Chapter 3 - SINS OF THE FATHER
The meeting was a masterclass in tension. The men across the table were Chechen, their Russian thick and laced with regional slang that would have baffled a standard translator. But Eleanor wasn't standard. She had learned the language from her mother, a former Muscovite, and perfected the dialects by listening to the very men her father owed money to.
"He says the shipping routes through the harbor are heavily monitored by the Feds," Eleanor murmured, leaning close to Damien’s ear. "But under his breath, he told his lieutenant that they’ve already bribed the dockmaster and plan to charge you double the tariff."
Damien didn't blink. He smiled warmly at the Chechens, raised his glass, and said in English, "I appreciate your transparency, gentlemen. Let us drink to a fair partnership."
When the meeting ended and the men departed, Damien poured her a glass of the expensive vodka. "You have an exceptional ear, Eleanor. You just saved me four million dollars."
"Can I go now?" she asked, ignoring the glass.
"No." Damien’s smile vanished. "Because the men in the alley are still waiting. They work for a man named Volkov. And they are looking for a man named Arthur Hale."
Eleanor felt the air leave her lungs. Arthur Hale. Her father. The man who had abandoned her three years ago, leaving her with nothing but a mountain of gambling debts and a target on her back.
"I don't know where he is," she lied, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands.
"I know," Damien said softly. "But Volkov doesn't care. He believes you are the leverage he needs to flush Arthur out. Your father didn't just borrow money, Eleanor. He stole something. A ledger. Volkov's ledger."
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"And what does that have to do with you?"
Damien leaned forward, his pale eyes burning into hers. "Because Volkov is my enemy. If he gets that ledger back, he destroys my operations in the city. If I get it first, I destroy him." He pushed the glass of vodka toward her. "Drink, Eleanor Hale. Because as of tonight, you no longer work for The Gilded Spoon. You work for me."
