Third Time's a Charm (Holland Springs #3)(44)

His uncle smiled. “We are family, Alexander, and despite what you think of me, my ultimate goal is to maintain those relationships.”

“Your ultimate goal is world domination.”

Vladimir shrugged. “With my family by my side.”

“What family?” Sasha leaned against the closest wall and stroked his chin. “Do you mean the son that won’t have anything to do with you, or the one’s that dropped off the face of the planet?” Lucky bastards.

His uncle’s eyes turned glacial. “Your next project.”

Unfazed, Sasha barked out a laugh. “Sebastian hates me only slightly less than you.”

“Christian.”

Sasha blinked and blinked again. “You can’t be serious. After what I’ve already done to him?”

“Rather Machiavellian if you ask me.”

“It’s bloody insane, and I refuse to do it.” Sasha crossed his arms over his chest.

“Did you think you could fool my team of scientists with the exact same water samples?” His uncle’s voice was deadly calm as he strolled to Phoebe’s bed, a prelude to a violent storm of consequences that Sasha would bear the brunt.

There was tenderness in Vladimir’s gaze. “Sickness hasn’t diminished this lovely face.”

“You cared for her.” Claws of disgust dug deep into his soul.

Vladimir’s hand hovered over Phoebe’s face and Sasha watched in horror as that same hand covered her nose and mouth. He bolted for her, but two men on his uncle’s security detail grabbed him. They shoved his head on the table, holding it there and twisting his arms behind his back. He moaned in pain. The corner of his iPod dug into the side of his face, but it was nothing compared to the helplessness and rage.

“Lust, nothing more.”

Sasha relished the flash of annoyance on his Uncle’s face. If he could make him mad enough, he might be able to get Vladimir away from Phoebe. “She chose my father over you, didn’t she?”

“She was taken in by all that sentimental drivel he spouted.”

“Like love and genuine affection? Actually putting his family first, before the company. Before you even.”

“Shut him up,” Vladimir commanded.

Henchman number one grabbed Sasha by the hair and banged his head on the table. Sasha saw stars, but he wouldn’t stop talking. It was rare day that he could actually get to the miserable S.O.B.

“You’re jealous of a dead man. Now that he’s gone, she still wouldn’t choose you, and you know it.”

“She was nothing, offered nothing,” Vladimir muttered, his hand tightening over Phoebe’s nose and mouth. Her body jerked pitifully.

An alarm went off on one of the machines, but Sasha couldn’t see which. He grunted and rolled his shoulders, pain shooting through the joints as he struggled to get free. “What she offered, you weren’t allowed to have.”

Mercifully, his uncle removed his hand. The alarm went silent. “Maks walked away from his family, from me. And what did that get him? Six feet of dirt and you for a son.” Vladimir skimmed the back of his knuckles across Phoebe’s cheek.

The pressure on Sasha’s arms and head lessened. He wrenched free, slammed his elbow into a hard body and bolted for his mother, but the sight of a Glock stopped him cold.

“God damn you to hell.” Sasha fell to his knees, prepared to do anything Vladimir asked of him.

His uncle nuzzled the barrel of the gun against Phoebe’s mouth and Sasha wanted to vomit. “You will return to Holland Springs. You will find the spring. You will report on Christian.”

“Fine, just…for the love of God, put the gun away.” Sasha’s gaze traveled from his mother to his uncle over and over. “Please,” he whispered.

Vladimir sneered. “Look at you. Sniveling and begging on the floor.” He spat at Sasha, narrowly missing his face.

Sasha wanted to cry in relief when his uncle tossed the gun to one of the men behind him. “Thank you.”

“Remember this the next time you consider lying to me.” Vladimir flicked his gaze over him and nodded.

Air whooshed behind Sasha and from a distance he heard a thunk. Unable to control his body, he slid to the floor.

“Get him on the plane,” his uncle ordered, his voice sounding like it was underwater.

His mother’s bed blurred, then multiplied as his head lulled to one side. Sasha blinked, trying to combine the images into one solid picture. Men on either side of him grabbed him by the arms, dragging him to the door.

“On your feet,” one of them ordered.

When he didn’t move fast enough, the other man raised his hand.

Mercifully, his world went dark before the blow.





Chapter Thirteen





Late Monday morning Rose opened Carolina Dreams for business, completely thankful and anxious that Skye wasn’t bringing Ivy back until after lunch. The bells rang on the front door and Gabriel Edwards came strolling in.

Tall, dark, and handsome with a hint of a foreign accent when he spoke, despite being raised most of his life in Holland Springs, Gabriel was the subject of many women that shopped in her store. Now that he was single, they wanted to know if Rose knew who the right woman was for him.

Only problem was that whenever Rose did try to picture who Gabriel needed to find the spring with, the image was fuzzy. As it had always been, since the very first time she’d tried to make a match for him.