Page 99 of Shadows of Obsession

I don't know what makes me say that, and I know they probably won't need it. Still, when an oligarch dies and there’s a shift in power, it always ends in blood. I saw their men at that house in the forest where he took Luna. They're military men and seem loyal, but you never know where a viper hides.

Before closing the door, Maksim turns to us.

"I'll remember that," he answers, with a smile on his lips.

The door's click is the last sound I hear before silence falls in the office.

Luna looks worriedly at Niko and me, and after a few minutes, my brother breaks the silence.

"Well, Ro, he's a bit more handsome than you."

Luna bursts into laughter, and even I have to suppress a smile. Leave it to Niko to turn a serious atmosphere into a joke.

"Do you think they'll be okay in Russia? I know we covered our tracks, but what if they suspect them?" Luna's words make me frown, sowing the seeds of doubt.

Normally I wouldn't care about someone I've just met. Maybe it's all this bullshit about him being my twin brother, but now that I know he exists, I can't deny I worry about him.

"Want me to call Ilya?" Niko asks.

I know the Moscow mafia pakhan categorically opposes human trafficking, so the fact that he allowed a predator like Ivan into his inner circle is cause enough for concern.

"I'll call him. Let's hope Maksim won't need help."

Niko leaves to handle other business, and I know we need to start cleaning house.

Luna's hand touches my face, and an electric shiver runs through my body. She's wearing those round glasses that make her eyes even bigger and greener. Each freckle seems to dance in harmony with her rebellious curls, and I lean down to kiss her forehead.

With my lips still pressed to her skin, I whisper, "It's time for the games to begin."

Chapter 32

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Roman

A fine drizzle has started outside, and the dark clouds gathering overhead seem designed to reflect exactly what I'm feeling right now.

Fury, betrayal, shame.

I allowed this man access to my life and to the people who matter most to me, only for him to stab me in the back. The problem with people like him is they think everyone else is stupid, that no one will suspect anything - but that's exactly the mistake that leads to their downfall.

Niko is waiting for me in Washington Park, smoking under the same tree where we talked after our father died. His coat is drenched with rain and his hair is wet, but when he looks up at me, I see the same fire burning inside him that I feel in myself.

"When did you figure it out?" he asks, and I pull out a cigarette of my own, taking a few drags before answering.

I'm not sure exactly when I first sensed something was wrong, but I know precisely when I got confirmation. When I saw Denis's face. The shock in his expression was too genuine to be masked or faked. It was an honest emotion. Innocence.

"When Denis looked at me like I’d kicked his puppy," I say, still seething.

I had to hit Denis, had to pretend he was the traitor, just sohewouldn't see that I knew.

"When I heard you quoteThe Godfatherto him, I knew something was wrong," he tells me, his voice full of hatred. Like me, he’s figured out who was responsible for everything that's gone wrong lately. When we were young, Niko and Denis were obsessed withThe Godfatherand often forced me to watch it with them. I must have seen that movie at least fifty times. I needed to send Denis a message that I believed him, that I knew he wasn't guilty. The message had to be subtle enough not to attract attention from anyone listening, but clear enough for Denis to understand that I needed his help and cooperation.

"But you know what I don't understand? Why now? He could have done this ages ago, when we were actually vulnerable," he says.

I've been asking myself the same question. Why now? What changed? The only new variable in my life is Luna, and my only theory is that the bastard thought I was too distracted by her to notice what he was planning.

"We'll find out soon enough. Anton cut some security cameras and I called him to come fix them. Urgently."

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