“What do you want?” Iakov asked.
“I want to tell Natasha that it's over between us. After she treated Lucy so badly, I don't want her anymore. Did you know Lucy is in the hospital because of her?”
“What are you talking about? I've got her, here in my basement. And I'm really going to enjoy her; she's so pretty.”
“You know, Iakov, you've always been a liar. According to her father she's in the hospital with a severe concussion. Just tell Natasha what I said. I never want to see her again.” Grigori hung up.
“What are you doing?' Lenny asked. “Why did you antagonize him like that? And what's the bullshit story about Lucy being in the hospital?”
“Wait and see,” Grigori said.
When Grigori's phone rang again, it made Lenny jump. “Why don't you believe me?” Iakov asked.
“Because you're always full of shit. Half the things you say you have done, you haven't. You're not as tough as you think. You don't have the balls to do half the things you claim to have done.” Grigori looked at Lenny, who was beside himself with worry.
“Come and see for yourself. She's here.”
“Do you think I'm stupid? You and Natasha want to kill me.”
“Come and see for yourself whether she's here. You have my word that nothing will happen to you. But if she's here, as she is, you will watch me use her and then kill her.”
“ You're so full of shit. I'll be there at eleven.”
Grigori put his cell on the kitchen table and stared at Lenny. “You've just killed her,” Lenny said.
“No. I've just gained entry to his house.”
“But there will be so many guards there. You'll have no chance of freeing her.”
“I want him to free her in exchange for me. I can only negotiate that when I'm in the house.”
“You are willing to trade yourself for her?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she's a good woman and doesn't deserve any of this.”
“You're in love with her,” Lenny said.
“Shut up,” Grigori said
*****
Grigori looked at the house he'd just pulled up in front of. It was one of the first mansions ever built in the New York area. It had belonged to a rich family of jewelers until Iakov had persuaded the only remaining family member to sell it to him. Iakov had paid around twenty-five million dollars for it.
He walked to the door and was greeted by one of Iakov's huge guards. All his bodyguards were Russian. Iakov hadn't ever made much of an effort to learn English—though most people knew what he meant when he was holding a gun to their head.
Grigori followed the guard through the hallway and down a long corridor toward the back of the house. Iakov was sitting in an armchair in a lounge. Natasha was sitting on the sofa. When she saw Grigori, she got up, walked over to him, and slapped him. He ignored it.
“So, you don't believe me,” Iakov began. “You think I'm a liar.”
“I don't believe the girl is here, no,” Grigori said.
“But you saw me take her,” Natasha said.
“That doesn't mean she's here. I know for a fact she's in the hospital.”
Natasha and Iakov laughed. “You're so dumb,” Natasha said.
“When I pull her from the basement, you'll look so stupid,” Iakov said. “Go and get her,” he said to Natasha. Natasha did as he asked.
“I can't wait for this,” Iakov said, rubbing his hands together. When he heard someone shouting, he got up and walked to the door.
Natasha came running up the stairs. “She's gone,” she said.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Iakov shouted. “She can't be,” he said, running down the stairs. Grigori, who was just as surprised but didn't want to show it, got up and followed Iakov. When he reached the basement he saw a small hole had been kicked in the wall. It was probably just large enough for Lucy's slender figure to get through, he thought.
“I can't see her here,” Grigori said. “I told you that you were telling me lies.”
“She was here,” Iakov said desperately. “She's escaped somehow.”
“See you later, liar,” Grigori said. He started to walk up the steps but stopped when he heard the click of a trigger behind him.
“You're going nowhere. I'm going to kill you,” Iakov said.
Grigori turned around and looked at him. “Why?”
“Because you were so rude about my daughter.”
“Come on, Iakov, you know what she's like. I only got involved with her to please you. I can't stand her anymore.”
“That doesn't excuse what you said. You insulted me, and you insulted her. Goodbye, Grigori.”
Grigori fell to the floor, rolled over, and produced a gun before Iakov had time to cock his gun and fire it. Iakov fell to the floor, dead, but it wasn't Grigori who had killed him. The shot had come from the hole in the wall. Grigori got up and looked outside. Lucy was laying on the ground with a pistol in her hand.
“So, you came to free me,” she said.
“What the hell's going on? Yes, I came to free you, but you were gone.”
“Come on, before all his men descend on you.”