*Benjamin
With the promise to return as soon as possible, I leave Morgan in bed and make my way to Grandfather’s library.
“We have much to discuss,” I announce, walking inside. “I’ve gotten more information from my source since I’ve arrived.”
Dmitry is seated at a conference table, near the middle. My grandfather is at the head and two of his right hand men sit on either side of him. Peter, my grandfather’s technical guru, has set up several laptops.
“Please take the lead, Ben,” my grandfather says before taking a sip of tea. His manservant, Adam, stands nearby, ready to get him whatever he needs.
“The Wraith Organization is no longer at near extinction. They have been resurrected.”
“By your father,” Grandfather says. “He had planned to use them to topple me.”
“Now, they’ve decided to go into the pandemic virus business. For a cut of the profits, they will spread the virus via a third party buyer, but will allow PharmGen to come to the rescue with a miracle cure. It will be an infection worse than Ebola or any bird flu.”
“But since Vladimir is dead, a new leader is in place, and we have to stop them.” I turn to Grandfather. “I understand if you don’t want to get involved in this, but I will take them down.”
“Are you certain you can stop it?” Dmitry asks.
I nod. “Absolutely.”
Grandfather sets down his tea cup. “Whatever you need to take this organization out, I will supply.”
“Thank you.” I bow my head. “We have two days time in order to procure a facility that can mass produce the vaccine in case we don’t stop the buyer. I spoke with Roman on the way here and he’s already contacted Sebastian Romanov, who has agreed to help us.”
“Very good,” Grandfather says. “This is how family should be.”
“And what if family is the head of Wraith,” Dmitry asks “What, then?”
“We do what we must,” I say. “No matter what. This is greater than all of us. No one will be spared with this virus. No one at all. Rich, poor…nationality. The virus does not care.”
Dmitry nods. “I will see to transportation.” He stands, nods at our grandfather and leaves the room.
Grandfather stares at me thoughtfully. “You might not like who’s behind the curtain, Benji.”
“Honestly, Grandfather, I don’t give a damn who’s behind it.”
I don’t miss the proud smile that kicks up the corners of his mouth before I leave the room.
*
It’s nearly dinnertime when I see Morgan again. Apparently, Grandfather kept her distracted with a personal masseuse.
“The woman had magic hands, Ben. Almost as good as yours,” she says, stepping into the shoes I bought her.
“I’m glad.” Offering her my elbow, I say, “I had the chef prepare us a private dinner.”
With a pleased and curious smile, she takes it. “Are we going on a real date?”
“Absolutely.”
I lead her to a small room that faces the Crow Mountains. The south side if entirely made of glass, giving us a rather stunning view of their snow capped tops.
She gasps. “It’s like a winter wonderland.”
“I thought you might like it.”
There is a table for two placed near the wall of glass. I escort her over and pull out her chair. She sits, her head turning this way and that as she takes everything in.
“Your grandfather never took me in this room.”
I sit across from her, then signal the butler to start serving us. “It holds bittersweet memories for him.”
Her brows shoot up. “Oh? Can you tell me or is it a family secret?”
“This is where he and Grandmother were married.”
She lets out a dreamy sigh. “I hope it was snowing.”
“Russia in springtime is glorious, mllaya moyna.”
Taking a sip of champagne, she merely smiles.
“They didn’t have an easy time of it, Grandfather and Grandmother.” I run a finger across the rim of my glass. “She was a Rom. A gypsy. His parents were horrified he would stoop so low to marry someone so common.”
“They sound as awesome as my granny.”
“Her parents weren’t exactly approving of the match either.”
“So what happened?”
“The usual—they meet, fall in love, defy the odds, and live happily ever after… for a while anyway.”
“Did you ever meet her?”
“No, she died while giving birth a girl. The baby didn’t survive either.” I can only imagine how helpless Grandfather felt.
Her blue eyes turn sad. “I’m sorry.”
“He never fell in love again.” I laugh a little, but there is no joy in it. “Instead he devoted himself to his family, to making the Romanovs an empire worthy of respect.”
“That sounds lonely.”
“How so? He was surrounded by us, by those who loved him.”
“But you weren’t your Grandmother.” She takes a deep breath. “That’s the kind of love no one could replace.”
As our first course is served and Morgan becomes so full of life that my heart aches, I know that she is my irreplaceable love.