Page 65 of Hunt Me

My head shot up. Had he somehow manipulated who I’d roomed with on purpose?

The thought left my brain foggy and a lump remaining in my throat.

I continued reading, my analytical mind attempting to put together reasons Sergio had been murdered. Revenge was always a possibility. Purposely starting a turf war was old style. Without additional information, I’d never be able to piece together a plausible scenario.

Maybe I could handle some investigations of my own. Was that crazy to think I could solve the man’s murder? Absolutely. But at this point, I was already involved.

For better or for worse.

Over the years, there’d been accusations tossed from different law enforcement agencies. But I couldn’t find a single time there’d been a single arrest. Yet in the few frantic minutes of searching, there was no mistaking Mikhail was dangerous. Whether he used violence or connections, he wasn’t a man to be toyed with.

The two men I’d caught a glimpse of inside the Russian’s house weren’t common criminals either. They’d been there to kill the man in question. Later, I’d see if I could piece together if there’d been other murders.

Right now, I needed a shower.

Maybe I needed a CAT scan instead. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking clearly if I was doing so at all.

I tossed the phone onto the bed, heading into the bathroom and stripping off the dirty clothes. But not before seeing the spots of blood on my pants from where I’d wiped my hands. This was such a nightmare. Thank God, I was safe here.

Fortunately, I had enough clothes I wouldn’t need to return to the apartment for a few days. My main goal was to try to convince Callie to stay with Jason. I’d tackle that in the morning.

The rest would come with time. I was sensible. I was fearless.

Yeah, right.

I shivered as I stepped into the shower, wishing the blaring television had the ability to drown out the noise of my thudding heart. I’d remained lightheaded since seeing Mikhail on television.

Everything was such a mess. I stared at my hands, finally realizing I still had some blood on them. I was mess, incapable of thinking clearly or focusing on anything. All I wanted to do was to come clean, and not just physically. I laughed at the thought. Coming clean would mean the end of my career before it even started. Images of the dead man even in the dark weighed heavily on my mind.

As the hot water cascaded across my skin, I moved under the large showerhead, keeping my eyes closed as I prayed the blood would wash down the drain. How could I have been so stupid? I tried to remember what the dying man had said, but not understanding Russian, I could barely remember any syllables let alone say the words out loud.

A ragged chuckle left my mouth as I reached for the soap. Emotions were finally catching up with me. Not only had I behaved entirely differently than I’d ever done before, but I’d also managed to find myself involved with a leader of the Bratva.

Instead of the tickling sensations that remained a complete betrayal, I should feel anger as well as fear. Anger for the situation. Anger for my ridiculous desire. Anger for my father.Anger that I’d been stupid enough to walk into a house uninvited.

Furious that I’d lost myself all sense of self regard, embarrassing myself with a man I’d known better than to become involved with. Even for a single night. What did they call the leader of the Russian crime syndicate? Ah, yes. I’d learned the term in law school. A Pakhan.

I grabbed the scrubby ball and the shower gel, pouring more than enough. As I started scrubbing my body, I allowed the fear to creep in. There was no doubt Mikhail Dmitriyev was a dangerous man, but how far would he go to discover if there had been a witness? How far would the killers go to discover who’d interrupted their killing?

What had Sergio been trying to tell me? I was certain it was extremely important, maybe trying to tell me who’d killed him. Nothing made any sense and I seriously doubted I’d find any answers tonight. Honestly, I wanted to forget if only for a little while.

It was impossible not to think about Mikhail and the way he’d made me feel. So alive. So beautiful. His words alone had seduced me, let alone his touch.

His kisses.

The way he’d taken care while requiring my surrender.

Images flashed into my mind as well as a moment of sadness. One thing was certain. I could not allow myself to fall prey to the man ever again.

Why did the man intrigue me so much?

Why had I felt so free when I’d been with him?

I continued scrubbing, allowing the loud sounds coming from whatever horror movie I’d turned on to facilitate easier breathing. When I’d scrubbed every inch, I planted my palms against the shower wall for a few seconds, finally able to focus more clearly than before. There was no real question about what I needed to do.

Go to the police and help with the investigation.

First, I would need to talk to my father, forcing him to understand this wasn’t some political tool for him to use. I also didn’t want to ruin him.