Page 33 of Echoes of Sin

“Alexei, you are like family to me. Anything you have to say I would like to hear.”

He crossed one ankle over his knee, exhaling the thick smoke on a heavy sigh. “The night of the party, your father, Nik was in good spirits. You were doing well in America, and he was so proud that you were attending one of those fancy universities so you could take our organization into the next century.” He laughed. “He had a vision for the future of the bratva and you were it, so he and I were celebrating and commiserating, knowing our boys would be leaving us behind.” His sadness was palpable even today. “It was a good night that turned into a horrible fucking night. The worst night of my life.”

“He was like a brother to you,” I said, understanding his grief.

“He was a brother to me in all the ways that mattered. That night, I was glued to his side because it was my job and because we were brothers. Oleg was there too. He was always there,” Alexei remembered. “He sent me to pick up a package,” he scoffed. “It was a job for an errand boy, but he insisted that I take care of it and Nik agreed. He was surrounded by family and feeling good, he didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t like it, I never trusted Oleg, but Nik insisted. ‘Go and hurry back. We have a bottle of vodka just for us waiting’, he said. Only, when I got back, there were two bullets in his chest, and he was gone.” Alexei hung his head in shame, his eyes were glistening, and it looked like the old man was about to cry. He gave a shuddering sigh and sucked on his cigar, watching the smoke drift up towards the ceiling.

“Oleg sent you away?” I asked in disbelief.

Alexei nodded. “He did. The package was a fucking envelope of cash, ten thousand US dollars, nothing that couldn’t have waited. At that moment, I knew it was Oleg behind your father’s murder.”

My heart stopped at his words. “You think Oleg orchestrated it?”

He laughed, but there was no trace of humor in it. “You don’t? Who else stood to gain as much as him?”

Dmitri looked from his father and then to me, “If Nikolai had lived, you would be in charge now. Oleg wouldn’t have the power he has now. Or the life.”

Logically, it made sense. No one gained more from father’s death than his own fucking brother. “But who would have done it? By all accounts, Oleg was just a few feet away when the shots rang out.”

“Money is a great motivator, Ilya. He could have paid one of Nik’s men or just a random man in need of cash. Had I not been off running a useless errand, I would have been there. Maybe I would have spotted the gunman in time. If nothing else, I would have taken those bullets for Nik.”

“I know, Alexei. He knew that too.” I didn’t want to believe that Oleg orchestrated my father’s murder, I couldn’t reconcile that in my mind with the man who had taken care of me in the aftermath of his death, the man who had helped my mother, until her grief over my father’s death took her to Paris and away from the bratva—or maybe she left to get away from Oleg? It was unbearable to think about, but I could not deny the evidence before me. “Fuck.”

“It is hard to hear, I know,” Alexei sympathized. “I struggled with whether or not to share this with you, Ilya.”

“Why did you? Why now, Alexei?”

“Because I have nothing left to lose. Dmitri is here with you, out of Oleg’s clutches, and I am an old man running out of time.” He puffed on his cigar and shook his head.

“Father has cancer.”

“Shit, Alexei. I’m sorry to hear that. If you need anything, I’m here.”

His smile was sad. “Thank you, Ilya. But I am good.”

“The offer stands, Alexei.” I meant that. “And thank you for letting me know. You will stay here in America?”

“That is the plan, yes.”

“Good.” I turned to Dmitri. “You will look into Oleg and let me know what you find?”

“Are you sure you want to know?” The concern in his gaze was unsettling, but I didn’t just want to know. I needed to know.

“I am certain.”

“Good.” He handed me a black flash drive. “Everything you need to know is here. After Father shared his suspicions with me, I looked into everything. I had to. I knew I could not bring this to you without proof.”

I smiled, gratitude filling my chest. “You are a true brother, Dmitri.”

“Always. Would you like me to keep an eye on Brooke?”

“No.” I needed to do that myself. “I’m going to her now. She thinks she found something else and I have a bad feeling about all of this. I’ll be in touch.”

“Good luck, brother.”

“Thank you.” We shook hands. “Both of you.” These men were the only family I had, the only people I could trust. “Stay safe.”

Chapter Twenty

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