What’s going on?
Dimitri and I entered. My nerves flared. Instantly, I turned to see what the men were looking at. Shock hit me. I spotted an old man sitting in the center of the massive office.
Is this Leo?
His eyes were closed. The man resembled Lei. His tanned complexion was smooth with no wrinkles. Gray strands highlighted his mane and told me that he wasn’t as young as he looked. He had a slim frame, but it was all severely cut with muscle. His legs were crossed under him in a proper yoga meditation pose. His palms faced up and rested on his knees. His chest slowly rose and fell.
The old man spoke without opening his eyes. “Let's see. Who could this be?”
Dimitri place his hands in his pockets.
The old man raised his nose in the air and inhaled. Again he kept his eyes closed. “If this was Marcelo, I would’ve smelled the stink of the gym. Sweat and testosterone. This is designer cologne, but not the super expensive stuff from the West. This is subtle. Floral.”
Still with his eyes closed, the man unfolded his legs, planted his feet on the floor, and rose. “I smell roses too. Very similar to Madeline Ivanov, but not her. Completely different type of perfume, but just as seductive.”
Dimitri gave him a sad smile.
I widened my eyes as the old man blindly moved forward with complete confidence.
He sniffed the air again as he walked right to where Dina stood and stopped four inches in front of him. “Ah! I smell impatience, stubbornness, and the constant need to be in control.”
Dimitri sighed.
The old man opened his eyes.
Dimitri nodded. “Correct as always.”
Leo patted his back and then glanced my way. “There’s the new rose smell. So, you’ve found a woman that smells like your mother, but not exactly.”
Any hint of humor left Dimitri’s face. “I wouldn’t say she smells like my mother.”
Leo looked me up and down. “There’s hints of your mother all around her.”
I didn’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not. From my research, his mother had control of at least a hundred Russian immigrants with serious criminal backgrounds. She was not a soft flower at all.
“Dimitri, you’ve interrupted my meditation.”
Dimitri gave him a half bowed. “I’m sorry, sir. But I’m worried about your son and your protection. I would like to put more people on you and—”
“Dima, God protects the saints, the meek, and the ones that do his work. We don’t need more guns. We need prayer. We need a dedication to His son.”
“And what about your son?”
“Unfortunately, that father-son relationship isn’t as holy.”
“I was told that he’s here”
“He is. As much as Lei searches for salvation through the barrel of his gun, he knows when to seek the Father’s warmth.”
“Where is he?”
“Upstairs and sound asleep.”
“I’m shocked that he was able to go to sleep at all.”
“I had to give him some help.”
Dimitri raised his eyebrows. “Do you think you can continue to help him?”
“You want me to babysit Lei?”
“Chanel is dead. I’m worried that he’ll be consumed with revenge.”
“In my life, I’ve learned big lessons. Real love gives memories that can’t be stolen, while death gives a heart-wrenching injury that no one can ever heal. You just have to walk with the wound and somehow learn how to live without picking at the scabs.”
It was in that moment when I noticed the paintings hanging on the walls around us. Each one displayed the same beautiful woman. She was of Asian descent. Long silky black hair outlined her kind face. In every image, she wore a welcoming smile as if utterly tickled that the artist was painting her.
Leo shifted his attention to me. “That’s my wife. She passed last year.”
Sadness poured over me. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It was a loss indeed.” Leo put his view back on Dimitri. “You know I’ll watch Lei as much as he’ll allow it. Why are you truly here?”
“Lei and you are in danger.”
“We’ll always be in danger on Earth. This place is not meant for the godly.”
“Yes, but there’s an amped up level of the danger. A serial killer.”
Leo parted his lips in shock. “A serial killer?”
“One with a purpose of ending the Syndicate. Therefore, I’m humbly requesting your continued help in taking care of your son while I put more men around you.”
Leo studied Dimitri. “I’m wondering if the killer has a purpose of taking over the Syndicate, not ending it.”
“Meaning?”
“Perhaps, an ambitions person is hoping to get rid of everyone so that he can rule.”
Dimitri touched his chest. “Are you insinuating that I’m the killer?”
“I remember when you were in diapers, crawling around the play area and dominating Chanel, Lei, and even Romeo, taking all the sippy cups and pacifiers for yourself.”
“It’s true that you’ve known me before I knew myself.” Dimitri took his hands out of his pockets and held them out to his sides. “But, do you honestly believe that I could’ve killed Romeo or Chanel?”