Page 61 of Hunt Me

“The fucker is going around saying you beat the crap out of him and left him for dead. Coupled with the insinuations made by one of the local news stations, we were just transported back in time to our gangster days. Then we need to worry about the drugs. I’ll bet my next damn paycheck some cop will suddenly have someone tell him we’re selling drugs inside our venues.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? How do you know he’s selling a load of shit?”

He huffed and pulled out his phone, cursing while he shifted from one screen to another. “Take a look.”

The bruised and swollen face of Jax Shane appeared on the screen. Funny how his accent was more pronounced. Irish through and through. He not only indicated he’d been beaten senselessly, but that we’d done so to an innocent man. He hadn’t heeded our warning. I gritted my teeth, looking away since I’d seen enough.

“That won’t bode well for our reputation,” my brother insisted.

“He was caught stealing, Kazimir. I’m not shifting business operations because of him.”

“Be careful, Mikhail. Playing with the Irish could cost us. You need to see this as well. I think your idea they’re trying to ruin us is coming to fruition.”

“There has been speculation for years the Dmitriyev family is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous RussianBratva within the United States. While never charged with a crime, they’ve been linked to several high-profile killings over the years, including the massacre at a public amusement park almost twenty-two years ago.”

Now I exhaled. I wanted to say this was old news and possibly politically motivated given every election cycle someone was determined to undermine our success, but everything that was happening pointed toward O’Shaughnessy. “There isn’t a reporter who doesn’t want his fifteen minutes of fame and national airtime.”

“Yeah, I agree with that, but with Sergio’s murder, this feels entirely personal just like we believed.” Kazimir arched a single brow.

“You’re right. It is very personal. Sergio’s death was a blow for all of us. What else did you find?” I asked before he approached. “I need to know about the woman.”

“First, I need to ensure we’re talking about the same girl you fixated on at the reception.” Kazimir did enjoy taunting me.

“Fixation isn’t in my repertoire.”

“Are you so certain? I saw you leave the room with her. The family noticed. You weren’t particularly secretive. You like her.”

“Since when is this anybody’s business?”

“Since it’s possible she lured you into a compromising position.” He kept the grin on his face as he approached, holding out the file then ripping it from my hand with a laugh. “Just point her out for me.”

“Why the game?”

“Because this is something you need to be one hundred percent certain of.”

“Fine.” I snatched it from his hand, placing the file on the surface of my desk. When I opened it, I was looking at a picture of the wedding party. The bridesmaids were holding their bouquets of white roses, standing beside my sister. All smiling. I pulled the photograph closer, instantly finding the luscious woman I’d fucked.

“That’s her.” I pressed my finger against her chest while keeping my eyes locked on her face. Beautiful yet potentially dangerous. Just looking at her picture and my cock swelled.

Kazimir glanced over my shoulder. “One hundred percent?”

“What in the fuck are you getting at? My patience is wearing thin, Kazimir. You know what happens then.”

“Yeah,” he said, chuckling. “People die. Her name is Bristol Rork. Ring any bells?”

I searched my memory banks. “She refused to tell me her name, which was fine with me. Should it mean something in particular?”

He moved to one of the leather chairs behind me, sitting down. “She graduated from Yale law school with honors, passing the bar exam on her first attempt.”

“Just like Lilia.” The feisty woman had plans on becoming a lawyer. My balls tightened at the thought. She was as brainy as she was beautiful.

“They were roommates, bro.” He waited for the news to sink in.

“So they were close, which makes sense as to why she was a part of our sister’s wedding. So the fuck what?”

He threw his hand out. “So they talked. As friends. Maybe very closely. However, let me continue. She’s never had as much as a parking ticket. It would appear she was very active while on campus, including writing some pretty damning and highly accurate white pages on crime syndicates, although not ours.”

“Goddamn it, Kazimir. Cut the shit.”