Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“What exactly is your plan here?” she asks, her voice calm even though her pupils have widened. I admire that she hasn’t gone into shock yet.
“We have to get rid of these clothes.” It will take Garik at least an hour to arrive, so I was partially joking about getting her naked, although an hour is a good amount of time I’m happy to fill with her.
She shakes her head, looking lost on the barren table. “You didn’t have to kill all three of them.”
“Unfortunately, I did.” If I had been alone, I probably would’ve kept one of them alive long enough to get some answers, but with her there, I had to strike swiftly.
She draws in air, her face pale and her wide cherry lips trembling. “Who do you think is trying to kill you?”
I look back toward the barely there road through the trees. “It could be any number of people.” She crosses her arms and then rubs her shoulders as if trying to get warm. “You can put the leather jacket back on if you want.” I smell rain on the wind, but it’s still fairly warm out.
She shakes her head. “No, I’m not cold. It’s just a reaction. Did you recognize any of the three men?”
“No.” I lie easily. There’s no need to get my lawyer involved any more than she already is. “Since the crime is finished, you also can’t say anything,” I remind her.
She swallows and her chin lifts. “I don’t know about that. I’m actually a witness.”
“You’re here as my lawyer,” I say. She swallows again, as if nervous. We’re at a bit of a stalemate, but I can’t relent. “In fact, this entire evening is covered by attorney-client privilege.” I have no idea if that’s true or not. A warning of thunder sounds in the distance and darkness begins to fall.
She shakes her head again as if trying to deny reality. “Don’t you think we should let the police know that somebody’s trying to kill you?”
I cross my arms. “The police don’t care if somebody’s trying to kill me.” How much does she know about my family? “You do understand the four social media companies and the strength of each family behind those, correct?”
She nods. “Yes, and I know how the crystals charge the servers. In fact, I understand that the four families have been in power through generations, centuries, and kingdoms.”
I wonder where she learned that. It had to be from either Alana or Ella. I hadn’t realized they were close enough for them to reveal secrets we’ve all vowed to force into silence forever. I wonder how much I should tell her, but she does need to properly defend me, and she also has to understand the world she’s now entered.
“What do you know about the Russian Bratva?” I ask.
Her head jerks up. “Why?” I just stare at her, waiting for an answer. A light pink filters across her cheekbones, and I’m pleased the color is returning to her face. I have no doubt her temper will arrive swiftly. I like that about her. Again, I don’t like that I like that about her. “Why do you want to know about the Russian mob?” she asks.
I sigh. “The headquarters for the Russian Bratva is in Russia, of course. However, there are several contingents, shall we say, scattered throughout the world. Until I went to prison, I led one of the strongest ones.”
She blinks once and then again. “You’re in charge of the Russian mob?” she blurts out.
“I don’t exactly like to hear it put that way, but close enough.” I nod. “At least the local contingent, which of course includes most of the United States.”
She gulps. “So what happened when you went to prison?”
“My brother took over.” It was probably a combination of my brother and his mother, but I believe all of the soldiers answer to Hendrix.
Her gaze flicks to the quiet forest and then back. “Were those men Russian?”
“Yes,” I tell her.
She nods. “So your brother’s trying to kill you.”
“It’s possible, but this would also be a good time for anybody in the organization to make a move. Hendrix could be in as much danger as am I right now.”
Thunder sounds again, and she rubs her shoulders. “I think if somebody is trying to kill you that we should at least alert the police. Don’t you?”
“No, and that’s my final word on it,” I say softly.
She looks down at her hands, and her shoulders visibly tense. “I have blood all over me.” Leaping off the table, she stomps toward the creek, her little heels sticking in the soft ground as she goes.
I watch her bend down and remove all the blood from her hands and one of her wrists, taking note of her position the entire time. Finally, she stands after having scrubbed her hands a deep pink.