Page 8 of Cruel Honor

I gulp and pull away from her. Juno knows how much my hair means to me. I look exactly like my mother. I never knew her since she died in a car accident when I was a young girl, but from her pictures, I know we could pass as twins. That means something to me. Dad always spoke about Mom so fondly, and I want to honor his memory.

The memories I have of him and his stories of my mom are all I have left.

“Sorry, Juno. I’ll try to make dinner faster. And I’ll try to buy steak next time.”

“Great. You do that.” She heads back into the living room and turns on the TV. I can hear the news from here.

“Another murder,” the news reporter says, “of a young woman occurred today. Her body was discovered in Central Park. The murder of Sarah Johnson is the fourth murder of a twenty-year-old woman in the past few months. She matches the description of the other victims. Brown hair. White. Young. Here’s Police Chief Williams to say more.”

“We think it’s a serial killer,” the police chief comes right out and says it. “The pattern fits. We’re asking any woman who fits the image of the other victims to be mindful. Be careful. And to the killer, we’re going to find you, and we’re going to bring you down.”

“Another murder,” Juno says. “Such a shame. The killer could come after me!”

I roll my eyes. Juno is too old to match the victims. Whereas I … I fit the victim profile to a tee.

I stir the tofu in the broth, thinking about what I’m going to do. I guess I need to be extra vigilant and extra careful.

And then I get a text from Katya.

My brother is throwing some stupid party at his club. What to join me in crashing it? It could be fun!!!

The last thing I need to do is go to some club. I need to stay here, where I’m safe.

My fingers hover over the keypad on my phone, ready to tell Katya no, that I’m staying in for the night.

Then Juno speaks. “Evelyn, if you don’t bring me dinner soon, I’ll grab the scissors. I wasn’t joking about your hair.”

I gulp. I can’t lose my hair. I can’t risk Juno kicking me out of the house.

But I can’t stay here another minute.

Katya is right. I need to experience more of life. I can’t live in fear of some killer out there. Besides, Katya will be with me. I won’t be alone.

I text her back.Where and when?

Chapter

Two

DIMITRI

My club is transformed from a place where people get drunk and high to a place where even the most expensive, elegant woman would step into eagerly.

I made sure the decorator included fancy curtains over the windows and line draped tables and candles for mood lighting. I personally think it all looks a little frilly, but this party isn’t for me. It’s to attract all the other Bratva woman who’ll be coming tonight.

Hopefully, one of them will spark my interest, and I can quickly marry her. There’s a risk Tatiana and Abram will show up, but I doubt Abram will set fire to my club when it’s full of people. I just have to keep him at bay long enough to marry someone else’s daughter, and then he’ll leave me alone.

Katya’s words ring in my ear:I just think you’re going to get yourself killed by Abram. What does she know? I’ve kept Katya from this world. She’s remained a spoiled, sheltered princess in our mansion. That’s what our father wanted, and I intend to honor his wish. Besides, I can use Katya someday to make a political ally by marrying her off.

But right now, I have all the political allies I need.

I made sure the decorator included a throne at the back of the room on a raised platform. It’s a little gaudy, but sue me—I want to sit on a fucking throne as I look at my potential mates.

I turn to the staff I hired for the evening. My usual staff, which includes male and female dancers who spin around poles all night long, didn’t seem suited for this event. I’m trying to be fucking classy. So, I’ve hired new people. They’re a bunch of less attractive men and women so there’s no competition for me. I need the women tonight to be looking only at me.

I need one of them to attract me enough to tempt me into marriage.

I clap my hands together. “Let the ball commence.”

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