Page 13 of Dark Embers

My heart stutters.

I school my face into something blank. “I’m not looking for anyone.”

He steps in just slightly. Not enough to touch me. But enough to make the air feel thicker.

“Your mother works for me now. You think I don’t know you hired a PI to look for your sister?” he says. “I want to offer my help.”

“Why?” My voice is flat. Skeptical.

“I need to know where to send Tara’s final paycheck.”

My brows lift. “Give it to my mother.”

I start to close the door.

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” he says.

“I do. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m expecting—”

“Sabrina?” Sam’s voice cuts in behind Oleksi, and I can see the exact second his shoulders stiffen. Sam steps around him and into view. “Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Sam.” I give him a tight smile. “Come on in. Mr. Mirochin was just leaving.”

Sam eyes him for a beat. Long enough to make it clear he doesn’t trust him. Then he nods and walks past us into the living room.

“He’s a bit old for you, isn’t he?” Oleksi mutters.

I shrug not taking the bait. “I have daddy issues.”

Oleksi gives a soft snort before saying, “Have dinner with me tomorrow night.” He puts on the charm. “Let me explain how I can help you find your sister.” His eyes hold mine. “That PIyou’ve hired is nothing more than a con man who will turn on you for the highest bidder or drain you of every penny!”

My brow furrows. He is the second person tonight to warn me about the sleazy Tom Williams. I can’t deny what Oleksi is saying. I had that feeling about the prick within the first few minutes of meeting him. But my mother was so excited to find someone who we thought was a reasonable price and could help us find Tara.

“I have some top people I’ll put at your disposal and will bring results instead of bleeding you dry,” Oleksi persists. “Please—just have dinner with me tomorrow night, and we can discuss it.”

My eyes narrow as I stare at him for a moment and an idea formulates in my head. Oleksi might just be the person that can get my mother to fire Tom Williams. Especially if we can get someone else to look for her for free… but… I swallow. He is a Mirochin and my sister was hiding from this family.

But then again they don’t know the truth about Tara and Elena, and Gavriil and Irina are dead so it couldn’t hurt, although I have to wonder why he wants to help as he did say he was also looking for her. “Fine. I will have dinner with you to discuss this tomorrow. I finish work at eleven tomorrow night.”

“I’ll send someone to get you.”

“No,” I snap. “I can get there on my own.”

He nods once. “Till tomorrow night then.”

He turns and walks away—calm, collected—leaving me with a fluttering stomach, a completely inappropriate tingle between my legs, and a strange excitement about tomorrow night thrumming through my veins.

I brutally squash it.Nope. Absolutely not. That’s never happening.

I shut the door and lean against it for a moment, exhaling hard only to be brought back to reality with a thump as Sam's voice echoes back to me from the sofa.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head. “Maybe something. I don’t know. I think he might be the person who finally convinces my mother to fire that fucking crook of a PI.”

“I thought she stopped all that shit.” Sam sounds pissed.

“She told you she did. But she didn’t. And I’ve nearly depleted my savings helping her pay the idiot.”

---