Redemption: (Dark Desires Book 3) (10 page)

Valerie had no idea what
changed in Vlad the day after they'd made love. He had been somewhat distant
and quieter than usual. After spending another day in Bucharest, they had left
for Moscow. She’d learnt on the way to the airport that Andrei was out of the
country on business. They would, however, get a chance to see him before they
flew back to South Africa.

The list of people that Mike
begrudgingly sent Vladimir had the names of all those involved in Val’s
abduction - those that were still alive. He meditated on every one of their
faces counting down the days until he ended their pathetic lives. The more Vlad
thought about them, the harder it was to be around his wife. He had to right
his wrongs. Returning to Russia reminded him of the man he once was, the man
who had gotten her tangled in his fucked up life, and that thought spurred him
into action. In two days, retribution would begin.

Andrei was currently in Spain
at Vlad's request. When he returned, everything would be set. He slotted the
key into his old, underused apartment and let Valerie into the place he once
called home. She walked around the cold, impersonal space and wondered how many
days of the year he occupied the residence. It was decorated in black and
variations of grey. His furniture consisted of the bare minimum. It didn't seem
like much of a home.

"Not as beautiful as the
beach house?" he asked.

“No, it’s not that. It just
feels so empty, like nobody lives here."

"I used to travel a lot.
But yes, this is my resting place, the place I've called home since moving to
Russia."

"I see…" replied Valerie
before she settled on the lone dark, grey couch in front of the large, wall-mounted
TV and took in the surroundings of the bare, brick faced walls.

She wanted to ask him about his
past. Val wanted to know his story, but she wasn't sure she would like the things
she found out - that included the particulars of Vlad's line of work and the
people he surrounded himself with. Keyaan did tell her he was an arms dealer,
and she hoped he'd quit for the sake of the family they were starting.

While Valerie had been getting
better acquainted with Mihaela, he had spent his days with Raven looking for a
new home for them. He wanted a place outside of the city. Moscow had had a few
violent, race-related incidents that had made world news with Russia scheduled
to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He didn’t want that kind of hatred directed at
his wife.

Vlad had purchased another home
in the town of Pushkino, an hour's drive away from Moscow, and they would be
staying there for the remainder of their honeymoon. For now, he planned to
share the little parts of his life that were agreeable to him, like this
apartment. It was the first home he’d ever owned that he could comfortably call
home.

"This is the first home I
ever bought. We moved around when we were younger so there was never a place to
call home, only a shelter for the night. After growing up in abandoned
buildings and dilapidated houses, my brother's and I were able to rent an
apartment in our teen years. This is the first place I could afford to move to
by myself, and when I made enough money, I bought it. The beach house in Cape
Town is my second home. I'll show the other property I own tomorrow," he
sat down beside and drew Valerie into his arms.

"I don't know how to ask
this question without feeling rude, but how rich are you?" she asked.
Vladimir spent money without discretion and the longer she knew him, the bigger
his spending budget grew.

"I don't know. I stopped
counting after a while. I've never grown up surrounded by material things so I
don't have the desire to make outlandish purchases as a testament to my wealth.
As long as I'm fed and comfortable, I'm content." Vladimir thought on the
state of his finances. He was a billionaire a few times over, but that had come
with the arms trade.

 He constantly travelled
to negotiate contracts and when he had to get his hands dirty... let's just say
it helped that he was low key rich. He doubted Valerie would enjoy the creature
comforts he was capable of giving her if she knew the source. He'd lived on a
lot less growing up and he’d been willing to empty his bank account to get her
back. Vladimir had never adapted to the lifestyle of the über rich and had no qualms
with losing it all tomorrow.

"Rich and humble,"
teased Val. "I like the idea of being content. Content is good. Content
means no hassle and a hassle free life after these past few months sounds like
a dream."

“It will be a reality
soon." Vladimir savoured the moment of holding Valerie in his arms in his
home. As much as he wished to remain in this apartment, he knew that his wife
would be ostracised in Moscow. "We're
moving to the house in Pushkino tomorrow. I don't
want you living in the city when I'm not around."

Valerie turned to face him.
“Are you indirectly suggesting we relocate to Russia?”

“No, not unless you want to.
Cities like Moscow and St Pietersburg are violently racist, and law enforcement
does little to nothing when incidents are reported. I would never put you
directly in harm's way by making you live here. I also don't want to have to
leave you behind when I do have to travel here for business or to see Andrei."

At the mention of business,
Valerie’s mind went to the topic she hadn’t wanted to discuss. “Are you still
an arms dealer?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then why don't you explain it
to me." She sat up at attention. Valerie would not allow him to bury the discussion.

Vlad looked at his wife. She
had changed in many ways, and in others, she remained the same, always so
curious. "I don't belong to any organisation, but there are a few men I do
business with that I have to meet. I didn't leave them on the best of terms the
last time we spoke." He thought of his sudden termination of services
followed by the threats he'd issued to buy from the Americans if Taras didn’t
comply. ”They helped me out of a tight spot, and I have to part with them on
amicable terms this time around."

“Okay, how long will that
take?”

“I will make sure that when we
get back home, it’s done.”

Valerie was satisfied with the
answer. The last thing she needed was to have her family caught up in another
mess because of Vlad’s sinister dealings. She placed her small hands in his
larger, rougher ones.

"I just want you to be
safe. I want to raise the children in a stable home without fear. Thank you for
quitting," she said.

Vlad drew her fingers to his
lips for a soft kiss. "No one will hurt you again Valerie. I'll make sure
of it."

If Val thought that the beach
house was luxurious, then this house was over the top ostentatious.  Armed
security stood behind the gated front and the long, gravelled driveway was lined
with trees on either side leading up to a two storey white mansion. There was a
chef’s kitchen, a den, an entertainment room, a formal lounge, a TV room, servant’s
quarters and two guest bathrooms downstairs. A double sided, staircase led to
the upper floor that housed the master bedroom and eight other guest bedrooms. After
learning where the TV room, their bedroom and the kitchen were located, she
bowed out of the rest of the tour. What two people were supposed to do with all
this space was beyond her. The live-in staff consisted of a chef, a maid and
two security guards.

At first, she didn't like the
idea of living in the country. However, the lush greenery and quaint town, with
a Catholic church at its centre, became a tranquil backdrop she appreciated. With
no one around them for a few miles, except for the staff on hand, and Vlad’s
warm body at her side, Valerie couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon. They
watched movies, listened to music and read in between christening their new
home in the bedroom, the shower, the heated pool she never knew existed, and
once more in the kitchen when she'd woken up in the middle of the night feeling
peckish.

After two days of nonstop sex,
Valerie felt raw. Every day she'd risen past noon, but this morning Vlad was
not at her side. She walked around the massive house but couldn't find him
anywhere. When she asked Yuri, their chef, whether he had seen her husband, he
told her that Vlad had left the residence earlier that morning. She stayed up till
three in the morning waiting for his return. Where had he gone to and why
hadn’t he said anything to her?

*****

During his flight from Russia
to Spain, Vladimir had reread Andrei’s findings over a dozen times. It appeared
that Mehmet was living the high life in Ibiza. The sudden cash infusion to his
bank account must have come from Keyaan.
That will be the last contract he
ever accepts
.

Vladimir meditated on exactly
how he would make him pay. In the four and a half hour flight, he had come up
with very creative and excruciating ideas. After checking into one of the
cheaper resorts on the holiday island, he had a chance to scour his mark’s new
home. The man seemed to have garnered quite the reputation for throwing the
hottest parties this summer.

Flirting with a bartender at
one of the club's he was reported to frequent, he managed to get an invitation
to Mehmet’s next event. He wanted to exact his revenge now, but he refused to
proceed in haste. He had seventy-two hours to execute his plan. He paid his
bill and left her a hefty tip for her help. When he got back to his room, he
lay in bed and thought of his wife. He missed her. The separation was worth it
if it meant ridding her world of the people who had ruined their lives.

*****

Two days. Vladimir had been
gone for two whole days without a single word. Valerie constantly flitted
between worried and annoyed. If there was a clandestine meeting he had to
attend, then he should have at least let her know not to expect him. It was the
courteous thing to do considering that they were on their honeymoon. Unless
Vlad hadn't planned to go missing, then that meant something was wrong, and he
was either in trouble or… No, she wouldn’t let her thoughts go down that path. Valerie
would continue to wait and when he did return, she would give him a piece of
her mind.

“Ma’am, there is a visitor for
you,” said Ivanka, their maid. She was a sweet girl, and Vlad had been
thoughtful enough to hire a staff that spoke English.

“Who is it?”

“He says his name is Andrei.”

Valerie shot out of bed and
rushed downstairs. If there was anyone who knew where her husband could be, it
was his brother.

“
Soră
, congratulations,” said Andrei as he gave her the
customary kiss on both cheeks.

“Thank you,” replied Valerie.
“Do you know where my husband is?" She knew she was rude in rushing
straight to the point as her guest still stood in the lobby, but she didn't
care. If anything had happened, she wanted to know now rather than later.

“He was called away on urgent
business. He asked that I check on you while he is away,” replied Andrei. The
truth was that he knew of Vlad’s whereabouts. She needn’t worry; the man could
look after himself. Noting the angry glint in her eyes, he thought it best to
distract her for the time being. "I have ulterior motives for coming to
see you."

Valerie’s brow wrinkled in
confusion. “Should I be worried?"

He wrapped his arm around her
shoulder and walked her to the kitchen. He had been Vlad’s proxy in acquiring
their new home, and he knew his way around. “I need you to explain why both my
brothers got married before I did. I may have been labouring under the delusion
that I was the most handsome of them all.”

Valerie gave him an amused
smile. Vlad had affectionately called him an idiot, but he was quite charming
and very easy on the eyes. She remembered meeting him on the plane and thinking
the same thing. "Modesty thou doth lack," she replied. There was
nothing more annoying than a hot guy who knew that he was attractive and
flaunted it.

"Would you like me to prepare
a light meal?" asked Yuri once they entered the kitchen.

"No, just a cup of green
tea with honey please," requested Valerie.

"Black coffee, no
sugar," said Andrei.

“Is he okay?” asked Val. She
felt that Andrei knew more than what he was letting on.

"Of course, he's okay. I'm
sure that you could leave that man on Mars, and he would still be fine."

“Then why didn’t he tell me
himself?”

"Maybe he didn't want to
worry you? Maybe he thought he would be back in a day? I honestly don't know
how his mind works, and I've known him longer than anyone if you discount Raz,
who beats that record by a few weeks."  Vlad had filled him in on
everything that had happened to her, and he shared the same sentiments. Those
bastards deserved what was coming to them. She was now family. No one fucked
with them and got away with it.

“How about I offer you the
pleasure of my company in his stead? I can assure you that I’m far more
entertaining and less… intense for lack of a better word.”

Valerie laughed and shook her
head. Vladimir and Andrei may be as close as brothers, but it didn't take a
genius to figure out that they weren’t related. Looks aside, Andrei was easy
going where Vlad exuded cool detachment. How they had managed to get along or
why they were so close completely escaped her. Maybe she would find out by the
time their honeymoon was over.