Page 38 of Blood, Bones, and the Bratva Bogeyman

It’s not that I want to even keep shit from him. It’s that I want it to not feel so damn invasive. As if there’s nothing that’s solely mine anymore. Not even what I’m feeling.

If I tell him I’m here digging into Giselda’s past with my girls, Konstantin will go nuclear because he’s possessive as fuck and will not appreciate me putting myself in danger when he believes he’s the only one who should be handling this.

Fucking misogynistic thinking. Women can very well slice and dice with the rest of them. There’s many documentaries that prove that.

“We can’t just sit on our asses while he hunts, no matter how much he wishes I would,” I whisper, more to myself than them. “She was ours before all this shit. We knew her, we loved her. If anyone can find a crack in her armor, it’ll be us.”

Sunni grins. “So, what, we’re sort of like Mystery Inc? I call dibs on Velma. Lucetta’s totally Daphne.” She rolls her eyes over me, her brows drawing together. “I don’t think there was a team member to match you, but you’re obviously whoever the broody one in black is.”

“I’malwaysthe broody one in black,” I mutter, but the corner of my lips betrays me by twitching.

“You’ll make a terrifying bride,” Lucetta says with a smirk.

The reminder slices through me.

Halloween.

One more month and this bond locks into place for good. One more month and I take my monster man as my husband.

My favorite holiday used to consist of sweets and costumes but will have nothing but bloody vows this year.

With a sigh, I stand and face the wall of maps, scanning the names we’ve scribbled down. My eyes run along the three names, trying to figure out which would have what we need.

Kazimir.

I grab the marker from the table and drag it across his photo, circling his smug face with thick, black ink.

“I feel like this is the one, but we should definitely check out the others.”

Lucetta nods. “He was her husband’s supplier. From what I dug up, she was having an affair with him. Something tells me that if anyone knows where she’s moving, it’s him.”

The bond buzzes restlessly in my chest, warning me that Konstantin is on the move.

My palm sweats around the marker. “Fuck. He’s going to kill me.”

“Not if we get to Kazimir first. Then he’ll have no choice but to bow at your feet,” Sunniva says, hopping off her crate. “Come on, little dark queen. Let’s go hunt.”

My pulse kicks and I meet my best friend’s wild grin with one of my own.

Because she’s right.

If the Bogeyman wants Giselda, he’s going to have to share.

sixteen

Cressida

Thescentofgunoil and peppermint fills the interior of Lucetta’s car. Sunniva’s chewing a piece of gum so loudly that I want to shove it down her throat to make her choke on it, and the stupid freaking bond won’t shut up. It never freaking shuts up.

It grates, restless and sharp, like a blade scraping stone.

Konstantin’s moving somewhere in the city, and I’m here chasing ghosts with my girls in the opposite direction.

Fun times.

We’ve already burned through two leads tonight. One was a washed-up junkie who only wanted money for his next hit, and the other swore she hadn’t seen Giselda since before her ‘death’.

My gift buzzed hot against my ribs before she even opened her mouth, and I could feel the lie blooming in her throat like rot.