Just a mix of tuna and some leftover
salmon."

"That's what
I said, too expensive!" I laughed as he put the plate down and we both
watched Anna make quick work of her special treat. "And hello to you,
too."

"Hey, sorry,
how was the audition?" he asked as he unpacked the bag of Thai food he'd
picked up on his way home. It smelled like heaven, and I was ravenous.

"It was
fantastic!" I said as I pirouetted and then took a bow. "The director
loved me and said that they have one more audition to see and then they'll make
their decision, but that he'd almost completely sure that they'll pick
me!"

"That's
fantastic, Lexi," he smiled. "Good job; I guess you broke a leg,
huh?"

"Hardly,"
I laughed. Something about Max was subdued and I wasn't sure if I should push
or let it go and wait for him to tell me what was going on. "Hey, how's
your brother doing?"

"Oh, he's not
well," he said looking down at the plate he was filling with Pad Thai for
me. He didn't look up as he handed it and a roll of silverware to me.

"I'm so
sorry, Max," I said as I took the offerings and moved toward the kitchen
table. "Is there anything I can do? Flowers? Magazines?"

"No, it's
pretty much past that," he said darkly.

"Do you want
to talk about it?" I asked. I wasn't sure what he needed, so it seemed
like asking was the best way to find out.

"Not
really," he told me as he brought his plate over and sat down across from
me. Anna had finished her dinner and joined us under the table. She mewed,
patted my foot until I told her to stop, then she turned her attention to Max
and when he didn’t respond, she curled up on top of his foot and went to sleep.
"Let's talk about the wedding, shall we?"

"Sure. I
called around and got an appointment for a dress fitting next week, and I've
got some places that can make us a cake big enough to feed a huge crowd,"
I said. "Where are you at?"

"I called the
venue this afternoon and booked it," he smiled.

"Where are we
getting married?" I laughed. "Or is it a surprise for the faux
bride?"

"It's either
The Rookery or the Newberry Library," he said as he dug into the plate of
food. He took a few bites and then pushed the plate away.

"It's not
good?" I asked.

"No, it's
fine. I'm just not hungry." He reached down and scooped Anna up off of his
foot and held her as she purred and mushed on his hand. He flashed me a weak
smile, "Late lunch."

"Max, what's
going on?" I asked. Something was off and I couldn't tell what it was.

"Nothing,
just…" he trailed off and focused on petting the kitten in his hand. She
loved the attention, but I was disturbed by his silence.

"Just tell
me, it's not a big deal," I said. Suddenly, I wondered if he was talk to
me about the night before and let me down easy. "I'm a big girl, I know
how to handle all kinds of news."

"I just
wanted to," he said and was cut off as the buzzer for the elevator rang
and he got up to answer it. I heard him telling the doorman, "Oh, yes,
send her up."

"Who is it,
Max?" I yelled from the kitchen as Anna came tearing back in and slid
across the tile floor.

"Oh now isn't
this cute?" a woman's voice said as she rounded the corner and stepped
into the kitchen. She was tall and curvy, and she had the most severely chopped
bob haircut I'd ever seen. Her hair was jet black and was so shiny I felt
confident that if I stood in front of it, I would be able to see my own
reflection. She was wearing a low cut halter-top that looked like it was
connected to the flowing wide length pants she wore. On her feet were a pair of
silver sandals that showed off her black toenail polish. She carried a small
black clutch and a pashmina, and the only jewelry she wore were two enormous
silver bracelets, one on each arm. Her makeup was flawless and the red lipstick
she wore looked like it had been made especially for her.

"Hi, I'm
Lexi," I said offering my hand.

"Hello, Lexi.
I'm Natalia," she said, smiling as she looked around at the kitchen and
then back at me. "Are you kitchen help?"

"No, Nat,
she's definitely not kitchen help," Max interjected. He'd changed his
clothes while Natalia and I had introduced ourselves, and was now wearing a
black tuxedo. He looked like a totally different man than the one who had been
eating dinner with me, and snuggling Anna not fifteen minutes before.
"Lexi is my business partner in my jewelry store venture."

"Oh, I see,
you're the sales girl!" the woman laughed, making me feel very
self-conscious standing in the middle of the kitchen still dressed in my wilted
work clothes while they looked like a photograph out of Gatsby.

"No, not just
a sales girl, Nat," Max's voice contained a dark note and the woman
stopped laughing. "She's my business partner. Lexi, I'm sorry, I
completely forgot about this function tonight. I told Natalia I'd go with her
before all of this planning began. I'll be back in a few hours and we can pick
up where we left off, okay?"

"Yeah, sure,
no problem," I nodded as the other woman sized me up and gave me a hard
look.

"But, Max,
you promised you'd take me out after the play!" she cried as she fidgeted
with her bracelets. I had learned enough about jewelry to know that one of them
cost more than my entire month's salary at Max's – both jobs included. She was
wealthy and spoiled, and I realized I had no idea who she was aside from her
name. When no one volunteered any information, I spoke up.

"So, Natalia,
how do you and Max know each other?" I asked as I donned my best sales
girl smile.

"Oh, we go
way back, don't we, Max?" she smiled and raised an eyebrow as she looked
at him and suddenly it dawned on me that she was the one he was sleeping with.
She was his girlfriend and he was afraid to tell me because he didn't want to
screw things up at the store.

"I see,"
I said nodding. "How far is way back?"

"We were
teenagers, weren’t we, Max?" she laughed as she rested her hand on his arm
in an obvious display of ownership. "My God, we were such idiots back
then. You know how it goes, don't you, Lexi?"

"Oh,
absolutely! Of course," I nodded, eager for both of them to leave so I
could go back to my room and feel like an idiot in private. Of course, Max
would have a girlfriend, and of course, she would be a gorgeous socialite who
had known him his whole life. I squirmed uncomfortably as I realized just how
much of an outsider I was and how very little I really knew about Max Malin.

"I'll be back
in a few hours and we can continue this conversation," Max said quietly to
me. Natalia was pulling on his arm urging him to hurry up or they'd be late.

"Sure,
whatever," I said as I looked down at my feet. I felt like an outsider and
by the way Natalia was behaving, I knew for certain that I was one.