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“Oh yes, I’m way serious. My father wants to retire next year. Because Viktor took over from me, he’s considering leaving the company to him. Sure, I’m happy with the success you and I have, and I wouldn’t trade it, but I’m not going to let that happen.”
“No, you shouldn’t.” I feel the same way about our business, but nothing has ever threatened my shares in Levitsky Corp. Not even having Igor in charge.
Because I’m the only eligible heir, both he and my father were clear that everything would go to me, then I could take care of the rest of the family the way they did.
“Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
“See you later at the Creed meeting.”
Damn it. I wish he didn’t remind me about that. Tonight is the Creed’s first monthly meeting, and I’m not looking forward to it. Jason will be there with his pompous ass sitting around the table where he doesn’t belong.
“I hope I can stop myself from killing that bastard right there in front of everyone.”
“Just think of the end result and let’s hope we can come up with something solid in two weeks’ time to get rid of his ass.”
“Yeah. I don’t doubt we will.”
He smiles. “That’s the spirit.” He downs the rest of his coffee and makes his way out, but a question enters my mind.
“Hey, Virgo,” I stop him, and he turns back to face me.
“What’s up?”
“Olivia,” I say tentatively, but his eyes still cloud the way they always do when her name is mentioned. “What would you do if you found her?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I figured I’d know if I ever got the chance.”
“Alright.”
He taps the edge of the wall, dips his head, then leaves.
Silence hangs in the air, thick and heavy. The kind I don’t like because it’s always there when I’m conflicted.
I’m conflicted now because I want a woman I can’t have.
I was right when I said there are more important things to worry about. There are, so I should be able to push her out of my mind easily.
Maybe I can’t because she made me feel alive, and when she looked at me, it was as if she saw something more than who I present to the world.
Maybe she saw the real me. The guy I haven’t been since the night of the massacre when my world changed.
That night sixteen years ago left a mark on me I can’t shift, no matter what I do. And I don’t mean the bullet that was put in my chest.
That was nothing. Watching my mother die and those men take Ana, my eight-year-old sister, scared me from the inside out.
I survived the gunshot only to be told that the men raped and killed my sister.
Our home came under attack, and so many lives were lost for the sake of a business deal gone wrong. That was it, and in the end, it didn’t matter what anyone did to get retribution, because they couldn’t bring my family back.
Sadness like that kills you slowly.
The time I spent with Serenity last night was just a break my tired soul needed. That was all it can be. Now it’s time to return to reality.
* * *
I gaze around the boardroom at the members of the Creed and their counterparts sitting around the large walnut wood table. There are thirty of us here.
