Page 9 of Darkest Game

“But we already have one sister. Won’t that be enough for Jack?”

“Jack wants to hurt Mikhail and Nico. Do you think stealing this girl is going to do that? She’s neither of their wives. Go.”

With a grumble, Mark gets back out of the car and runs back towards the house.

Leaving me and this… Liam alone.

He sighs, running his hand back over his face. “Un-fucking-believable.”

My hand finds the door handle and I try to open it but it’s locked.

“You really thought I wouldn’t lock the door?”

I rip my hand away from it like I’ve been burned. “If…” I wet my lips, trying to work up the courage to speak.

“So, you can talk.”

I flinch. “If you don’t need me, then please let me go.”

He looks at me in the rearview mirror. “You see, Mark’s an idiot. I sent him on this suicide mission because it’s exactlythat: a suicide mission. Trying to steal your sisters from their husbands was never going to be easy.”

“So why do it then?”

“Because my boss wants them to fuck over their husbands. He doesn’t want you. But you’re good insurance in case Mark fucks up. Which he already has so he’ll probably do it again.”

“Oh,” is all I can say.

“Oh is fucking right.” He’s wearing a black t-shirt that hugs his muscular arms. Tattoos are inked all along his skin. I see the sign for the Irish mob itched into his forearm. My father made sure I learned what all the tattoo signs for the different mafias meant in case I ever found myself in trouble. Though, I’m not sure how that’s going to help me right now.

“But if you manage to…” I swallow hard. “To steal my sisters, what happens to me then?”

“Then I guess I let you go. You better hope Mark steals your sisters for that to happen.”

I lower myself further in the seat. That’s the last thing I want. My sisters getting kidnapped and me going free. Guilt would eat away at me.

“You’re… Irish,” I force myself to say. The more I talk, the less afraid I feel, though talking to this man is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.

“Yes. You’ve seen me before. At Cillian’s wedding to your sister. I was there.”

That’s right. I remember when Denis tried to force Natalya to marry Cillian Kennedy. Mikhail and Nico had shown up that day. Nico shot Cillian while Mikhail saved Natalya. I vaguely remember Liam being there but we never spoke. Never interacted. He ran after Cillian was shot and Denis took me and my sisters back to his house to be prisoners while Natalya returned home with her husband.

“You were a lot younger,” he says. “Now I see you’re grown. Which one are you? Irina or Anastasia?”

“It’s Ana,” I say without thinking.

“You’re Anastasia?”

“No. Irina.”

He frowns. “What the fuck? What do you mean? You’re either one of them. Which one”?”

“Irina,” I whisper.

“Good. So, are you the youngest or the second youngest? I can’t keep track of all you Petrov sisters.”

“The second youngest.”

His eyes find mine in the rearview mirror. “You’re legal?”