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Turn away now before he gets here. Walk away and don’t engage. Run for your life.
My inner voices are screaming at me, but I am rooted to the spot and couldn’t run if I tried.
He’s nearly here. It’s not too late to run.
He stops by the grave and stares into it for longer than most, the rose twirling in the leather of his gloved hands, spinning in mid-air as it prepares to take flight.
My breath hitches and my heart beats way too fast as he reaches out and uncurls his fingers. The rose hammered by the falling rain apparently weeping as it tumbles to its final resting place. It strikes me there were no thorns removed from that rose. I see them from here, jagged and lethal as they plummet to earth.
He bends down and grabs a handful of earth and sprinkles it almost theatrically into the grave and I swear I almost pass out as the lightning strikes angrily above our head. Then a sudden loud clap of thunder announces him as he turns and stares directly at me.
My legs shake as he walks toward me, his gloves filthy with dirt and as he reaches me, he lifts his hand and removes the dark glasses and stares deep into my eyes.
Fuckity fuck, the devil is in town.
I swallow hard as I stare at a man who wouldn’t look out of place in a painting. The term tall, dark, and handsome was obviously invented to describe him and his piercing blue eyes glitter as he nods respectfully and speaks in a sexy accent, “I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Scott-Stanley.”
My mouth drops open. How does he know who I am? I have told nobody my name and I wonder if he is part of the solicitor’s firm that is handling my aunt’s will. Something is telling me he’s way more than that. Something I really shouldn’t ask too much about.
My inner protective voice screams at me to smile politely, to walk away and don’t look back. The curious part of my brain wants to discover who he is.
“Thank you, Mr.…”
“Romanov.” His voice is deep and his accent rough and yet so sexy, my heart is panting right now.
“Valentin Romanov.”
“Well, um, I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Romanov. Um, did you know my aunt well?”
I’m babbling because part of me wants to run, but there’s a stronger part of me that is instantly fascinated by this man, and he shakes his head.
“I have never met her.”
“Well, that makes two of us.”
I smile softly and if he’s surprised, he certainly hides it well because all he says is, “I wonder if I may take an hour of your time.”
“Why?” I’m curious and he smiles, but it doesn’t reassure me. If anything, it scares the shit out of me and I say, quickly, “It’s not really a good time. I mean, my aunt, well–” I point to the grave.
“It’s her funeral and all that. I should, well, go home to grieve, um, for the next six months at least.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
“Excuse me.” I stare at him in horror and glance around, realizing that everyone has left because of the pissing rain, leaving me with a terrorist, or at least he could be.
“Please, follow me.”
“No!” I shake my head. “My car is over there, and I’ll get a parking ticket if I’m not out of here soon.”
He raises his hand and the man by the car heads over and he says in a husky voice, “Keys.”
“I’m sorry.” I swallow hard.
“Hand him your keys. He will follow us.”
“I’m not handing over my keys. Are you crazy?”
“Miss Scott-Stanley.” His voice holds an authority I’m not used to hearing, and he says firmly, “You have nothing to fear. I merely have a few questions that you may be able to answer. You are in no danger, but your aunt may have the answer to something my family need and when I have what I require, I will leave you to mourn her death in peace.”
There’s that part of me that is so scared I should be crying terrified tears of fear, but I have always been a fan of mystery, and this one is personal.
I have so many questions myself and nobody to ask, so my curiosity gets the better of me and I nod with a resigned shrug.
“Okay. If you insist. I can spare you one hour of my time. There’s a pub not far from here where we can dry out and raise a glass to my aunt.”
He says nothing and holds out his hand for the keys and as I hand them to him, there is something telling me I have just made an incredibly terrible, life destroying mistake.
