Page 67 of Possess Me

“It did not go as planned. Do you remember the Bruni family?”

“Bruni? How could I forget? A low-level Cosa Nostra wannabe family you wanted to crucify. What about them?”

“That’s what we need to find out. Ludolf insinuated that’s who killed Megan.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Why bring that up after all these years?” Mikhail half choked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“If what they hinted at is true, it would appear the Brunis are working with our fathers’ old comrades in Russia.”

Mikhail whistled. “To gain better access to the Europeans.”

“That’s my guess.”

He snorted. “That’s quite a story. I don’t like it. They think we are the only Bratva to stop them. Because of your hatred for them.”

“Yeah, and my own father knows more than he’s told me for all these years.” I shook my head, trying to keep my eyes on the road.

“Be careful, Vissarian. No matter what we’ve become, respect is still required.”

Now I laughed. “So the fuck what? We’re in a new century the last time I checked.”

“With the old methods and heritage still firmly intact. Try and think rationally. There’s more going on here. Get back to Vegas as soon as you can. We’ll ask Uncle Ivan questions together. That’s an order.”

“Yeah, I heard you,” I huffed. “There’s more.”

“Do I dare ask?”

I debated how the fuck to handle this. Maybe a peace offering before I grilled Fallon. “Not yet. You’re going to need to trust me.”

“From what you’ve told me, you could be in clear danger.”

“Ludolf and his gang didn’t bring me to the island to kill me. They did so to warn me face to face.”

He exhaled. “Still a dangerous game to play.”

“I need to figure out some things. I’ll let you know when I need your assistance. Right now, I need time.”

“Goddamn it, Vissarian. Don’t do anything stupid. As I said, be careful. If they are willing to take on the Russian Bratvas, we could be dragged into a war.”

“I know. I’ll give you a call.”

Mikhail made a sound. “I know you too well, Vissarian. You’re holding something back. You need to talk to me.”

“It isn’t enough it’s possible my own father has known all along who killed Megan?” The edge I’d been suspended from was becoming slippery. How many nights had I lain awake planning exactly what I’d do to every single person involved? I knew how the game worked. While the Jamaican assailants had been dressed like any other basic criminal either ready to break into a store or attack innocent bystanders for a grab and run, I’d known better.

They’d worked in tandem, every move calculated as the most dangerous soldiers were trained to do.

Their precision and timing had indicated whoever they were working for was well organized, soldiers acting as a hit squad. Their movements hadn’t been those of random criminals as none took the time to become that organized.

All I’d managed to do was to kill the men who’d pledged their allegiance to whatever master had paid them cash under the table.

To this day, the person who’d given the orders remained at large.

Maybe not any longer.

“Do you remember what happened after Megan was killed? Do you even know how her death changed your personality and how long you were in a desperate state of mental decline?”

“Mental decline?” I headed into the small town, searching the streets for a goddamn pet store. I didn’t even know if they had any. How stupid. What the hell did I think I was doing, playing house with a woman who could have purposely been forced into my life?