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The bubble of shock breaks. “That’s not in the letter.” I grip the glass tightly and feel myself float outside my body. “The woman who claims to be my grandmother called me Lina. And the letter has the correct last name. Orlov.” My heart speeds up. “Where did you get the information?”
“Anyone coming into the territory needs the Vor’s blessing, and he received a half dozen requests on Monday. He is requiring each man to deposit ten million dollars before their plane enters US airspace.”
“Why?”
“The offspring of the criminal elite don’t believe in playing by the rules, so we’ll likely have carnage, and making that go away isn’t cheap.”
“Is that what Grandmother was warning me about? Will I become the carnage?” He takes the glass out of my hand. “Is this what Mama was always afraid of?”
“I think your grandmother is the only person who can answer that.”
I press my hand to my neck. “What if it’s a case of mistaken identity? I’ve never heard the name Tarasov? What if Olga has the wrong person? This could just be—”
“Olga Tarazov has been keeping tabs. That’s how she knows where you live and what name you go by.”
“Has she had eyes on us since we left Russia?” I stalk back to the sofa and sit before I fall. “Yuri—”
“It’s a lot.”
“I have a living relative.”
“You probably have quite a few, but I’m not sure getting acquainted with all of them will be good for your health.”
“Is it because of the will?” He nods. “Jeeze, how many freaking buildings are we talking about?”
“Your paternal family has deep ties to the Kremlin that go back to the fall of the Soviet Union. I didn’t study the will too closely, but I think it’s close to a billion. Your father was the king of luxury real estate.”
Breathing becomes difficult. “The criminal elite won’t be looking for Lina Orlov, will they?”
“No.”
“Your grandmother is the only one that knows.”
“I don’t feel well.” I run to the bathroom as quickly as the vodka will allow. Pressing my face against the cool tile sink, I wonder if disappearing is my best choice. There’s enough jewelry left to buy a new identity, and I can get a job anywhere.
I push myself up and stare at my face in the mirror. “At least I had twenty-plus years of peace.” I fill a glass with water and down it quickly. “Maybe I can find a way to have twenty more.”
“Lina, are you okay?”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” I am the furthest thing from okay, but I might be if I get out of the city quickly.
Opening the door, I see Yuri leaning against the wall. “Thanks for letting me know what’s happening.” I walk past him into the living room. “I appreciate your offer of protection, but I’m going to pass. Disappearing seems like a better choice. If you can put the pieces together, the others will too.”
“Running isn’t the answer. That just puts off the inevitable.”
“I like putting things off.” I study the bottle of vodka. “Especially when it involves people trying to kill me.”
“Like I said earlier, I’m happy to eliminate your enemies.”
A knock on the door stops me from replying.
“Lina, hurry. My hands are full.”
I rush to open it and take a bag from Stasia’s hands. “How much did you order?”
“Just the usual.” She walks in and stops. “Mr. Novikov, I didn’t know you were joining us for Thai food.”
“He’s not staying,” I say before taking the bag into the kitchen. As I pull out two plates, Yuri walks in.
