Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145729 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“I can’t sell it, Nikita, as much as I would like to oblige you.” Joshua gestured toward the chairs and the coffee Evan brought in. “I know you don’t have much time and I’d like to make this count.”
Nikita’s features portrayed a flash of anger, and then he was smiling, turning his back on the painting. Joshua’s leopard clawed at him in warning. That amicable mask hid a deadly anger. The Russian didn’t like to be thwarted in the smallest thing. He was used to getting his way, or taking it. Joshua, standing in his way, was an unexpected show of strength.
Nikita picked up his coffee mug without sitting down. “At least tell me the name of the artist so I can contact them to purchase a painting of my own.”
Joshua shrugged. “I didn’t buy the painting from the artist.” He was careful to keep his statement strictly the truth. Sonia had refused to take money. He was arranging to send a truckload of building supplies to her home in exchange, although she wasn’t aware of his intention. He deliberately hadn’t told her, because she’d argued the first time he’d tried, right after she’d delivered the painting.
Nikita frowned, but he dropped the subject. Throughout the next two hours while they brokered a deal for their pipeline, Nikita’s gaze continually strayed toward Sonia’s artwork. It made sense to Joshua now. Sonia had somehow gotten involved with the Russian mob. The fact that her father had been murdered made him believe it was him who had first gotten mixed up with them. He’d pulled his family in, perhaps through a gambling debt.
If the Bogomolov family was anything like the Amurov leopards, they wanted sons, not wives. Their lairs didn’t tolerate loyalty to anyone but the bratya. The women providing children, more often than not, ended up dead. Sonia had probably been scheduled for termination because she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Alonzo had explained how the males in his family murdered the women to prove their loyalty. That meant the Bogomolov family might somehow be connected to Alonzo’s family.
He understood why Sonia didn’t want to involve him. The Russians were ruthless, very, very dangerous. He’d known, sooner or later, they’d be dealing with them because of Alonzo and the others, but he hadn’t expected it would become personal.
They talked, Nikita trying to get every advantage, but Joshua held firm. In the end, they shook hands and the Russians stood to go. Nikita wandered over to the painting, looked at it closely until he stiffened, lifting one finger to trace the S and L woven into the foliage. “You are certain you cannot tell me who the artist is?”
“I can’t,” Joshua said with the utmost sincerity.
Nikita took out his cell and snapped a few pictures of the painting. “I may be able to find the artist by asking around the art world.”
Joshua walked the Russian toward the door. “Thanks for coming all this way. I hope you take the time to enjoy yourself. New Orleans is a beautiful city. There’s so much to see and do.”
“I must get back immediately,” Nikita said.
“Oh? I’m sorry. I thought you were staying a few days. I must have misunderstood.”
Nikita flashed a fake smile. “Something of great importance has come up,” he explained.
“Anything I can help with?”
Nikita turned back as if just remembering something. “There is one small thing.”
“Yes, of course,” Joshua said swiftly.
“We are hunting a very dangerous man. His name is Fyodor Amurov. Along with his brother, Timur, and his cousins Gorya and Mitya, he murdered a dozen or more people. We are looking for this man and his brother and cousins.”
“Of course we’ll help. I’ll put out the word to our friends and see if we can locate them for you.”
“We would be very appreciative.” Nikita’s gaze once more strayed over Joshua’s shoulder to the painting. He quickly looked away and headed down the stairs to his vehicle, the others falling into step around him.
Joshua stood in the doorway, cursing as the car pulled back down the drive toward the road. Sonia hadn’t been marked. There were no bite marks on her shoulders, no rake marks. Nothing indicated Sasha’s leopard had known about her leopard. Gatita hadn’t risen because of her first heat – she’d risen to save Sonia’s life. Sasha’s leopard didn’t know about her. He never would have allowed her to go, not without giving him a child. Then he would have killed her.
Alonzo had explained that the males in the lair purposely mated with a woman not their own mate so there was no chance of falling in love. They wanted males to make the lair stronger, but to prove loyalty, they murdered their wives after sons were provided.
Joshua ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. He couldn’t bring up the Russians to Sonia and confirm everything. She’d ask questions he couldn’t answer, and she was already skittish. If she thought he had any connection to the mob, she’d leave everything behind and run from him just as she’d run from Sasha Bogomolov.