"What I seek?"
"I know you're looking for your son."
My heart stills.Does she have information on Aleksei? "Do you know where he is?"
"No, but I think I might have some information that might help you in your search for him. SoI need your answer before I continue or you can leave.” She brings her hands together and rests them on her lap.
“What do want?”
“I want Jude Kuzmin dead.”
Dominic and I exchange glances.No way in fuck did I expect her to say something like that.
“You want Jude dead? The evidence I’ve found places you as a fan.You gave him a serious amount of money.”
“I did, and I made him what he is today.I fed the snake until it turned around and bit me.He blackmailed me out of my family’s inheritance and we want it back.The only way to get it back is to kill him.I don't have the muscle and the balls to do such a thing.But you do. I want him dead. And... I want your word that you won't kill me when you hear some of the things I have to say.”
This woman is playing with fire.I bite down hard on my back teeth, wondering what the hell she’s going to tell me.
My blood heats when I conclude the only thing that might make me want to kill her is hearing she played a part in Aleksei’s kidnapping, or she assisted in some way.
“That’s a hard thing to ask me,” I grate out.
“Those are myterms.”
What fucking choice do I have? If she has information she thinks I need, she already knew my answer would be yes.
“Granted. Now tell me everything I need to know.”
“I guess it all began with my husband’s infidelity.” Her expression hardens.“I was the apple of my father’s eye because I was his only child, so he made sure I always got what I wanted.That included Phillipe Falcione. By whatever means.”
“What does that mean?”
“Phillipe never loved me, but he married me to save his family’s wealth. Unfortunately for him, that meant I owned him.So when he fell for that little bitch who thought she could steal my husband I made sure I taught all of them a lesson.”
She’s talking about Olivia’s mother, Juliana.
“When did you find out about the affair?” Dominic asks.
“I always knew. I knew from the moment I met Juliana Markov.She was seventeen years old. Not even legal and she was sleeping with my husband. What I didn’t know about were the kids.I couldn't believe Phillipe had children with her." There's a rasp in her voice that speaks of her hurt.
I can't help but feel sorry for her because what Phillipe did was completely wrong.Cheating is such a big thing in our world for most men, it’s natural.Me and mine however have never been like that. My father had his women after my mother died, but he never forgot my mother. When he was with her she was his everything.
“I found out he had kids when I met his son, Eric.He came here to find him. The boy was barely fourteen.I took one look at him before he even opened his mouth and saw my husband’s face in his.He didn’t have to tell me who he was.It was then I knew the extent of Phillipe’s treachery.The second blow was finding out about the daughter.My beloved husband had two kids with Juliana Markov. Philippe didn’t stop at the one, he continued to embarrass me.And that’s why I did what I had to do.”
“What did you do?”
“I found a way to destroy the Markovs.I loved Phillipe too much to hurt him, but that didn’t stop me from hurting the other people involved. Juliana and her father, Elmiere. The only thing they had was Markov Tech. When I severed the contract with the Syndicate I knew it wouldn't be enough. I wanted to destroy their lives the way they destroyed mine.The only real power I had was money.I have a shit ton of it, so I found the right people who could make use of that money and do what I couldn’t do for myself.”
The right people…
This woman does know more than what I thought and it feels like she’s just getting started.
“Who were the right people?”
“The Kuzmins. Both Jude and his father.”
A chill races over my skin, and my back goes ramrod straight.“It was you who backed them.”