Page 128 of Doubts & Fears

After she promised me she would, I disconnected the call and pulled up her file. I had an active set of questions about her, and connecting the dots was daunting. We could find nothing beyond a birth and death certificate for Mischa Natalya Dmitrieva. All the other documentation we had on her, we believed was falsified by Owen.

It started there. She had this image that he was a good man, but I’d seen so many cases of manipulation and Stockholm syndrome in my career that I couldn’t rule him out as the person who warped her thinking. I added to my ever-growing list of questions about her.

Who buried her alive, only to dig her up later? Owen?

What was the purpose of killing Mischa?

What year did she become Kinsley?

How did she cause others to experience horrifying things? What kind of horrifying things? And all because she couldn’t follow directions? Whose directions? What directions?

What rules? Whose rules?

Who staged the accident?

The crux of her case was that nothing made sense. She continuously felt the need to hide things, but why? Owen was dead. He had no power over her anymore. Had he brought someone around who’d hurt her?

Was she somehow aware of who her real grandfather was? Exhaustion consumed me, as I’d failed once more to put the pieces together. I dialed the guys and filled them in.

“Gentlemen, it went so well today. We talked about a range of things. I’m trying to get her to flex her power a bit more. Do me a favor and let her lead in some small way this next week. It’ll do her well to call a shot or two. Keep it within the boundaries, though. This is not my release or green light. Something small.”

The exchange of grins and back slapping that ensued had me rolling my eyes. You’d have thought they were small children going to an amusement park for the first time. Steering the conversation back to what was truly important, I spoke once more.

“I know the other night was hard on you all, but these kinds of memories may surface more frequently.”

The smile on Ivan’s face faded, and his brow furrowed.

“You think she may have more tonight?” Alek asked.

“Not necessarily, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Just take it easy. Behave yourself tonight, Nik. She blushed when she said she was sleeping with you. She only blushes on that question when the answer is you.”

“That would be because he likes to torture himself and has her sleep naked,” Ivan said, laughing.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” I shook my head.

“It’s the sweetest torture, though. Her warm flesh is so soft and feels like satin. Her ass pressed up against me. God, it’s seriously the best feeling, especially when she nestles and wiggles against me,” Nik said, his voice husky.

“You’re such a pervert,” I told him.

“I know, but she loves it. In fact, the last time we slept together, I had to practically peel her off me. That might have accounted for her blush,” Nik offered.

“Seriously, Marcel. Nik isn’t lying. She’s quite the dreamer. It seems to swing from the extremes. It’s either a nightmare or something altogether different,” Alek said.

“Going to have to third that. She’s quite needy, and the longer the poor love goes, the more intense it is for her,” Ivan said, laughing.

“Get her a vibrator, gentlemen. Problem solved,” I said. I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation.

“She prefers flesh on flesh.”

“Seriously, Ivan? Have you lost your mind? How the hell do you know that?” I asked him.

“Wild guess? No, really, we talked about it before. We had the loveliest edging session. Very beginner stuff, though, Counselor,” Ivan said before adding, “but your idea has merit. I’d love to see her during a hard edging session with a vibrator. Ahhh, god, that would be hot.”

“Would you shut up? I don’t need visuals of the two of you,” I muttered.

“You’re the one who suggested it. I like the idea. She’s so tiny, though. We agree it should be small, right?” Ivan asked, and the others agreed.

“Gentlemen, I’m going to say it once more. She’s a vulnerable girl. Leave her the fuck alone,” I grumbled at them. They were awfully quiet, and the next question told me exactly why.

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