The unseemly game was still in play, Robert calling to extend his condolences as well as the fact Peter had disappeared. Perhaps Willow was correct in her assumptions. If not, there were no other leads at this point and no ransom note. My son had all but disappeared.
“He has a security system, but I know how to bypass it. There’s an area you can park about three hundred yards away and out of the view of the cameras.” Willow shot me a look, trying to offer a smile. I knew what she was thinking. We had one chance.
I followed her lead, parking the Mercedes just under a bank of trees. The area was still lush, even given the time of year, the foliage full enough that it would hide our approach. She crept through the underbrush, every step calculated. She’d been through this before.
When we were fifty feet from the house, she hunkered down. “If you go around the side of the house, you can cut the electricity without Peter knowing immediately. He has no backup, no generator that I know of. And he’s here.”
She’d pointed to a car positioned in the driveway. For him to be this brazen meant she was supposed to have died in the explosion, the only person who knew of this particular location.
I found the power supply box easily enough, able to cut through the lock without issue and cutting the main line. While twilight was already setting in, there were no indications of lights on in the house. We might have a chance to arrive undetected.
I kept her behind me as we headed toward the rear of the property. I peered in through several windows, growing more discouraged by the minute. There was no sign of them anywhere.
Then a single sound.
A muffled cry.
And I rushed into action, moving in through the single unlocked window. As Willow crept in behind me, her gun firmly planted in her hand, I had further doubts about bringing her with me. Peter could easily take out either Dimitri or Willow even if I got off a shot.
The next few seconds were tense as I determined the location of Dimitri’s cry. The door was closed. I motioned her away before kicking it open, storming inside. The office was elaborately decorated, the area fit for a king. But there was no sign of anyone.
As I heard the cry again, my attention was drawn to an intercom placed directly in the middle of the desk.
“You must think I’m a fool.” Peter appeared out of the shadows, both hands positioned around a weapon, a gleam in his eyes.
“What the hell have you done with the little boy?” Willow demanded, taking long strides toward the other side of the room, stealing a few glances around the perimeter.
“I assure you, he’s still alive. For now.” Peter’s laugh shifted through every cell in my body, creating another round of rage.
“Your time is up, Peter. Your inventory has been stopped before its arrival. Your men are being rounded up and your investors have already been notified about your criminal activity, although I would venture a guess they were a part of this.” I kept my words even, prepared for any move he made.
He laughed again as he moved closer. “If you think your actions are going to stop my business plan, you’re dead wrong.”
“And if you think the Solntsevskaya family hasn’t been told about your indiscretions, you’re dead wrong. The czar was very interested.” He had no way of knowing whether my words were true or not. I noticed the flash in his eyes and decided to play the hand. “All those offshore accounts, money that was supposed to go to them, a requirement for giving you power.”
The tic in the corner of Peter’s mouth was enough to let me know I’d hit on the mark. He’d been two-timing the one group of people that would eliminate him without question.
“You’re bluffing,” he said, huffing under his breath.
“Do you really want to take that chance?”
Willow shifted even closer to him, pointing the gun between his eyes. “You lied to me. You used me. Why? I never did a damn thing to you.”
Peter instantly bristled. “You have no idea, sister. You never did and perhaps you never will.”
“Know what? Tell me!” she insisted, her arms shaking, and I could tell she was ready to fire a shot.
“You’re such a bitch, Willow. So trusting. You’re such a fool!” Peter exclaimed.
I took the opportunity, lunging at him, the force knocking him to the floor. We wrestled, the man much stronger than he looked. I smacked his hands against the floor, the gun flying across cold tile. He managed a hard kick, pitching me several feet away, but I already had the advantage. With a single hard smack to his jaw, he went down.
Within seconds, Willow stood over him, her hands wrapped around his own gun, positioning the weapon only three feet away from his temple. “You’re the fool, Peter, and now you’re going to die.”
I placed my hand on hers. “Remember what you told me. He’s not worth it.”
Her face sagged as she slowly tilted her head in my direction, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
When Peter shifted, ready to fight to the death, I smashed the gun against his head, the man crumpling instantly. He would live for however long it took the Russian thugs to find him.
The simple little cry dragged us both back into reality and Willow shot into action, racing out of the room. Seconds, later, my soldiers were inside, standing over the fucker while I fled out of the room.
I found her in a distant bedroom, Dimitri cradled in her arms. She rocked him as he clung to her.
“Dimitri is all right. He’s just fine. His desk drawer. Peter kept everything of importance at this house. There’s a safe hidden behind the picture next to his desk. He used my birthday as a combination. Remember that Peter always has something up his sleeve. Don’t underestimate him.” Her voice was steady, her eyes imploring.
I nodded, knowing my son was in good hands and took long strides back to the man’s office, tearing through his desk. What I found were papers, the truth behind his shipments including documentation of those very same offshore accounts I’d been given notification of, but there were several more that hadn’t been discovered. Peter was a wealthy man. Greed had been the only thing Peter Church had loved, turning his family’s legitimate business into a goldmine.
And his death warrant.
The combination was also correct, providing ample amounts of cash and bonds, as well as a little black book with names of the investors and the fact they’d fully understood what they were getting in the middle of. Heads were going to roll, including many of his investors.
However, there was no smoking gun, no indication of anyone that would have had opportunity to cut my family off at the knees.
I sat down in his leather chair, realizing that there was nothing that would exonerate my father either. What the fuck was I supposed to do now? Goddamn it. The asshole wasn’t going to win this. I slammed my weapon on the desk and swiveled the chair, trying to lay out another plan. That’s when I noticed the picture and remembered not only the word ‘club’ but something both Willow and Jonas had mentioned before.
Golf.
I eased out of the chair, grabbing the photograph into my hands. Years and months, the past and present collided together, a knowing settling in.