Page 112 of Hunt Me

The man.

The horrible, amazing, and powerful man I couldn’t seem to get enough of.

As I grumbled, I found an open bottle stashed in the corner, ripping the cork out and debating sucking down the liquid directly from the bottle.

Hearing my sister’s voice, I cringed inside. Time to plaster on a smile and become a good actress. I had no clue what to tell her about my absence. I hadn’t been provided with instructions on what to say to anyone.

“You’re home,” Callie said as she slowly walked into the kitchen. “And you’re drinking.”

“It’s after five. You’re home early.”

“Mom let everyone go early since she had a meeting with the hotel about the charity event. What is going on? You left me a strange message.”

“It wasn’t strange.” I found a glass in the cabinet, almost choosing a huge water glass instead of a delicate crystal stem, which I felt like tossing against the wall.

“Since I know you better than almost anyone, I’d say it is.” She studied me carefully. “You heard about Mr. Pavel’s murder?”

“I did.”

“Did you… I mean were you there when…” Callie seemed flustered.

“No. He canceled the order. I just saw it on the news.”

“Oh.” She looked away. I was uncertain if she believed me. “I called you back but you didn’t answer. You were with one of the Dmitriyev boys? Right?”

“I assure you that not one of them are boys.” I heard the sarcastic tone in my voice, laughing softly before swigging back a huge gulp of wine.

“Wow. Well, I hope you had a good time. What about work?”

Now I laughed bitterly. “I think I quit. Don’t worry. I’m going to work for Daddy dearest.”

“Are you okay?” Callie inched closer.

“Perfectly fine.” I took another sip, which turned into a gulp. She was scrutinizing me and I was about ready to crawl out of my skin. Mikhail’s face had formed a permanent place in my brain. An unwanted one.

“O-kay. Well, I have news.” She clapped her hands. “I’m moving in with Jason. Can you believe it?”

“I’m happy for you.” The sardonic tone was evident. I was happy for her, but right now, I was miserable.

And why?

Because Mikhail had dropped me off as if I was unwanted. What the fuck was going on with me?

“Yes, well,” she said and grabbed the bottle from my hand, pulling down another glass. “I know it’s sudden, but don’t worry. The rent is paid through the rest of the month. Maybe you can convince Dad to give you a huge salary.”

“Maybe.” As if I cared at the moment. I already felt like a traitor, although what Mikhail had told me continued to nag at the back of my mind. I would find out if what he’d told me was true. I’d called my dad and told him we needed to talk. The word traitorremained in the back of my mind. But under the circumstances, I wasn’t certain about who. “When are you moving?”

Her expression turned sheepish. “Today. I just came home to grab a few things. Jason will help me get everything else this weekend.”

“Including the furniture?”

“Well… Just some. Don’t worry. I’ll leave you several pieces.” She was far too giddy, her face highlighting the happiness in her life.

If only I could find that for myself.

She stepped closer, placing her hand on my arm. “Are you sure that everything is okay?”

“It will be.” When, I didn’t know.