Page 20 of Dmitri

“Well then I’d be the one using every available swear word. So I guess lunch is going to be a bit longer?”

“Yes, about ten minutes.”

“Okay, I need to go annoy someone else.”

“If you are bored, then there is always the garden in the back,” he offers. It’s a beautiful place made of wonder. With summer upon us many of the flowers are starting to bloom. I’vebeen there every day, but honestly, without Dmitri around I feel listless.

“I’m just going to my cushy spot in the library.” I wave him off and walk away. Running my finger along the shelves, I find another great book to read and tuck it under my arm. I’ll start it after lunch.

My phone rang again, so I stopped in my tracks to check, and it was my stepfather again. Damn it, I should take the call, but I want to wait for Dmitri.

“Lunch,” Tomas calls out and I jump, dropping the book on the floor.

“You got me back,” I laugh, shaking my head as I pick up the book.

“Sorry,” he says with a wink.

****

It’s been a long day and I’m waiting for Dmitri to come home. He had several meetings, but he promised we’d go out for dinner. Maybe that’s why I’m growing impatient. Well, that and my stepfather won’t stop calling me. Dmitri should be here soon, but it’s not soon enough.

My phone hasn’t stopped ringing, and I check it to see it’s my stepfather again. I don’t want to answer it, but he’s only going to call back. “Hello,” I answered.

“It’s about time you answered, Cora. Please tell me you’re safe,” Edmond says. His voice is frantic.

“I am safe, but I’ve decided not to go back to Chicago.”

“What? You need to come back.” His voice is a bit scary and if I was unsure about my return, his tone just made the decision for me.

“Why? So you can claim your insurance policy?” I snarled.

“No, I would never do that. It’s just in case something happens, and you know that.”

“Do I? Because the last time I checked my policy was only twenty-k and now I find out you added additional policies totaling a million. Please stop me when I’m lying. There’s no reason you need that much money from me.”

“It’s just precaution.”

“Bullshit. There’s no reason for it since you’re a millionaire.”

“Things have gone south lately,” he confesses, and my mind freezes at his audacity.

“Oh my goodness. You just admitted that you want me dead,” I screeched.

He huffs into the phone before speaking, “Well, bitch it would have happened if those fuckers did what they were supposed to.”

“So Romano was supposed to kill me.” Dmitri said that Romano only wanted to spook my father into paying.

“No, I made a deal with his men and promised that I’d pay the money to have you accidentally die while escaping. You should be dead, and since you betrayed me with that Russian, I’m not giving up until you’re dead.” Tears flood my eyes, making it difficult to see.

There has been a question in my mind since I learned of his willingness to off me, so I take my only chance to ask. “Like my mother?”

“No one can prove that.”

“I’m sure they can. I’ll call the police and have them dig up my mother.”

“You won’t because I’ll get to you first,” he threatens. To me it’s hollow. Like he said he was broke and he’s back in Chicago, so he’s not a real threat.

“You can’t get to me anymore,” I answered with a sob.

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