Chapter 36 36

Chapter 36 36

GEORGIA

I looked around, and everyone in the garden had disappeared, no doubt upon seeing the men in dark suits, armed with weapons.

I took Tiana's hand, and together we began to step backwards. I had a gun, but I couldn't fire at any of them, nor could we make an Escape in this position. We were cornered, and only God would save us.

"We know your darling Rhys is around here." One of the men said again. "But he wouldn't be suspecting anything, we have our good man Diaz to distract him."

"And that is a stupid lie!"

A gasp escaped our throats, and before we could turn around to look, two shots were fired, and two of the men fell flat on their faces—dead.

"Rhys!" I screamed, but the last man fired the gun at me before I could move. Luckily, the bullet flew above my head, and I stood there, frozen and breathless.

"We have come to get revenge for our leader." The last man said. "Vanya was twice the man you will, he was strategic, everything you suffered hard to build falling into his lap effortlessly. You couldn't stand this until you sought to take his life. You have committed a grave offence, Mikalihov, and we are all ready to follow you to the grave. Take my life too, come on, I dare you to fire me. My life has been sworn to Vanya, I'll get to serving in the afterlife and the entire mafioso will come for your head and the taste of your blood."

A moment of silence stretched. With my heart beating, I anticipated a shot from Rhys, one final, silencing bullet. But, nothing came. He only stood there, his eyebrows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"Vanya had a life ahead of him." Rhys finally began. "He was young, strong, resourceful and strategic. But I admit it now and forever, Vanya could be my level. He could never be my competition, let alone my equal. So, I had no reason to kill him. He wasn't a good man. No. His hand was soiled with the blood of the innocent, he is a cheat. He treats women like objects and breaks their bodies for his pleasure. But still, his demise didn't happen at my hand."

"But he was close to taking everything that belonged to you." The last standing soldier fired back. "Your position, your business," and then the man's eyes fell on me. "Your woman."

Rhys threw a gaze at me. But I shook my head repeatedly. I have never had anything to do with Vanya, I've never even spoken with him before. Rhys sighed and then cocked his gun.

"Like I said, I sympathise with you, I wish Vanya a better afterlife, but I cannot let you mess around with the people I love. Not the woman I love, not the people she loves and not my heart. I will not take your life, but I will send you a message. Tell the council and your new capo that I did not kill Vanya. I swear by the gun and the blood of the devil, I do not have a hand in his death. I am willing to go to the extreme to prove my innocence, and I am warning you to stay away from me. If you continue to seek revenge in this manner, you'll leave me no choice but to go to war with you. And believe me, you don't want to do that. You're all bugs under my feet waiting to be squashed to bits. Now get out, run before I blow your brains out."

The man opened his mouth to speak, but Rhys fired a shot into the sky before he could get the words out.

I watched as the man scampered to safety, the lifeless men, sprawled out on the grass, a pool of blood coagulating around them.

"We return to the mansion tonight."

Rhys announced, turning around. "It was never ideal for me to have left, and now I'll give them the bloodbath they so desire."

"But what about me?" My lips trembled as a question rolled out. "My sister..."

"Your sister moves into the mansion as well." He answered. "I'll have my men pick her from the campus. I will also put a call across to her university's student affairs. She is to continue our lectures online. Calvin, my mother and my sister are also to move back into the house. I want my family under one roof, you too Tiana. It's time I fought this, once and for all.

★★★

We did move into the mansion as Rhys declared but I didn't seem for the rest of the day. He retired to the billiard room with a handful of trusted aides, having what I concluded to be a meeting.

The next morning I went straight to Dimitri's temporary mansion. Rhys doubled my guards and replaced my car's windows with bulletproof glass. I hated the crowd, but I also understood that there would be no form of privacy until we were safe at least. As the drive proceeded I took a minute to cross-check the questions I prepared for Dimitri.

There were 20 questions in total, five of them were casual, pleasantries, while I made the others investigative.

Finally, we arrived at the mansion. It was beautiful, but somewhat hidden. His guards searched me thoroughly taking every recording device and my phones. But I was smarter than that; my pearl necklace had cameras and microphones hidden in it.

"You can go in now." The tall, giant guard said to me after the search was over. "The capo is in the gazebo, waiting to receive you. Welcome once again and have a nice stay."

I rolled my eyes at the mock politeness in his tone and went on my way. Dimitri was dressed in a crimson bathrobe a glass of red wine in his hand. He rose to his feet and smiled as he saw me.

"Mrs Georgia Rhys Mikalihov. Did I get your name right this time? It's a pleasure to see your beautiful face again. And," he sized me up from head to toe, "I like your outfit."

I didn't pause to look at my yellow suit skirt in the window, I forced a smile at him.

"It is good to see you again as well Mr Dimitri, and you also look good. I must admit, you appear to be ageing backwards."

He burst into laughter and then gestured for me to take the seat facing his rocking chair

"So come and let's get down to business shall we. What are you going to title this interview? Do I have to sit for any pictures? Do I have to make a live appearance at your TV station, just tell me everything."

I sat down properly and flipped open my book.

"This interview will be going under the business news column of our newspaper. And, your picture is going to be on the front page of our business magazine. We'd like to have you at our office at any time you please. Or you might take a picture with your preferred photographers and send it to us."

"Hmm." He twirled the glass of wine for some seconds. "I think that is fine. You know, my campaign is starting soon and I want the public to accept me. I've done a lot of charity work, and I have kept myself out of drama, but that is not enough to win the love of the public." He leaned towards me. "I'll pay you any amount, make me shine out there."

Indeed. I whispered to myself. The only thing you'll be getting is comeuppance for murdering Rhys' parents and funding a human trafficking cartel.

"So the first question here: what will you say your relationship with the other businessman is? There are a lot of popular businessmen vying for political offices just like you, do you see the mouse opponents or enemies?"

A dark shadow fell across Dimitri's face, I saw his eyes flash with menace, but I continued.

"We all know social media is a toxic platform, but some truths can be found. You have been pitted against politicians like Giovanni Monroe, Rhys Mikalihov, and even the late Vanya Delano. So tell me, what is your relationship with these men?"

Dimitri's face turned red, his hands clenched at the sides. I have hit a nerve, a very sensitive one. Tilting my camera-necklace to the side I made sure to capture this expression.

"Your question is quite random if you'll ask me." He eventually said. "Competition is what makes the world go around, these men are my colleagues. Or is there anything that implies more?"

"Nothing really. It's that Vanya Delano's death has been linked to his fellow politicians."

Dimitri's face turned redder and I could feel anger seeping out of his skin.

"You have a visitor sir."

The sudden announcement jolted the conversation. I looked up to find a woman approaching us and I was shocked to the bones.

"Hello, darling." The visitor said with a smile. "I heard you were busy. But you wouldn't mind me."

The visitor was Jannette Delano. Vanya's mother!