Convincing the different mob bosses and syndicates required skill and cunning intelligence. Gabrielle often helped to orient the conversation, subtly convincing the different men of their intent. Some of them were tough cookies, suspicious or downright dumb. But in the end, facts didn’t lie.
In-between meetings, Gabrielle checked for updates about Sasha and the men, but nothing concrete came up. Tension churned in Deva, making it more and more difficult to focus on the meetings. Torn between her worry for Sasha and her longing for Aleksei, it took all her might to finish it.
The last meeting had been with Gerasim. And of all of them, he was the one who doubted her the most, probably because of their earlier meeting and her relationship with Aleksei. In that one, Gabrielle did most of the talking. In the end, Deva was convinced that the man would do his homework thoroughly. However, the ordeal with Semyon and Sasha was kept out of it. Tomorrow would be soon enough to add that information to the mix.
When they returned to the limo, Gabrielle received a call from Lazarus, telling her that the rescue had been a success.
Deva fell back, relieved that Sasha was alive and well. Lazarus had whisked her off to an undisclosed location. And before she could ask, Gabrielle relayed that all the men were fine too, no injuries or casualties. Aleksei was on his way to deliver Semyon and his men to Gerasim. That alone would provide all the proof the Pakan would need, and she knew Gerasim would believe Aleksei if not the facts they had given him earlier.
“What about my father?”
Gabrielle’s face fell. “There was a shootout. He’s wounded. The guys called the ambulance, but he was losing a lot of blood.”
“Which hospital?”
“Deva, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I know, Gabrielle. I’m not doing this for him.”
Returning to her phone, she asked Lance to meet them at the hospital.
It took less than fifteen minutes for the limo to turn around and arrive at the hospital’s entrance. And as Gabrielle had requested, Lance was waiting for them in the lobby, all clad in dark clothes and thick boots. If she checked more carefully, there was a thin cut near his ear and a bruise on his jaw. The mission may have been difficult, but his mischievous side was still very much visible when he welcomed them.
“Well, I don’t know if I fancy meeting you in a hospital again, Deva.”
She winced at the half-disguised reproach. “There shouldn’t be any trouble this time. What about my father?”
Lance’s face turned sober. “He was rushed into surgery. With three bullets in the chest, the doctors are not very optimistic.”
“Show me where he is, Lance.”
All three of them went to the surgery’s waiting room and sat down. Gabrielle offered to get her a coffee, but she declined. Instead, she looked around the room where several other families were waiting for news about their loved ones. Deva felt so calm, it scared her. To be honest, despite everything he made her go through, she didn’t hate him enough to die. Or maybe it was her childhood memories that kept her vengeance at bay.
“Lance? How is Sasha?”
The blond man extended his long legs in front of him, possibly to find a more comfortable position for his huge body on such a small chair. “Your cousin is one tough woman.” And he grinned as he remembered. “She was held chained in a room, and when we located her, she had already found a way to get free and was working on the window to escape.”
Deva nodded. Sasha had been in awful situations as a doctor working in war zones. Some of them she knew, others, not so much. Her cousin had kept those to herself. She suspected Sasha had many scars of her own.
“So, she’s unharmed?”
“Dehydrated, with bumps and bruises, and very tired. Nothing that won’t be cured in a few days with plenty of sleep. I think it’s the reason Lazarus almost kidnapped her too. He said it was to protect her, but I feel the tall bearded commander has a sweet spot for your cousin. You should have seen him walking out of there with Sasha in his arms. A sight to behold. Oz said he would make sure she was protected and safe before taking care of Finch.”
Deva looked at Gabrielle who shook her head. Gabrielle would be the one informing the man of their little intervention. And if all went as well as they hoped, Lazarus wouldn’t be able to say a word about it.
“And Aleksei?”
Lance glanced at her and switched position, putting his elbows on his knees.
“Unharmed. And on his way to deliver Semyon and several of his goons to the Russian mob boss. But is it really what you want to ask me about him, Deva?”
Deva shook her head but stayed silent. Lance sighed. “Listen, Deva. Give him time. I saw his face when Oz told him about your relationship with Damon. It was as if you announced you had betrayed him with an entire squadron. Give him time. I know that what was planned to begin with turned into something unplanned but no less true. Oz’s words screwed everything up, that’s all.”
“Yeah, I know. I should have told him as soon as he arrived. But I never thought it would turn sour so fast without having a chance to explain.”
Lance patted her knee. “I don’t know him that well, but the man obviously had trauma in his past and now has an issue with betrayal and abandonment. Let him wallow for awhile, and he’ll come back. And if not, just bring him out of his hole kicking and screaming and put the video on the Web so I can watch.”
The plan B Gabrielle had referred to. Until she had news from her father, her brain was free to do some much-needed planning. She had told him about her feelings and had been sincere about them. He didn’t even offer her an opportunity to explain, and she knew that Aleksei wasn’t the kind of man to be forced into something. And even if she loved him, even if she would ache for him all her life, there was no future for them. Maybe she ought to change the way she ought to fight for him. If she couldn’t have him, it didn’t mean she shouldn’t offer him solace and peace.
