As soon as I walk into the office at the warehouse, I can feel the weight of tension in the room. Matvei, Adrian, Egor, and Trifon all turn to look at me.
“Where’s Vilen and Kiril?” I ask sarcastically. “They didn’t want to fly back to the city for whatever this is?”
“Come on, Simon. You have to understand that this situation affects the whole family. You can’t brush it off and…”
“Just tell me whatever you want to tell me,” I sigh, sitting down at the table with them.
Matvei stands and pushes the iPad across the table towards me. There is a photograph of a man on it.
“Jerimia Smirnov.”
“Am I supposed to know who he is?” I ask, looking over his features for any telltale signs.
“He’s the sniper. He’s the one who put a bullet in your shoulder.”
“Through my shoulder,” I correct Adrian without looking up.
“When Adrian put him down, he didn’t kill him. We had a chance to question him first.”
“Ok, and what did he have to say for himself? What did you find out?” I ask, leaning back in the chair after I slide the iPad back towards Matvei.
“Smirnov is the cousin of one of our rivals here in the city. But when we questioned him, he caved almost instantly. The name he gave us was Alex Mykros. He said he was working for Mykros, not the rival family.”
I grit my teeth together and wait to hear more. My chest is tight with tension.
“Her father sent the sniper, Simon. Selene’s family is taking literal shots at us. Her father put a bullet in you, and you’re fucking lucky it only hit your shoulder.”
“Look, man, we already knew he was gunning for us…”
“We need to interrogate her.” Matvei’s words come out clipped and final.
I shake my head. “No, absolutely not. You’re angry about the shooting. You’re linking things to her father, but that doesn’t mean you have a right to interrogate her. She didn’t do this. She didn’t pull the trigger!” My voice rises with my anger. All I want to do is protect her.
“And? It’sher family! Simon, you have to open your eyes. She knows something. She knows something that can help us stop this shit storm. You could have died in that warehouse and…”
“No, Matvei! I won’t let you interrogate her. She doesn’t deserve that,”I shout angrily.
“You can ask me anything you want,” Selene’s voice comes from the doorway, and we all spin to stare at her in shock.
I am on my feet and positioning myself between her and my brothers in an instant. “What are you doing here?” I snap at her.
She gently touches my arm. “Simon, it’s okay. They can ask me anything they want.”
“Where are the twins?” I demand.
“I called Raya. She is sitting with them at the penthouse. I heard pieces of your phone call. I saw the look on your face when you left. Simon, if I can help somehow—I want to help.”
I close my eyes, fighting the panic inside me. She has no idea what a Volkov interrogation looks like. Matvei can be ruthless. He can be brutal. I don’t want her to go through that.
Selene steps around me and takes a seat at the table with my brothers.
“You can ask me anything. I might not know all of the answers, but wherever I can answer as thoroughly as I can.”
Matvei looks from her to me, then back at her. My jaw is locked with frustration as I take a seat next to her.
Matvei strums his fingers against the table. He stares at Selene with coldness in his eyes. “Your father sent the man who shot Simon,” he says bluntly.
Selene stirs in her seat, swallowing hard, but she keeps her composure.
