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“Does anyone know what the hell we were drugged with? In all my medical training, I can’t recall a drug that has such a potent effect.”
“As we didn’t find any traces of the substance that took down an entire army, and they took the bottle of vodka and glasses from Marco’s office,” Sergei answered, “I’d say it was NeuroVeil. Especially if the Zhukov were involved and their primary mission was a non-lethal extraction.”
“I’ve never heard of it. But I think I might have been sprayed in the face with it the night my brother was murdered.”
Sergei’s voice is calm and measured, giving me the impression that he’s giving me the cliff note version. “NeuroVeil is a drug that can be ingested, sprayed, or injected. The most effective method is the spray, as it evaporates quickly and leaves the bloodstream just as fast.”
“Where is it made?”
Sergei sighs, shaking his head. “Someone called the chemist makes it and no one knows who they are.”
“Is this some CIA super weapon shit?”
“No, they wish they had it,” James adds. “It is made purely for the Zhukov Special Forces.”
“Do you know anything else about it?”
Sergei looks at me, and instinctively, I know his eyes are about to reveal a truth I’m not ready to hear. “I know that two people who know about the drug are dead and that Zhukov is running out of it. One of the people who knew about it died a year ago”
A prickling sensation scrapes at my nerve endings, at the look in Sergei’s eyes. I can tell Sergei is not happy to talk with James and Urie there.
“Give us the room.” I glance at Urie and James as my mother, Grace Belov, walks in.
“Mother,” I stand and greet her.
She kisses my cheek. “I believe congratulations are in order, Pakhan.”
“Thank you.” I smile. “Sorry, Mother, I don’t want to be rude, but Sergei and I were just about to have a discussion.”
“I heard,” my mother says, taking a seat beside Sergei. She looks toward Urie, nodding for him to close the door. “I’m sorry I had to leave your wedding so early, but I started to get a migraine.”
I nod at her apology. “Mom, Sergei and I need to discuss something sensitive.” Fuck, I don’t want my mother to hear what I’m about to ask. Especially if I think Sergei was hinting that my brother was one of the people in the world who knew about NeuroVeil.
That would’ve been a significant motive to kill my brother. However, I’m not sure why Konstantin would kill him if he’s the head of the Zhukov Special Forces. Unless he’s trying to dethrone his uncle by killing the people who knew about Roman’s secret weapon.
How do I speak about my brother with my mother here? The wound of his death is still fresh in her heart. My mother still refers to my brother as being gone or having to leave us like she hasn’t accepted he’s dead.
Catching Sergei’s gaze, my eyes signal for him to help me get my mother out of the room but he shakes his head. What the fuck! So much for being loyal to me. Right now, he’s siding with my mother.
“Grace has a lot of the answers you need.” Sergei’s words have my brows shooting up in surprise, then my hands itching to throttle the man when I see the look of affection filter through Sergei’s eyes when he looks at my Mother. “Grace, he’s back.”
At almost sixty, my mother is still one of the most beautiful women on the East Coast, and men have envied my father not only for his power but for having her on his arm. The daughter of a wealthy shipping family with ties to multiple crime families. Velvet Transport Corporation became hers when her father was killed—the company is highly valued by various crime families as it transports goods for them.
“No!” My mother’s eyes widen. I have no doubt Sergei is referring to Konstantin, but instead of fear in her eyes, I see—hope? “Did you see him? Speak to him?” She turns, looking at me wide-eyed.
“By him, I take it you’re referring to the fucking bastard Konstantin who not only took out all my men, he stole my wife!“ My voice booms around the dining room but does not faze my mother. She turns toward me.
“Konstantin has Isabella?” My mother’s eyes widen and she looks at Sergei for confirmation. He nods and her eyes shoot back toward me. “He would never hurt Isabella, and if he has her, Isabella is in the safest place she can be with the Zhukov Special Forces protecting her.”
Is my mother sticking up for the prick that I’ve already fantasized about giving a slow, painful death while I stand and watch every excruciating painful drop of life drain out of him. My surgical training taught me everything I need to know to do it just right.
Sergei flashes me a warning look, and again, my brows shoot up. I know I’m keeping him around as an advisor to help Urie and to strengthen our security, and he’s been with my father a long time, but I’ll be fucked if I let him treat me like I’m still a kid in training.
My mouth opens to remind Sergei of his place, but my mother intervenes. She knows me well and must have anticipated what I was about to say.
“Andrey, while you may now be Pakhan, I am still your mother.” Her eyes narrow warningly. “And let me remind you that I am still very much alive and in control of Velvet Transport.”
“What has that got to do with anything, mother?”
