Chapter 6 - The Setup
By two o'clock that afternoon, a private black Mercedes SUV pulled out of the gated driveway of the Petrov estate, accompanied by two heavy security sedans.
Inside the SUV sat Alexei Petrov, dressed in a sharp tailor-made charcoal suit, a dark silk tie covering the bruises on his neck. Beside him sat Dmitri, holding a secure satellite phone.
In the rear seat, riding in high-end child safety seats that Dmitri had ordered from a luxury boutique two hours prior, were Maria and Sophie.
Maria was wearing a dark green coat, looking out the tinted window with anxious eyes as they sped down the highway toward downtown Chicago. Sophie was happily playing with a new medical kit—this one made of high-end wood and real metal, a gift Alexei had personal couriered to the house that morning.
"Where are we going?" Maria asked softly, her hands clutched tightly in her lap.
"To the Drake Hotel," Alexei replied, not turning around from the front passenger seat. "Senator Blake is hosting a private campaign fundraiser in the Grand Ballroom at three o'clock. Viktor Sokolov and Antonio Moretti will both be in attendance."
Maria’s breath caught. "You're going to see them? All of them?"
"They believe I am lying in a morgue in Lake Forest," Alexei said, his tone icy and measured. "They believe my estate is in chaos, and that my company's stock will crash when the markets open on Monday. I am going to correct their mistake."
"Why are we coming?" Maria begged. "Why bring Sophie?"
Alexei turned around in his seat, looking at Maria and her daughter.
"Because Sokolov and Moretti think you are their leverage," Alexei explained gently. "They think if things go wrong, they can hold your past against you, or use your ex-husband's debts to frame you for the poison. I am bringing you into that room so everyone in Chicago understands one fundamental truth."
"What truth?"
"That you and your daughter are under the personal protection of the Petrov family," Alexei said, his eyes burning with an unshakeable promise. "Once that is established publicly, no man in this city will dare look at either of you ever again."
The Mercedes pulled into the private underground parking garage of the Drake Hotel twenty minutes later.
Four armed security guards in crisp black suits stepped out of the escort sedans, forming a protective wall around the Mercedes as the doors opened.
Alexei stepped out first, adjusting his cuffs. He reached into the back seat and personally lifted Sophie out of her child seat, holding her securely against his hip.
Sophie wrapped one small arm around Alexei’s neck, her pink plastic stethoscope still hanging around her shoulders. She looked at the giant armed guards surrounding them with pure fascination.
"Are these your helpers?" Sophie asked Alexei.
"Yes," Alexei whispered in her ear. "They are my nurses."
Dmitri snorted behind them, trying desperately to maintain his stern security posture.
Maria stepped out of the vehicle, holding her head high despite her racing heart, drawing strength from the towering man walking beside her.
They walked toward the private express elevator that led directly to the VIP mezzanine overlooking the Grand Ballroom.
"Dmitri," Alexei instructed as the elevator doors closed. "Ensure the media feeds in the ballroom are live. I want every reporter in Illinois to see Senator Blake's face when we enter."
"Feeds are secured, boss," Dmitri confirmed, checking his watch. "The Senator is mid-speech right now."
The elevator hummed as it ascended to the fourth floor.
Sophie leaned her head against Alexei’s shoulder, looking at his scarred jawline. "Mr. Alexei?"
"Yes, small doctor?"
"Are we going to a party?"
May you like
Alexei looked down at her, a cold, dangerous smile touching his lips.
"Something like that, Sophie," Alexei whispered as the elevator doors dinged open. "We are going to finish a party."
