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“That sounds more plausible to me,” Kai surmises. “More so than the conspiracy theory that Persephone was responsible.”
“One would think, but one of the guys who stood by and did nothing during her attack later confessed to clear his conscience. Shortly thereafter, he disappeared, assumed to have been murdered to keep him quiet. Without his testimony, it was hearsay—especially given who my father is.”
Kai pulls me to my feet to stand. “And Viktor didn’t ask you to kill Persephone to prove yourself as a worthy prospect for marriage?”
“No. He would never see me as capable of anything other than being Daddy’s princess.” I sigh. “After he respectfully refused my hand in marriage, I overheard him tell my father that I was no replacement for Margo and that he’d plan to avenge her death. He would start with Persie and then with every person who played a part in her rape and murder. He just had to claim his rightful place as heir in Moscow first, but he’d be back. He would never forget her, and now that he has to choose a wife that isn’t her, it brings all that angst back to the surface.”
Kai shakes his head in disgust before pushing my back against the cold steel wall next to the cell. “Wait… hold the fuck up. If Persephone caused this, then she would know that Margo is dead. Why would she possibly think you were Margo? You’re leaving something out. This makes no sense.”
“Nobody knew Margo was a twin except Viktor’s family. I told you my father made us go to separate private schools. He wanted to ensure when the time came we each had our individual prospects to be betrothed to without the man feeling the need to choose between us. We were meant to exist as one and the same.” Kai wraps a firm hand around my neck, his nares flaring. I know that struggling against his grasp is futile, so I continue in hopes of giving enough info for him to let me go. Persie is not around this time to plea for my release. “Persie was unaware that Margo had a twin, so I stated that my death was faked to protect me, but the rape was real. I told her that some of my father’s enemies were closing in on me. She apologized profusely for letting her unrequited feelings for Viktor end our friendship, and that, yes, she started those ugly rumors about me, but she didn’t know it would lead to anything serious. Her guilt was consuming her, and I knew she would overcompensate to make it up to me. I used this knowledge to get close to her—fed her lies about being in a toxic relationship in which I was hiding from. She got me a unit next to hers, but she missed the fact that I was only there certain times of the day. I drove between Los Angeles and my home in Sacramento to facilitate this lie. I played the role of my sister well, and she was too blinded by guilt to see otherwise. I was released from jail because she came down to the precinct and explained that it was all a mistake and that she didn’t plan to press charges.”
“You sound so proud of your manipulative actions, yet you’re so desperate for a man who doesn’t want you. You’re the one blind here— blinded by rejection. Had you been successful in killing Persephone, it wouldn’t have brought your sister back, and it wouldn’t have made Viktor want you. It just makes you look pathetic.”
He releases his grip around my neck, but the disgust in his eyes is still there. “I’m not proud,” I admit. “I can’t take my actions back, but your anger is so hypocritical. I’m sure you have more than a little blood on your hands. Irish, Russian, Italian, it doesn’t matter. All you Mafia men are the same. You don’t live by the rules of society. You end lives as necessary to advance your agendas. What I attempted was no different.”
“I said if you were truthful with me that I’d let you out of this shitehole, so I will keep my word until I can verify your story. Just know this whole fucking marriage thing is a farce for the sake of both of our families. I won’t take you seriously, let alone love you. Viktor was right to stay as far from you as he could get. I can’t speak for your family, but if we kill, it’s for a purpose and well deserved. We don’t kill with the hopes of getting chosen by someone. That’s not honorable, so don’t ever compare yourself and lack of character to that of my family. You weren’t trying to avenge your sister’s death; you did it for a man who doesn’t want you. You’re spoiled, entitled, and manipulative. Three qualities no man wants to have in a wife.”
His words are worst than his chokehold, each syllable a punch to the gut. I can feel my face growing hot and the tears threatening to fall, but I refuse to let them. Instead, I smirk.Fuck him. He doesn’t know anything about me other than I tried to kill his precious Persephone. While the initial plan may have been to prove myself worthy for Viktor, avenging my sister would have been the icing on the cake. Persie didn’t commit any of the acts herself, but her rumors resulted in the outcome.
He grabs me by the arm and leads me up and out of the basement. He blindfolds me and secures my arms with zip ties before leading me outside and all but throwing me in the car. We ride for what feels like at least a half an hour. Once we reach what I’m guessing is his home, he removes the blindfold and zip ties in the foyer. The house is a blur as we head up the grandiose staircase and to the room at the end of the hall. He pushes me inside a bedroom before securing the locks on the opposite side.
One thing I’ve mastered is to blocking it all out—words, pain, and rejection. Even in my sister’s death, I continue to live in her shadow. I’m not really living … I’m simply existing.
“
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kai
Istartle at the unexpected ring of my burner phone on my nightstand. I have two, both Nokias, but the gold 8110 one holds a special purpose. It means there is a lead in my father's murder. I quickly snatch the phone to answer.
“Hope this is a good time,” the voice says on the other end of the line. “I figured nine was a safe time before you start your day. I have news.”
It's Jacob, one of my inside contacts with the NYPD. He doesn't know that I'm not in New York—nobody outside of my family does. It's actually six in the morning here.
“What is it?” I probe.
“Nothing I'm willing to disclose over the phone. What's a good time for us to meet? I get off at seven tonight if that works.”
Shite.I can't send for our private jet. Nobody is to know I'm here in San Francisco or why. The movement of our jet is easy to track, so I'll have to fly commercial. A direct flight can get me there in about five and a half hours, so it depends on the available departure times.
“Give me a sec,” I stall as I scroll through flights on my primary phone.Perfect!“Let's plan to meet around nine tonight,” I suggest after finding a Jet Blue flight that would get me back to New York just after seven. I added the additional time for potential delays. I fucking hate flying commercial.
“That works. I'll meet you at Jessica's.”
“See you then,” I confirm before ending the call.
Jessica is his mistress. She lives in some swanky high-rise apartment that he pays for with his side hustle, but we never actually go up to her unit. Instead, we use the private apartment garage as neutral ground. He informs her that he is meeting someone, and she doesn’t ask questions. She just buzzes me in when I put in the three digit code for her unit. I have plenty of shite on Jacob aside from his philandering ways. Knowing things gains me favors. I quickly book my flight to depart at 10:39 a.m. I make quick work of packing and getting ready before giving explicit instructions to my house staff not to let Vasilisa out of her room while I'm gone. I will have to decide how I want to move forward with her when I return.
As I board the plane, I feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. To think we may be one step closer to finding our father's killer fuels me to prepare to avenge him. All eyes are on Lennon at the moment since he’s become the Clan Chief, so I'm seeking this info solo. We're in stealth mode. The enemy will never see us coming.
The flight is uneventful, and I spend most of it trying not to get my hopes up. I know I have to be careful. Our father's killer is still out there, and he could be from any one of the syndicates— Russian, Italian, or even Irish. That means I can't let my guard down for even a second. When I land, I can feel the familiar buzz of the city around me. New York is always alive, always moving, even when the rest of the world is at a standstill. I grab a cab to go pick up my throwaway car. It's the car I use when I don't want to be tracked. It's a used cash car, titled in a fictitious name.
I arrive at Jessica's apartment at exactly nine, dressed in all black and blending into the shadows cast by the tall buildings surrounding us. I notice Jacob's car already parked in the garage in Jessica’s one and only designated visitor spot. I pull in next to him but am prepared to move my car should the tenant arrive before we finish our business since Jessica’s car is in her only other allocated spot. Jacob rolls down his window and greets me with a nod. I hear the passenger door unlock as I approach to get inside with him.
“What's the news?” I ask him, my arse barely making contact with the leather seat before I get straight to the point.
“It's about your father's case,” he says, his voice low. “There's been a break in the case with the ballistics.”
