Fortune Favors The Bold

CHAPTER THIRTY: SURPRISED DATE

“Nik, you scared the hell out of me,” Alaya laughed at her brother as she watched him over the rim of her glass. “I really thought I was being mugged.”

“Where the hell were you so late in the night?” her brother shouted through the loud music in the bar. They’d had the genius idea to share a drink at the pub, and Nik had suggested the Q Nightclub on Broadway.

Alaya would have preferred a quieter place to rebind with her brother, but Nik was not a very discrete person. It was so long since she’d seen him, months if she recalled correctly. Sometimes, she felt so homesick that she had the tendency to forget the patriarchic nature of her home.

One trip back however was enough for a dose of dowdy reality. She was glad that Nik had bothered to visit her though, that would prevent the scrutinizing of six males right through her soul. It was already too much handling one of them.

“I was at the precinct,” she lied looking down her drink to hide her expression. Not everyone was a maniac like Adonis Fortune. The thought of him acted like a jolt through her. Memories of what had happened at the police headquarters on her work desk brought a surge of adrenalin.

She was surprised to discover that there was no shame, no guilt. She could only recall the raw sensual pleasure she had experienced. But she was doubtful whether Adonis was on the same page as her – he would have only the advantages.

First things first, the s*x was incredible, so he would be enjoying that without the need to commit. And second, sleeping with her gave him access to the case, which he could use whenever he wanted.

Trying to hide her feelings, she swirled her Martini with a straw, concentrating on the way the colorless liquid followed her movement. Maybe, just maybe she could survive the night without Nikolay guessing that she’d just come from banging a man in her office.

“A break on the case?” he asked interested, and she signaled him to shift to a quieter corner away from the dancefloor. Otherwise by the time they were done, her throat would be sore and husky.

“Yeah,” she grimaced comically as they occupied their new seats. She sat on the same seat as him as she recalled the futility of chasing the Fortunes. “But seems like I hit another two dead ends. The captain would have my hide tomorrow if I don’t get a real trail pretty soon.”

“Why don’t you run me through the details?” Nik asked oh-so innocently, but Alaya wasn’t one bit fooled. She knew her brother well enough to understand his ulterior motive.

“Nikolay Petrov, is that why you’re here?” Alaya exclaimed in sheer outrage. Nik Petrov was a workaholic. He would ask for information until the case would no longer belong to her. He would be the one driving the investigation, giving her tips and suggestions, so much that she would find it unable to operate in any other way. “Do you seriously want to talk about work right now?”

“Hey,” he muttered sheepishly. “I was just trying to help.”

She scoffed in return. “Right! Like I don’t know you. Well, thank you for your offer but I’m doing fine on my own,” she retorted sassily.

“I can see that,” he whispered in genuine admiration, but then mischief lit his blue eyes. “So, if we’re not talking about the case, there’s only one thing interesting in your life which is worthy of discussing. How’s the beau?”

Alaya rolled her eyes at the expression he deliberately chose to goad her. Right now, she would choose any topic aside Adonis Fortune, and Nik knew that only too well. He was striking very low. “Alright,” she sighed resignedly. “I had two suspects at the headquarters today.”

Nik grinned at her not-so-subtle refusal to talk about Adonis, but he didn’t push his luck. It seemed that he knew her inside out too. He must have guessed that Alaya would be more reluctant to open up about emotional feelings rather than the case.

But his reverse psychology was working also as he was not probing. Her brother was well aware that if he tried too hard, it would made Alaya more determined to keep it all away from him. As it was, she was very tempted to pour out her heart because she had no one in Seattle who would listen or care enough about her.

But something was holding her back, something fundamental. She knew if she got Nik involved, there would be no going back. So far, the man in her life was a myth which she could deny any time when she was back home.

If Nik managed to get a name or an introduction, there would be no point of return for her. The picture would be too clear to wash off.

“Murder details?”

“Throat slit. Security cameras said to be glitched at the time of murder. So I’m suspecting someone from the inside. So far. I’ve interviewed every one of the second generation, but nada!”

“Was there any sign of forced entry?”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you kidding? The Fortune fortress is better guarded than the Pentagon. There’s no way someone would have sneaked in without being detected. There are guards standing miles from the house, who pins you with biometric identification as soon as you enter the premises. Their yard is big enough to play a golf tournament, and you need to drive before the mansion comes in sight.”

“All within range of the biometric spectrum?” Nik asked with an impressed pursed of his lips.

“Uhuh,” Alaya acquiesced with a touch of arrogance that she was handing such a prestigious case. She had been too engrossed in the murder mystery to brag about it with anyone but seeing Nik’s enthralled expression as worth all the hassle. Maybe now they would see more than their little kid sister?

“For me it’s impossible that the biometric identification stopped working on that night itself. I checked the records of the devices, of how often it failed, and the frequency of maintenance. All in perfect order. So, I’m sure that someone must have tampered with the system but there was faulty operations detected.”

“What’s your take?” Nik asked in obvious interest. “Someone must have switched it off on purpose? Surely no one would be foolish enough to be so obvious?”

Alaya shook her head. “Not that obvious though. Every servant in the house possess a remote which can allow them to switch off the biometric parts without consulting with the security guards. The system is so tight that even switched off it will automatically turn on after one hour. Which gives the killer plenty of time to commit his activities.”

“Who was present in the house on the night of murder? Surely, it wouldn’t be so hard to figure your way out of a few suspects?”

“Only fifty-three,” Alaya supplied with a grim expression and nodded in understanding when Nik let out a whistle. “The killer was clever enough to choose a family dinner night.”

“How can there be so many people for a family dinner. That’s a dynasty were talking about,” Nik mused in speculation. “Have you interrogated all of them?”

Alaya nodded. “I personally went through every thirty-six family members and friends. Adonis didn’t want his cousins to testify at first, but I had to issue arrest warrants for each of them to summon them. It took longer, and well I finally got nowhere.”

Nik rolled his eyes. “Come on Alaya, There must be something. Something you missed. What about the rest of the suspects? If there was only thirty-six family members, the rest was staff?” he judged efficiently. One thing good about Nik was that he picked up rather quickly. “For a household that big, I presume the staff would be equally impressive.”

“Bang on!” Alaya agreed. “I’ve let Jimmy interview them since I was focusing on the family members, and he reported nothing suspicious on his side as well.”

“Monica’s brother?” Nik gasped in mocked outrage, and Alaya poked him in the rib in instant rebuff. Jimmy’s family name was Lewinsky, and all her brothers teasingly called him as Monica’s brother, as in Monica Lewinsky.

“Stop it!” she rebuffed giggling like a schoolgirl.

Nik smiled at her mirth. “Come on, Al. We both know that Monica’s brother’s lousy detective. He’s been hiding behind you for years and you just let him. I am surprised that you’ve left him on his own with the servants.”

Alaya was captivated, and she bent closer to Nik to whisper in dramatic shock. “You think a servant might have done the murder?”

Nik sighed at her with the exasperation of an elder brother. “Of course not, silly!” he said automatically, then revised his words after a moment of thought. “Although I wouldn’t brush aside this theory. But my point is they are servants – they have eyes and ears all around the place. If you probe deep enough, you might find secrets and scandals which you can explore.”

“That’s precisely what Adonis would want to avoid,” she grumbled morosely, not realizing that she’d said the word out loud until Nik wriggled his eyebrows at her.

“Who’s Adonis? That’s twice you’ve mentioned his name. Is he the one whose face I need to smash?” Nik asked perceptively, making Alaya squirm with self-awareness. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut? She knew how astute Nik could get, that was why he’d been named Captain last year, and she should have been more careful around him.

“H…huh?” she stammered in sheer panic. “Have I mentioned his name twice? Well, he is the bereaved son of the vic” she said casually with a shrug of her shoulder and was thankful that Nik could not hear the way her heart pick up speed at the mere mention of the man’s name.

“Hmmm…this confirms it then. I might need to dislodge his nose by the time this is over,” Nik said gruffly.

Opening her mouth to deny any implication, it was left hanging open when a familiar voice sounded behind her, which caused her to jump in her skin.

“Trying other pastures Alaya?”

Closing her eyes in dismay, she wished for the earth to split up and swallow her. Or could a genie snap a finger somewhere to make her vanish? Where the hell were the wishes cloves when she needed them? Because right now, it was going to be explosive. The voice of a furious Adonis Fortune had materialized right behind her conjuring her worst nightmare.

What was Adonis doing in a night club at this hour? Was he with someone? Right after…. Oh hell! Don’t go there! She threatened herself as her heart constricted painfully at the mere prospect. And why was he here condemning her when he was obviously busy socializing too?

Talk about timing. He’d arrived the second Nik had just threatened to disfigure him. She was certain there was some evil manipulator in God’s abode who specifically created situations like this to make poor humans suffer. Otherwise, what were the odds.

Frozen, she didn’t deign turn around and searched desperately for a away to escape that sordid situation. All she could do was take a huge sip of her drink for moral support. It was better than nothing. When the alcohol diffused in her body, she felt her senses relax considerably.

She could handle this, she told herself firmly. She was an adult who’d had an affair with a man who was about to meet her brother. However, when she gathered enough courage to look up at Nik, his fierce expression drove all her pep talk away.

Next to her was a pair of blue eyes belonging to her overprotective brother who was scrutinizing her expression and by the way his nostrils flared, it seemed that he wasn’t missing a bit. And to top it all, Adonis’s insult was the cherry on the cake, and Nik had visibly stiffened at the derogatory insinuation.

She wished she were anywhere right now. Even hell would be a better place