Page 17 of Dark Embers

“She was having an affair with my brother,” I acknowledge.

“Yes and Irina found out. She threatened Tara and my sister was worried that the threat wouldn’t stop with just her,” Sabrina tells me. This time her eyes hold mine and I can see her daring me to challenge her truth. “She left to protect us and to hide from the wrath of Irina.”

“I see.” Not taking my eyes from her I lift my glass to my lips and notice her pupils dilate before she quickly glances away turning her attention back to her plate. “Sabrina, the reason I want to help you find Tara is because she’s not safe.”

Her beautiful blue eyes snap to mine. Wide with uncertainty. “What do you mean?”

“I think the same people who killed my brother are looking for her.”

She pales. It's real. Her panic. Her confusion. But she’s still holding something back.

“Why would they be after Tara?” Sabrina’s eyes become focused again as her brilliant mind turns over my words. “That doesn't make sense. Other than an affair, Tara wasn’t connected to your brother.”

“She managed the Ember Club,” I remind her.

“Yes, but she didn’t do the books or deal with all the shady shit that went on, on the other side of your brother’s business,” Sabrina says, raising her chin. “Tara would never jeopardize a career she was working so hard toward by getting caught up in mob stuff.”

“And you know that for sure?” Her look of pure disdain when she said mob stuff grates along my nerves and sparks a twinge of anger in my gut.

I extinguish it, not too sure why Sabrina looking down on my family’s business would cause that reaction in me. I’ve had people say worse. They lived to regret it but it never hit me like it did when she did it.

“Yes.” Sabrina’s voice rings with confidence in her conviction. “Tara would never do anything shady.”

“She fucked my married brother.” The words cut across the table before I can stop them and delivered like a verbal slap inthe face.Fuck!I can’t let her get under my skin like this. It’s not the plan. “That’s shady.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe yourbrothergave her no choice?” Sabrina’s quick mind and sharp tongue hits back at me.

Touchepretty little one.“Are you accusing my brother of rape?”

“I’m putting it out there as an option not to be overlooked,” Sabrina counters like a true attorney.

“Well put,” I tell her, raising my glass. “Said like a true attorney.”

Her eyes widen as she stares at me startled. “Who told you about that?”

“Come now, Sabrina. Your mother brags about her daughters’ education and how intelligent they are all the time,” I answer. “I knew about your law degree before I’d even met you.”

“Oh God!” Sabrina covers her face in embarrassment. “That sounds like something my mother would do.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “That’s one of my biggest disappointments to her is choosing to be a dancer rather than use my degree.”

“Why aren’t you an attorney?” My curiosity is piqued. “

You could be earning a hell of a lot more than you do as a dancer.”

“I love to dance,” Sabrina answers and drains her glass which I top up for her. “I could never be cooped up in a stuffy office all day. I like my freedom and knowing I’m doing something I want to do and not a job I have to do.”

“I get that.” I nod and we fall into silence for a few moments before I move the conversation back to Tara. “Have you heard anything from your sister?”

Sabrina looks at me with raised brows. “Are you trying to trick me into telling you something you think I’m hiding by jumping through subjects to keep me off guard?”

Huh! She really is smart, perceptive, and alert—fuck now I want to bend her to my will even more.

“Are you hedging your answers to keep from telling me something?” I ask.

“No.” Sabrina’s face becomes a mask as she pushes her plate aside, sits back in her chair, and picks up the champagne flute. “I’m not answering because I’ve told you what I know.”

“When did you notice your sister had gone missing?” I ignore her statement and hit her with another question.

“Fifteen… no, it’s almost sixteen months now,” Sabrina replies calmly. “I got home late from a dance shift to find a note on the coffee table in the living room. I can tell you word for word what it said if you like.” Before I can reply she gives me the cliffs notes of the letter. “It was addressed to my mother and me. In it Tara explained that she’d been having an affair with your brother. Irina found out and had threatened her. She was leaving to keep us safe and before Irina could put her six-feet under.”

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