AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Olivia…understand that I am not doing this because I want to. But right now, I have to be very careful. And right now, that means keeping away from you and Michael.”
She gasped, a pained sound that made me wince. “What? Why?”
“Various parties have learned of our association. Some may even have learned that Michael is my son. I have men after me right now, and I do not want to lead them to you.”
It wasn’t even half of the truth, but I prayed it would be enough to sound realistic—either to stop her from getting suspicious that I was on to her if she wasdeceiving me, or to minimize any hurt I might cause her if she wasn’t.
But when her protest came, it was one I hadn’t expected.
“If they know about me, it’s already too late. They know where I work. They can probably figure out where I live. And…and there’s more, Viktor. There’s something I wanted to tell you, I tried to tell you before you left—”
“I’m listening.” I wanted to hold out hope that there was some explanation that would make all of this all right. But right now, dealing with a mole, plots against my life, and hard evidence that Olivia was close with Luis and his family, I had no choice but to distance myself.
“My best friend, Anna, the one I grew up alongside. Her brother Luis, he’s…”
Wait a second. Was she confessing?“Go on.”
“He knew the man who killed your friend, the one in the hospital. I mean, he wasn’t a friend friend, they knew each other at school, but—” her words were running into each other, and she paused to take a breath. “Yesterday, I was at Anna’s house and… I don’t know. There was another man there and he seemed really scary… I—we—”
“What is it?” I tried to sound reassuring, I wanted her more than anything to finish her sentence. To see what it was that she wished to tell me. Would she lie? Try to throw me off scent?
“I think Luis’s friends might be involved with those guys who came after you at the auction house.” She sighed shakily.
“His friends… Luis. Someone you’ve known for years.” I couldn’t keep my skepticism at bay any longer. Was she trying to manipulate me? “And your best friend Anna is his sister. But somehow, neither of you knew this?”
She could sense something was wrong. “No, we didn’t. We—wedon’t,really. But after yesterday, I…”
“After yesterday, what?” I wanted to believe that she didn’t know. But Boris’s warning rang in my head. Was I being objective enough? Or did my growing feelings for her addle me?
Many strong men have fallen because of the machinations of a woman, my boy.I could practically hear Mischka in my head.You have a cooler head than most, but don’t think you’re immune.
And Boris, threatening to call a meeting against me with all the lieutenants, calling me unfit to lead. As if his own screw-ups had never happened. As if I was the one over the line. What a wonderful best friend he’d turned out to be lately. But just because he was being a bastard didn’t mean he didn’t have a point. What if the others saw it too?
“Yesterday, there was a man with him,” Olivia continued, her voice shaky and quiet. “He threatened me, Viktor. He started questioning me. Luis and Anna were both telling him that I was just a family friend, but he kept after me until he was dragged out.” Her voice got shakier.
Sincere, or a brilliant actress?“How could you know this man your whole life and not know that he leads the local Pueblo? He’s not just associating with people who threatened me. The man is a rival crime lord.”
She stopped breathing for a good five seconds. “He’s what? Who? Luis?”
“Surely you can’t be that naive?” She didn’t immediately respond, and my chest was constricting, my heart getting colder every second. She genuinely sounded shocked, but there was no way that she could have not known what was going on. “I hope you understand how this all doesn’t quite add up, Olivia.”
“Ididn’tknow,” she all but whispered. “He’s a good guy, Viktor, I—I don’t know. I’ve only ever known him as a good guy.”
“Now you’re trying to defend my enemy.”
“No, I—”
“I find it very suspicious that you knew nothing, and somehow coincidentally ended up close with them while getting close to me while they’re also trying to kill me.”
“I…” She trailed off, her breathing fast and shaky now. “Look, I know how it sounds, but neither Anna nor I had any idea. He kept it all away from us. Don’t you have to do the exact same with some of your friends? Don’t you see how it’s possible?”
That sounded almost reasonable, but she had no idea of the life I had led, despite the stories I had told her. She was simply too alien to my world. “You’re the only person I’ve gotten close to outside of the Bratvafor well over a decade,” I said flatly. “I haven’t taken the risk.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “Viktor…I really didn’t know. I don’t know what else to say, I… I need you to believe me.”
“I want to believe you,” I admitted. “But if you understand how this sounds, you know I’m not just walking away for your safety. I’m walking away for mine as well. Until this matter is resolved, I can’t contact you. Maybe not even then.”
I heard sobs in her breath now. Tears on the way. It made my chest hurt even worse. “But…you and I…Michael…”
