“No, but—” he swallows, his throat bobbing with the action “—it’s her brother, the younger one. One of our guys found him. He’s?—”
My second-in-command doesn’t have to finish his sentence for me to understand.
“Take me to him. Now.”
Dmitri nods, and our bags are barely in the trunk before we’re off.
The address takes us to an empty warehouse near the port, a maze of warehouses and shipping containers from all over the world.
Dmitri, the driver, and I draw our guns, my two men advancing in front of me and clearing the area before we slip inside, keeping our faces turned from the security cameras. Whether they’re live or not, I don’t know, but none of us are taking any chances.
They do another sweep inside to ensure it’s empty, and when they give me the all-clear, we search for Eva’s brother.
It doesn’t take long to find him. Dusty light filters through rows of grimy windows, highlighting motes that swirl and fall over the figure lying facedown, a pool of blood staining the concrete floor.
For a moment, all I can do is stand there, staring, regret and frustration welling in me. I’d hoped my man’s report of finding the kid here had been exaggerated, since everyone within the Kucherov sphere, down to the last man, knew what I would do should anyone harm a hair on the head of Eva or anyone in her family. I’d made that abundantly and painfully clear.
When I bend down to check his pulse, the kid is cold, and my fingers find no thready beat.
“Fuck!”
My only thoughts are of Eva. This will destroy her. She tried so hard to save this kid from himself, to protect her family and keep them on the straight path forward.
I knew the kid was in trouble, and I hated how it affected Eva. But had someone done this to get to me now that I’d made it clear to the world she’s mine? Or had her brother’s antics finally caught up with him? It’s impossible to tell just yet.
“Who the fuck did this?” My words are a frigid whisper, a killing rage already rising, the red haze tunneling my vision.
“Who the fuck did this?” I demand, my bellow like thunder.
“Nobody knows yet.” Dmitri’s face has gone pale. He’d met Jordan before, when he’d accompanied Eva to her family home. The only time I’d met the kid was in the bookstore. “Yoseph got a call from an unknown number. He didn’t recognize the caller, but the guy told him to look here.”
“Shit. Fuck!”
What the hell was I going to tell Eva?Howwas I going to tell Eva?
Running footsteps from the front entrance are all the warning I get before I hear the scream.
“No!” The scream is a heart-wrenching, haunting wail that echoes against the steel, concrete, and glass around us. “Jordan! No!”
Eva pelts past me toward her brother’s body, but I manage to snag her around the waist, pinning her against me.
“Don’t look, Eva.” I hold her close, hold her tight. But she pays me no heed.
“No, Jordan, please!”
I can feel her sobs and the heave of her body as she struggles against my hold, trying to reach her brother.
“No.No, no, no, no, no, no. Please, no.”
Eva’s struggles grow weaker with each denial, her voice fainter though her gaze is still on the unmoving form of her brother.
A shudder runs through her body, convulsive and violent, and she turns into me, dissolving into sobs, her hands fisted in my shirt. I hold her without a word. I know nothing I say will ease her grief, nothing will make this tragedy better. The woman I love has just lost a brother. It drives me insane that I can’t make the pain go away. The only thing I can do is hold her.
I look around and find Vasya standing away from us, his eyes on Eva. Anger rises in me, is he the one who brought her? Why? How did he know? Why the fuck would he bring her to see her brother’s body?
I will my anger away, knowing it does Eva no good. I will deal with Vasya later.
I’m about to pull her away, take her to the car, and go home when she suddenly shoves away from me. Her eyes are red-rimmed and puffy with tears still tracking down her cheeks. But the look in her eyes isn’t the grief I expected.
