Page 10 of Cruel Longing

My jaw tensed. I hadn’t asked anyone else. I needed the answers, but removing the layers, digging for them was like trying to unearth my father from his fresh grave.

“You knew him as well as anyone. What were those last days like?” I cleared my throat, pushing back from the table. I walked to the coffee cart and poured a cup of coffee with my back to Viktor. It was easier to hear the answer without having to look at him.

“He was Dmitry. He didn’t complain about his health. There were no warning signs about the heart attack. I believe he went to sleep that night like he did every night—with the belief he would wake up the next morning in control of the Novikov dynasty. No fear of death, Luka. I never saw the fear of death in his eyes.”

The cup rattled on the saucer. “The planning for the estate, Katya, and Mother was only coincidence?”

“Yes. Entirely,” he answered.

I raised the cup to my lips. The coffee was perfect. A blend almost exactly as that of the French cafes I had frequented.

“When was his last check-up?” I asked. “Did he have a cardiologist?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know. You would have to ask Anna.”

I huffed and returned to my seat. My mother would rather fly coach than reveal a flaw in the Novikov genetic line. Medical appointments and specialists were a sign of weakness.

“I sense you have concerns about your father’s death.”

“I’m concerned no one else does.” I stared at him from the opposite end of the table. “Ivan was murdered. Are we sure my father wasn’t?”

Viktor jumped back in his seat. “Luka, his death was confirmed by the coroner. It was a heart attack. The families had great respect for your father. The Petrov alliance has been good for the city. There is no one who had anything to gain from his death.”

I closed my eyes. “Are you sure?”

I wanted to know every person he had spoken to the day he died. I wanted to know who had called. Who had visited his office. Where he ate lunch and who he smoked cigars with. I needed to reconstruct the days leading up to his death. So far, I had nothing. Not a single fucking detail about what my father was doing before he died.

“In this business, I realize a natural death seems suspicious. You have grown up this way. I can’t blame you for wanting to find someone to hold responsible. It’s not like Ivan’s murder. The medical reports point the finger at a widow-maker. A blocked artery. I can get the report for you if you like.”

I nodded. “I want to see it.”

“You’ll have it by tomorrow. I’ll leave the copies of the executed estate documents.” He gathered his files, leaving two envelopes for me. “Is there anything else?”

“No. Thank you, Viktor.”

The door closed behind him and I wandered to the window, shoving my hands in my pockets. All I could think about was how little I knew about Dmitry Novikov’s last hours.

I didn’t want to admit to Viktor the last conversation I had with my father had been an argument. Was that why I sought answers? Would knowing if he had been murdered soften the angry words we had spoken to each other? Did I need a quest for vengeance to secure my purpose here?

The alarm chirped on my phone. I checked the reminder. Fuck. My date with Amara was only a few hours from now.

I had waded through nightmares. Laid awake at 3 am tortured by guilt. Punished my body and heart because of her. I had lost hope I would ever see Amara again. I couldn’t let my father steal more of my time from her. He had already robbed us of five years. I wouldn’t let him take tonight from us.

I turned on the shower and let the water run while I chose a suit from the closet. I studied the black one and then hung it on the back of the door.

Tonight would be the end of wasting time and the end of waiting for what I wanted.

Six

AMARA

Iwatched from my bedroom window when Luka pulled into the circle drive. I was hidden by the curtain. He wore a dark suit. Fitted. From this far away, he still looked edible. I took a full inhale. The doorbell rang, but I didn’t budge. It wasn’t long before Bella knocked on my door.

“Ms. Amato, your guest has arrived,” she announced, and I pretended I wasn’t aware that the air was twenty degrees warmer since he walked through the front door.

“Thank you, Bella. Tell him I’ll be down in a minute.” I was dressed. I stepped into the high black heels that added inches to my height. I hesitated in front of my vanity. I flipped open the marble box and pressed the button underneath the velvet shelf. The tiny door popped, and I retrieved the necklace. It was a bold statement. I touched the pearl against my skin once the clasp was fastened. It was a night for surprises.

I took one step down, and I saw him. I swallowed, wondering if I should call off the date. The man waiting for me at the bottomof the staircase looked like a wolf ready to draw in his prey. Was it the Luka I knew, or was it a new version that had let in more darkness than light? What had the years in France done to him?

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