Page 35 of One Dark Kiss (Grimm Bargains #2)

THIRTY-ONE

Alexei

I scroll through the phone in the back seat of the car as Garik drives, fury engulfing me. Alana Beaumont comes up on the Aquarius Social feed, and I watch the post again.

Hello, friends. You are not going to believe the dish that I have, she says.

The tea is about to be spilled. She looks around and, apparently, she s somewhere tropical because the ocean rolls beautifully behind her.

I just received this video. You remember good old Alexei Sokolov and how he was just released from prison because of the corruption of the judge and prosecuting attorney?

Well, apparently, the poor guy really was set up. Wait till you take a look at this.

A video comes up on screen of Hendrix, my half brother, tossing what appears to be a bloody knife in the pond at the Fairfax mansion.

No doubt the fucking murder weapon. He s dressed as a cop and nobody notices him.

As smoothly as he enters the scene, he walks right back out.

Oh, we ve never been close, but still, a sense of betrayal cuts through me.

I scroll to another video of Hendrix being arrested and handcuffed at Hologrid Hub. He s stoic, with his jaw set, and frankly he looks pissed. I understand. I just used every contact I now have to put a dent in his mother s attempt to bail him out, and it won t last long. Maybe a few more hours.

We re here. Garik pulls up to the police station where the jail is located. This place makes my skin itch.

Me too. I open the door just as Hendrix walks out wearing a gray suit with a jacket over his arm. His shirt is unbuttoned and he s lacking his usual power tie.

Reporters dash toward him and he pushes them away. No comment.

His gaze meeting mine, his chin lifting, he crosses toward me. I shift over and leave the door open while reporters shout questions at us both, taking pictures. Without answering, he shoves a couple out of the way, enters the car, and slams the door.

Hello, brother, I say.

He rolls his neck and looks at Garik and then at me. Why did you bail me out?

Because I made sure your mother couldn t. I study this brother I barely know. After our father died, I was sent away to live with relatives. We weren t even raised together. The evidence is pretty damning. I want to punch him in the face.

He stares at me. He has our father s size but Lillian s looks, with his narrower features. Most women probably find him attractive. I can change that for him. We wanted you out of the way. That s not a surprise to you. His voice is as deep as mine.

No, it s not, I say. Still, we do share blood.

He smooths down his expensive pants. Half. Again, why did you bail me out?

To talk. I m taking over the organization. A part of me, one I don t want to admit, really doesn t want to kill my own flesh and blood.

He rolls his head back. I ve heard.

Are you going to fight me?

For answer he turns his head and looks at me, reminding me of our father for the briefest of moments. No.

I narrow my gaze. Are you lying?

He snorts. No, I m not lying. I m not fighting you. I don t want Hologrid Hub.

I shake my head. What game are you playing?

He places his folded jacket neatly on his pants. I am not as good at charging the crystals as you are. It drains me for days afterward.

I blink. You don t get a rush? You don t gain strength?

No, I hate it. Cal and I together could do a decent job, but he s been killed. The fact that we haven t gone after his killer, whoever that might be, has definitely weakened the organization.

They don t trust you, I say softly. Neither do I. He is a good liar, and I respect that.

He shakes his head. We don t know who killed Cal, and the fact that we haven t just taken somebody out for the murder has lost us respect.

Who do you think killed him?

I don t know. He was a jerk with women. It could have been anybody.

I sit back and tap my chin. What about Thorn Beathach?

Hendrix lifts his shoulders. I ve heard the rumors.

The families arranged a marriage between Cal and Alana Beaumont, but Alana didn t want it.

Cal was going to force it, but I don t know of any instance when he and Thorn crossed paths.

So if Thorn did kill Cal, he did a good job covering his tracks.

Hendrick shrugs, looking tired with dark circles under his eyes.

So you truly don t know.

Nope. Plus, I don t want to go to war with Beathach, Hendrix says quietly. Can you imagine the disaster of the local Irish mob and the local Russian Bratva in an all-out war?

Yeah, I actually can. I don t want that either. There s no evidence that Thorn killed Cal.

No, Hendrix says My gut feeling is that he didn t, and that Cal just pissed off the wrong husband. But again, nothing.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Why did you get in my car?

Hendrick smiles, all charm. You re not exactly going to kill me after all those press people took our picture, are you? I mean, you were reckless years ago, Alexei. I assume that has changed.

That has most certainly changed. I m not reckless. You set me up seven years ago by throwing that knife in the Fairfax pond.

Obviously, Hendrix says.

Garik looks with flat, dead eyes at him through the rearview mirror. Did you kill Fairfax?

No. Hendrix says. I took a knife from the kitchen, rolled it in the blood from the floor, and then tossed it into the pond. He winks, almost in slow motion. Are you recording me?

I want to punch my fist through his face. I went to prison for seven fucking years.

He looks at the panther prowling across my neck. You needed it.

I cock my head. Excuse me?

He shrugs. Come on. You were in no state to run the Russian mob. You were a playboy. You were stupid. You d be dead if you hadn t gone to prison.

Unfortunately, there may a bit of truth in that statement. That doesn t let him off the hook, however. Now you re going to prison.

We ll see. I ll find myself a good lawyer. A video from seven years ago could definitely be altered.

He s not wrong, and it s doubtful Ella will ever testify as to how she decrypted the damaged disc. Even so, I now have enough money and power that I can make sure he goes to prison. I don t know. I think you may do a little time, I say.

He sobers. I guess we ll find out, won t we?

Yes. After you re released, I ll make you and your mother a deal.

What s that? Hendrix looks outside at the dreary, gray day.

I ll give you enough money to go somewhere else. Pick a country, not this one, and live. Have fun. Start your own company. I don t know and I don t care.

Hendrix nods. I ll speak with my mother. Part of that deal is that I don t go to prison.

No. I lose any expression of civility. He s lying and thinks he s playing me. I m giving him the truth. You re going to spend a couple years there. In fact, you re going to plead guilty when they charge you and reach a plea deal. I want you in for at least two years. A little payback, you know?

His eyes narrow. Go fuck yourself.

Very well. We reach the palatial grounds where he and his mother live. Drop him at the gate, I tell Garik. He can walk the distance to the house.

Sure thing. Garik pulls to a stop near the gate.

Hendrix, I say. You ll love prison. You ll make so many friends.

He gets out of the car and slams the door.

Garik looks over the seat at me. What now?

Now we need to find Rosalie, I say. I m sure she s with Ella, and since I can t find them, at the moment neither can anybody else, so I m not worried about her safety. Well, until I find her.

I have everybody on it, Boss, Garik says. This is new. He s never called me boss before. We re scouring the city.

All right. Apparently, she didn t learn her lesson the other night. My girl is a bit stubborn—and reckless. Get Merlin on it at Rosie s house too. He s as good as Ella, or at least he s close on a computer. He should be able to track her.

Garik snorts. None of those men are going to help you find Rosalie.

I sigh heavily. Tell him that she s in danger. Most likely because she is.

I will, Garik says. What about you, Boss?

That s going to annoy the shit out of me. Knock it off.

He coughs. I figure it s good to get people thinking of you that way.

I understand the psychology, Garik. It just sounds weird.

Okay. I ll think of something else. He drives through town.

I shake my head. Drop me off on the corner of Piston, will you?

Sure. What s your plan?

I keep that one to myself for now. I don t have one. I do need you to find Rosalie.

Okay. It s getting dark. You armed? he asks.

I m always armed.

He pulls to the side of the somewhat quiet street. Why don t I come with you?

This is something I need to do myself. Let me out.

Okay. He stops completely.

I exit on the corner before making my way toward Howard Fissure s apartment building as Garik drives away. Fissure s gate opens and I quickly duck behind a tree. He drives out. I call Garik back. He returns immediately and I jump in the back. Follow that car.

Seriously? Garik asks. I feel like I m on a sitcom.

Only if the sitcom ends in murder. We follow Fissure to a restaurant on the upper end where he strides inside and meets a platinum blonde we can watch through the window. Who is that? I ask.

No idea, but she sure is pretty. A little young for him, Garik says.

My stomach growls. I haven t eaten today.

Do you want me to get us some food? This may take a while.

I look around at several of the restaurants in the area. Yeah, go ahead. You choose.

Excellent. He slides out. I have a clear view of Fissure and the blonde, and I watch them eat a four-course meal. About halfway through, Garik returns with falafels for us.

Falafels?

I had a craving.

I eat mine, noting it s just as flavorless as I remember. I could go another seven years without eating one—or maybe nothing tastes good because I can t find my woman.