Her mother’s cheeks pinked. “I met with Dimitri. Two days before our meeting at the inn with you. We were having coffee on the patio, and he was reading the newspaper. There was an article about a man who’d just been arrested for suspected drug trafficking. Dimitri flew into a rage, which isn’t like him at all. He called Adrian, and he came right away. Dimitri threw the newspaper at his son and asked him to explain what his cousin was doing in North Carolina. He accused Adrian of working with him. Adrian swore he wasn’t, but I think he might have been lying. Dimitri thought so too.”
“I think I know the man you’re talking about. Nate arrested him. But if they discovered his connection to Adrian and Dimitri, why didn’t they bring them in for questioning?”
“According to what Adrian said to his father, his cousin wouldn’t talk upon threat of death. Nate and the people he works with wouldn’t make the connection on their own because the man has been living under an assumed identity for more than two decades. The family faked his death when the FBI were closing in on him for murder. The family also ensured his prints and DNA aren’t in the system.”
“Mom, I don’t want to scare you. But people have been killed for knowing what you know.”
Her mother shook her head. “Soon everyone will know. Dimitri’s spent the last nine years since his daughter’s death not only accumulating wealth and power but collecting evidence to bring his wife’s family down. I think he’s ready to make his move. He warned Adrian to steer clear of his mother’s family or he’d find himself going down with them. What are you doing?” her mother asked when Ellie slowed down and pulled off the road a few yards from the Ivanov estate.
“Calling Nate. He needs to know what you just told me.”
Nate picked up on the first ring. “Ellie, thank God.”
A heated shiver raced down her spine in response to his deep, gravelly voice. A totally inappropriate response given the gravity of the situation, but she couldn’t seem to help herself where Nate was concerned. She reminded herself why she’d been blocking his calls and his texts, and that shiver-inducing desire was replaced by a resolute determination to protect herself.
“Where are you?”
“It doesn’t matter. I have information you need.”
“If you’re headed to Dimitri Ivanov’s place, it sure as hell does matter. And if you ever block my calls or texts again, I’ll—”
“I don’t have time for this. Just listen to me,” she said, and repeated what her mother had told her.
“Hang on. I’m putting you on speaker. Listen up, people,” he said. Then he told Ellie to continue.
Several times he interrupted her with questions, some of which she had to put her mother on the phone to answer.
“Will that help?” Ellie asked once she was finished.
“You have no idea how much, babe. Thank your mother for me. Now do me a favor, turn your car around and head to the hospital.”
“We can’t. We have to make sure Richard doesn’t go anywhere near Bri. Dimitri is the only one who can stop him.”
“Ellie, you can make that happen, and so can your mother. Put me on speaker.”
“Okay, you’re on speaker.”
“Mrs. MacLeod, if Ellie lodges a complaint of spousal abuse against Richard using evidence that she’s obtained by using her psychic abilities, will you back her?”
“Yes. Yes, I will.” Her mother reached for Ellie’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Ellie didn’t realize why until a tear dropped onto their joined hands. It wasn’t only that her mother was willing to acknowledge her abilities that made her emotional, but that Nate was too.
Her mother continued. “I will also lodge a complaint concerning an incident I witnessed a few months ago but that I allowed both my daughter and her husband to explain away.”
“Gabe will meet you at the hospital and take your statements. Richard won’t get anywhere near Bri. And if he’s at the Ivanov estate when we arrive, which should be within the next thirty minutes, he’ll be cooling his heels in jail for as long as we can legally hold him.”
As Ellie pulled onto the long tree-lined driveway of the Ivanov estate in order to turn the car around, she spotted Richard’s SUV. “He’s there.” In response to Nate swearing under his breath, she said, “We’re leaving. I just had to turn—” A Range Rover pulled in behind her.
Her mother looked over her shoulder. “It’s Adrian.”
“Get the hell out of there now, Ellie!” Nate yelled through the open line.
“Quiet,” she said, powering down her window. She stuck her head out, smiled, and pointed to the road. “Sorry. Wrong address. If you back up, I’ll get out of your way.”
The man got out of his vehicle and walked over to her open window. “I’m sure my father would love to meet you, Ms. MacLeod. Miranda.” He nodded at her mother, his lips curled in a sneer.
“And I’d love to meet your father too. But we’ll have to discuss the sale of Mirror Lake Inn at another time, Mr. Ivanov. My sister had an accident, and she’s undergoing surgery as we speak. We need to get to the hospital immediately.”
“Funny you should mention that. It’s why I’m here. My father is very upset that you wouldn’t allow Richard to see his wife. But I’m sure we can clear this up. As soon as we do, you can be on your way to the hospital. Please, drive in.” He moved his jacket aside. It wasn’t an invitation. He had a gun.
Ellie did as he directed. She didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t like she could move his Range Rover out of the way, as she told Nate. “Don’t worry, I’m armed.” She ended the call, looking for somewhere to hide her phone. She didn’t want Adrian to find out she’d been talking to Nate. She reached down and tucked it under the mat.
“You’re armed?” her mother said, her eyes wide.
“Yes, and lucky for us, Grandpa taught me how to use a gun.” She glanced at her mother. She’d lost all the color in her face. “It’s going to be okay, Mom. Nate is coming, and you trust Dimitri, right? You don’t think he’d let his son hurt you?”
“I trust Dimitri, but I don’t trust Adrian. He hates me.”
“We need to let Dimitri know what’s going on,” Ellie said as she drove up the tree-lined road at a snail’s pace, buying time. “You need to call him. Put him on speaker and put your phone on the console.”
As soon as the call connected, Ellie said, “Mr. Ivanov, this is Ellie MacLeod. My mother’s with me. If Richard is with you, please pretend this is a business call.”
“Jerome, I’ve been expecting your call.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to do this, to both you and my mother, but you have to know. My sister Bri is your daughter.”
“Elliana!” her mother cried.
“I’m sorry, Mom. But he has a right to know. Don’t blame my mother, Mr. Ivanov. The only reason she kept Bri a secret from you is that your wife terrorized her for more than twenty-seven years. And your son has picked up where she left off. He’s blackmailing my mother to sell Mirror Lake Inn to you. He’s also forcing us to meet with you now. I’m going to send you a photo. Don’t show Richard. He’s the reason Bri is in the hospital.”