Page 70 of Shielded Secrets

I nodded. “He saw it all and just laughed at me as I escaped. I ran from that town and lived in the woods for a while until I was picked up and taken in to another foster family. I lied about where I was from, knowing I had to stay mobile like that until I was an adult. I never saw Jerome again until that other foster home, and he didn’t say anything about it. Then after that, Inever saw him until he showed up on campus. He recognized me, of course. Once, when I fell asleep at the library studying, he slipped a note in my book that said ‘I know what you did.’”

“He saw you and knew—even before you married Rurik—that he could use your kill as leverage against you,” Lev guessed.

I nodded. “I think so. He was always trying to con other kids into doing him favors and helping him out, usually to shoplift or steal, and then later, to peddle drugs.”

No one spoke for a long time, just standing around and glancing at each other as my story sank in.

Rurik had yet to release me from his hug, but he gave me space to back up so I wasn’t leaning all the way against him and practically burrowing my face against his chest.

“And nothing happened with that man you killed?” he asked. “No one traced him to you?”

“No. I ran and never looked back. The foster family never looked for me. No one did. And I never spoke up about it to anyone, obviously, because I was terrified I’d be in so much trouble and everyone would judge me.”

“You acted out of self-defense,” Eva insisted.

“I had, but…” I lowered my gaze.

“Kelly,” Oleg said, speaking up for the first time since I started to spill my secret. “You said you took the gun from his belt.”

I nodded.

He narrowed his eyes. “What kind of a belt?”

“A utility one.” I heaved in a deep breath. “Like the kind cops wear.”

Rurik stiffened. “What?”

“He was a cop. I killed a cop and ran.” Feeling strangely braver to share this, I looked at him directly. “I killed Officer O’Malley and have been running and hiding from that secret every day of my life since.”

30

RURIK

“What did you say?” I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me.

“I said I killed him. I killed a cop. Itwasself-defense, but…” She lowered her gaze again. “But the shame of taking a life numbed me and shamed me, regardless. I was just a child.”

“Did you say O’Malley?” Oleg asked.

Eva grimaced.

“Yes.” Kelly looked up from the floor, furrowing her brow at Eva, then at me, no doubt seeing theoh, fuckexpression I couldn’t hide.

“You killed Officer O’Malley because he wanted to rape and kill you when you were eight years old.” Oleg stated it, but it felt more like a question.

“Yes.” She frowned.

Lev shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”

She squinted at us, one by one. We in the Baranov Family were very aware of that name. All the members of the Mafia families in the state were familiar with that name.

We only knew him as Mayor O’Malley, formerly a well-loved and decorated cop from small-town New York. And if he played his cards right, he was soon-to-be Governor O’Malley.

“What?” The blood drained from Kelly’s face, turning her pale. “What do you mean?”

“He didn’t die,” I said. “He’s been a mayor upstate somewhere, and he’s gearing up to run for governor in the fall election.”

“No.” Kelly shook her head, and I held her close to me so she wouldn’t freak out and back up. “No. I shot him and… no.”

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