Page 152 of Vexatious Queen

“I doubt he was laughing when his home blew up,” Mylo said.

True.

“The point is, I am open to suggestions. You were both police officers for years. What is your instinct telling you?”

They looked at one another, then back at me.

“Out with it.”

“I don’t know if you want to hear this,” Vlad said.

I walked over to the bar and poured myself a drink. It was top-shelf Koshu aged for twenty years. No point in allowing good sake to go to waste. With my drink in hand, I sat down on the arm of the white leather chair and glared at him.

“You think he went to see Lilya, don’t you?”

“It’s likely. Our initial intelligence pointed to him not knowing where she was, but with Christov in the mix, who knows. He definitely wouldn’t want you to know that he had gone to see her,” Vlad said.

“God, I can only imagine the lies he will use to try and poison her,” I added.

“I have confirmed that Lawrence is dead,” Mylo said. “It’s not just a rumor. So that takes him off the board.”

My hand tightened on the ceramic cup. My only regret was that I didn’t get to kill him myself. I could still feel his disgusting hands on my body, and not even his death would make me feel any better.

“And yet, I don’t find it comforting,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “Did Vadin’s plane go to North America at all?”

“No,” Vlad said, and I sighed.

My phone rang, and I stood to pull it out of my pocket.

“It is as if you knew I was thinking about you,” I said, answering the call.

“As long as they are all good thoughts, my dear,” Dimitri said, and I smirked.

He hadn’t changed.

“Mostly, but they will be even better if you have news for me.”

“Well, then you are in luck. It just so happens that I received a call earlier today from Edmundo, inviting Ronan and me to his birthday dinner.”

At the sound of Eddie’s name, my heart clenched in my chest. His birthday…I still remembered the last one we spent together. Before the emotions could bubble over, I pushed them back down. Focus, you need to focus.

My eyebrow rose when Dimitri didn’t continue. He was burying the lead on this news, and, always the one for dramatics, wanted me to ask.

“Oh…are you calling to find out what to get him,” I asked cheekily and smirked as he chuckled.

“Always so saucy. Your daughter is very much like you,” he said, and my smile fell. “But no, he has requested our presence to see if Ronan will be a good match for his daughter,” Dimitri said.

I choked on my drink, and Dimitri laughed hard.

“Relax, my dear, I’m not speaking of Lilya, although technically they are far enough apart that marriage is an option.”

Over my dead body.

“So, you mean Victoria. Patricia’s daughter?”

“Yes. Apparently, he is seeking a suitor for her. Edmundo is considering others as well.”

“I see,” I said, and sat down, needing a moment to wipe away the panic that had momentarily consumed me.