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Which is another reason I’ve kept quiet. I don’t know if he has the ability to hurt my family, but I’m not willing to risk finding out.
Sophia glances up at me. “Kisa? What’s that?”
“I looked it up, and it means like, kitty or kitten in Russian. I think he’s Russian.” That’s as far as I’ve gotten in identifying him. It’s the only real clue he’s given me. Not that I can trust it, because he could be pretending to be Russian when he’s not, just to throw me off.
“It looks like you have a stalker. Why didn’t you tell Papa?” Sophia asks me. Gin glances back and forth between us, her golden curls bouncing, as she follows our conversation.
“You saw what he wrote. He’ll kill anyone if I tell them. I shouldn’t even be talking to you two about this, but hopefully he hasn’t followed me here.” What he doesn’t know, that I’ve confided in my sisters, can’t hurt me or them.
I rake my fingers through my hair, then immediately regret messing up the styling. “What am I going to do? I’m terrified to go back home.”
My sisters exchange a worried glance.
“Are you sure you don’t know who it is?” Sophia asks. “You haven’t met anyone recently who seems a little… off?”
“No, no one.” I’ve been too busy planning this wedding to have much time for social interactions.
Ginevra clutches our hands. “I’ve got it! What if you don’t come back with us? You could stay here with cousin Elena for a while. Maybe the creep will get bored and go away, then you can come home.”
“I don’t know…” I take a moment to think about Gin’s suggestion. I do feel safer here than in New York. At least, a little. “I guess I could stay.”
Though that puts all of my plans on hold. When I decided I want to be far away from New York and the mafia world, I wasn’t thinking Italy. I have way too much extended family in this country. Family that would be more than happy to marry me off to a real Italian don.
What a nightmare that would be.
Sophia nods. “I think it’s a good idea. We don’t have to tell Papa and Mama what’s going on, though, I think we should just in case this escalates.”
I sigh. My choices are either stay in Italy or go home. My stalker’s been asking where I am recently. So, I guess that’s really not a choice at all.
“I guess you’re right. I just wish I knew who this guy is, you know?” I tell them.
If I stay in Italy with my cousin for the rest of the summer, there’s no guarantee my stalker won’t be waiting for me when I return home. I want to figure out his identity. Only then can he be dealt with, gotten rid of, and erased from my life.
“Well, we think he’s Russian, so…” Sophia starts. Her brow creases and I know she’s trying to follow the meager clues. Though I’ve tried to do the same a hundred times and I’m no closer to an answer now than when he sent that first creepy message.
Gin nudges Sophia. “You just had an epiphany. What are you thinking?”
“Has Papa mentioned anything about the Kozlovs since we broke our agreement with them and I married Roman?” she asks us.
“I don’t think so.” Ginevra looks to me for confirmation.
The Kozlovs. Russian mafia. How can I be so blind?
Any blood that was left in my face drains away and I momentarily feel faint.
“Oh my god,” I whisper in horror, clutching the pearl necklace at my throat. “Could it be Dimitri Kozlov? He’s second in command and he was the backup groom if anything were to happen to Nikolai. Now that Nik’s dead… And I’m the backup bride if anything happened to you, Sophia. But now you’re married and I’m—” I cut myself off as the full weight of this situation sinks in.
But… why would Dimitri Kozlov anonymously stalk me? From what Papa told us, the agreement—that we broke—clearly states that if Sophia and Nikolai are unable to marry, then that responsibility falls to me and Dimitri. Except, our family hasn’t made any attempts to hold up our end of the bargain. And the Kozlovs haven’t made any demands of us.
I don’t understand what’s going on.
As far as I know, Papa has called the whole thing off. But that doesn’t mean that Dimitri Kozlov is satisfied with that outcome. In fact, he’s probably furious. Is he trying to punish me and my family by harassing me? What does he want? What does he think he’ll gain?
My phone pings with an incoming text. All three of us lean in to read it.
Unknown
See you soon, kisa.
