*
Dani could hear Mikhail downstairs in the media room with perhaps a dozen of the men from their family. The shouts and jeers suggested they were enjoying fight night in grand style.
Staying low, she crept along the hallway heading for the stairs. All it would take was for someone to come upstairs for a beer and she would be caught. The old wood floor squeaked beneath her weight. She carefully avoided the especially loud spots, awkwardly maneuvering through the hall and keeping close to the wall.
She passed the double sliding doors separating the media room from the rest of the house. A particularly loud burst of yells in both Russian and English made her jump with surprise. A shot of adrenaline left her trembling with nerves. She really couldn’t afford to fall apart now.
“What are you doing?”
She whirled around, her hand to her chest. But it was Vasily, not Mikhail. She gave him a forced smile. “I’m just headed up to see how Papa is doing and I didn’t want to disturb you guys.”
He cocked his head, looking suspicious. “Mikhail is looking for you.”
“When have I ever tried to accommodate my brother?”
Vasily laughed. “Never.”
Dani waggled her eyebrows at him and then turned on her heel and sprinted for the steps leading to the upstairs hall and her father’s suite. Behind her, she could hear Vasily getting something out of the fridge. He would tell Mikhail she was there. Vasily had no reason not to. She had to hurry or things were going to go south quickly.
The nurse was standing in front of Papa’s door. “I’m sorry, you can’t go in. He’s finally resting.”
“It’s urgent.” Dani moved to go around the nurse, but she was shoved back. Shocked, Dani took another look at the woman.
“I’m not allowing it,” the nurse said firmly.
“My brother put you up to this,” Dani guessed. “He’s trying to keep me away from my father.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Dani snorted. “Actually, it does.”
Going low, Dani plowed into the woman using her shoulder. It was like making contact with a brick wall. The jolt nearly took Dani down too.
The nurse began cartwheeling backwards, her arms flying out to windmill around and around as if she thought it could keep her upright, but soon she crashed to the floor. And with the blockage gone, Dani slammed into her father’s closed door.
“Who is it?” her father’s weak voice called out.
“Papa!” Dani answered back as she scrambled to get the door open in time. Downstairs she could hear the sound of men exiting the media room, probably to find out what the racket was.
Dani entered her father’s suite and slammed the door closed behind her. Locking it, she dashed to his bed. There was little time to state her case. She would have only this one chance.
Chapter Fourteen
“Daniella, child, what on earth is going on?” Papa seemed more confused than anything else. “It sounds like an earthquake out in the hallway.”
“Papa, please,” Dani pleaded. “I need you to listen to me. Quickly.” She sat down beside him on the bed and took his frail hand in hers.
“What is it?” He looked tired and weak, but concerned. It gave her courage.
“Mikhail lied to you about Igor Rusnak. I know you know this, because you spoke to Josef about it.” Dani gave a tiny shake of her head to stop his protests. “Josef told me so, Papa. I asked him to speak to you. He knows the truth. Mikhail is doing something that isn’t in the best interest of the family. I don’t know what, but I suspect it has to do with this deal with the Rusnaks. Now he’s angry with Josef because you and Josef suspected something.”
“Mikhail would not stay angry with Josef for long,” Papa said dismissively. “He knows Josef is loyal to him.”
“Mikhail tried to have Josef burned to death in one of our warehouses downtown. He wants Josef dead. I heard him say this.” Dani hated telling Papa these awful things when he was already so weak,
Dani could hear Mikhail downstairs in the media room with perhaps a dozen of the men from their family. The shouts and jeers suggested they were enjoying fight night in grand style.
Staying low, she crept along the hallway heading for the stairs. All it would take was for someone to come upstairs for a beer and she would be caught. The old wood floor squeaked beneath her weight. She carefully avoided the especially loud spots, awkwardly maneuvering through the hall and keeping close to the wall.
She passed the double sliding doors separating the media room from the rest of the house. A particularly loud burst of yells in both Russian and English made her jump with surprise. A shot of adrenaline left her trembling with nerves. She really couldn’t afford to fall apart now.
“What are you doing?”
She whirled around, her hand to her chest. But it was Vasily, not Mikhail. She gave him a forced smile. “I’m just headed up to see how Papa is doing and I didn’t want to disturb you guys.”
He cocked his head, looking suspicious. “Mikhail is looking for you.”
“When have I ever tried to accommodate my brother?”
Vasily laughed. “Never.”
Dani waggled her eyebrows at him and then turned on her heel and sprinted for the steps leading to the upstairs hall and her father’s suite. Behind her, she could hear Vasily getting something out of the fridge. He would tell Mikhail she was there. Vasily had no reason not to. She had to hurry or things were going to go south quickly.
The nurse was standing in front of Papa’s door. “I’m sorry, you can’t go in. He’s finally resting.”
“It’s urgent.” Dani moved to go around the nurse, but she was shoved back. Shocked, Dani took another look at the woman.
“I’m not allowing it,” the nurse said firmly.
“My brother put you up to this,” Dani guessed. “He’s trying to keep me away from my father.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Dani snorted. “Actually, it does.”
Going low, Dani plowed into the woman using her shoulder. It was like making contact with a brick wall. The jolt nearly took Dani down too.
The nurse began cartwheeling backwards, her arms flying out to windmill around and around as if she thought it could keep her upright, but soon she crashed to the floor. And with the blockage gone, Dani slammed into her father’s closed door.
“Who is it?” her father’s weak voice called out.
“Papa!” Dani answered back as she scrambled to get the door open in time. Downstairs she could hear the sound of men exiting the media room, probably to find out what the racket was.
Dani entered her father’s suite and slammed the door closed behind her. Locking it, she dashed to his bed. There was little time to state her case. She would have only this one chance.
Chapter Fourteen
“Daniella, child, what on earth is going on?” Papa seemed more confused than anything else. “It sounds like an earthquake out in the hallway.”
“Papa, please,” Dani pleaded. “I need you to listen to me. Quickly.” She sat down beside him on the bed and took his frail hand in hers.
“What is it?” He looked tired and weak, but concerned. It gave her courage.
“Mikhail lied to you about Igor Rusnak. I know you know this, because you spoke to Josef about it.” Dani gave a tiny shake of her head to stop his protests. “Josef told me so, Papa. I asked him to speak to you. He knows the truth. Mikhail is doing something that isn’t in the best interest of the family. I don’t know what, but I suspect it has to do with this deal with the Rusnaks. Now he’s angry with Josef because you and Josef suspected something.”
“Mikhail would not stay angry with Josef for long,” Papa said dismissively. “He knows Josef is loyal to him.”
“Mikhail tried to have Josef burned to death in one of our warehouses downtown. He wants Josef dead. I heard him say this.” Dani hated telling Papa these awful things when he was already so weak,
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