Page 28

Inessa

A week later, I’m in another waiting room, my hand clasped tightly in Erik’s as we wait for The FBI agent who called us for an interview. Finally, he enters with a file tucked under his arm and a grim smile on his thin face. “Please follow me.”

He leads us to a small interview room with tiny armchairs barely big enough for Erik to squeeze into. Erik’s chair groans as he sits and he shifts uncomfortably.

“Mrs. Thorvarsson, Mr. Thorvarsson, thank you for joining me. I’m Agent Hughes. There are a few loose ends we need to tie up, and Heartstone police have officially handed this case over to the FBI given the circumstances.” He clears his throat and gives Erik a sidelong look.

Is he holding back because he thinks my husband does not know?

“There’s nothing I’m keeping from my husband,” I assure him. “He knows about my past and my reasons for seeking an arranged marriage.” I slide a hand onto Erik’s thigh, and a moment later, his big warm hand closes over mine.

Agent Hughes raises his brows. “Well that’s your choice. It’s certainly not what we advised you to do.”

I simply shrug.

“Then, if I might be so candid, I have some news for you which should dramatically shorten the length of this interview today and hopefully help you feel more secure.”

Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “You do?”

“How much do you know about how Dmitri Tychkin found you?”

I shudder just hearing his name, but it’s highly reassuring to know I never have to worry about him again.

Erik gives my hand a little squeeze.

“I have no idea. But it doesn’t surprise me.”

Agent Hughes gives me a curt nod. “No. I can’t imagine it did. However, it comes with some news which you may regard as difficult to hear.”

I sit a little straighter. “OK.”

“Our informants in Russia passed on the information recently that your brother was assassinated last week. It seems there is a potential connection with Dmitri Tychkin, though that hasn’t been firmly established yet. It’s my belief that Mr Tychkin was responsible.”

He pauses. Perhaps he is watching me to see if there is any reaction to the news of my brother’s death. I hope he’s not looking to check whether or not I could be responsible. I’m afraid my neutral expression might be incriminating .

“It is not unlikely. The two were rivals, and without the connection of the arranged marriage, there’s no reason for Dmitri to have been loyal to my brother.”

Agent Hughes nods. “It seems there had been some hostile contact so it’s possible the two had a disagreement. Likely as you described. It seems there was an information breech at our Moscow office earlier in the week and agents there now believe Mr Tychkin was responsible. We think it’s likely someone leaked information to his connections about your faked death.”

I nod grimly. It’s what I was worried about all along.

Agent Hughes clears his throat. “I know it might be a bad time, but I’d like to have more information, if I could, about the connection between the two families and their business organizations. If you’re up to answering today, that would be best. Now that both men are dead, there will be some inevitable shifts in the power structure, but any information you can provide should help us to prevent more serious crimes being committed on American soil.”

I seriously doubt they can do much about it, but I appreciate that he thinks he can.

I answer his questions in as much detail as possible. Erik sits steadfastly at my side the whole time, giving me strength.

I really don’t know what I would do without my big orc. He’s so patient and kind with me. The whole week he’s done nothing but fuss over me, taking time off work to look after me as much as he could and trying to make sure I was never alone.

Thankfully I’ve had Snickers to keep me company on the days he had to go in, and his mother called several times. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy her conversation quite so much, but at the moment, the silence of an empty room becomes filled with phantom noises far too quickly. And I can’t deny it’s lovely to have family who genuinely care about me.

When the interview is over, Agent Hughes confirms that, though there will be a trial, the results should be a matter of course since CCTV footage from the street shows Dmitri pulling a gun on Erik after driving dangerously and swerving into traffic.

He stands, tucking his notes away into his folder carefully. “Thank you, Gospozha Boreyeva. I suppose there’s no need to use a fake name in this room.”

I frown, withholding my hand when he offers me his to shake. “No. I’m not Vera Boreyeva anymore. Now I’m Inessa Thorvarsson and I wouldn’t want to be anyone else.”

Agent Hughes smiles, and this time it goes all the way to his eyes, in the warm, American way that Erik smiles. “That’s good to hear, ma’am. Good to hear. Thank you once again for your cooperation.”

As we leave the office, I stop Erik, tugging on his big arm until he halts and looks around at me. “It’s still early. Let’s go get an ice cream and then take Snickers up to visit your family for the weekend.”

His features crease into the huge grin that warms my insides. “Yeah. I’d like that.”