Page 75 of Twisted Secrets
Thatgot through to her. No one cared as much about Hadley as she did. It wouldn’t be personalto them. Even if they decided to help her, it would just be a job. She couldn’t afford to be shut out. So she let Cillian guide her to the other side of the couches—though she never took her gaze off Dmitri.I’ll kill him if anything happens to Hadley. Him and Sergei and anyone who gets in my way.
Seamus sent her a disgusted look, as if he could read her thoughts, and turned back to her half brother. “Explain yourself.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you.” He’d taken the few seconds everyone was focused on her to straighten his suit, his calm mask firmly in place once more. “This is family business. I’m sure you understand.”
“I’m equally sure that you’ve been dicking around with us for months, Russian. The girl might be your sister, but she’s inourterritory withmyson. That makes it my business.”
“As I told mysister, I know nothing about that.” He looked directly at her. “You know how I work, Olivia. You know what I’m saying is true. If I was going to take her, it wouldn’t have been like this.”
She didn’t want to agree with him. In fact, all she wanted was to get out of Cillian’s arms so she could go over there and follow through on hitting him with the damn gun. But…he was right. She stopped struggling. If he didn’t order Hadley taken…Oh my God. “Sergei is off the rails.”
“It would seem that way.” He gave a shrug that meant nothing at all. “I do apologize, Seamus, but one of my men has decided to take matters into his own hands—without my knowledge, of course. There’s little I can do.”
Cillian hugged Olivia tighter. “Where is he?”
“How should I know? I’m not the man’s keeper.” That one moment where Dmitri might have beena real human being was dead and gone. He adjusted his cuff links. “If that’s all…”
“It’s not.” Seamus glanced around the room, his brows slamming down. “Everyone out except the Russian. We have other business to attend to.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cillian kept a hold of Olivia until they were out of the study and had a closed door between them and Romanov. He didn’t think the man was lying, though things would have been a whole hell of a lot easier if he was. If he hadn’t ordered Hadley taken, then there was no telling where her ex was.
Carrigan sauntered over. “Your kid is gone?”
“Yes.” Olivia didn’t sound like she was about to leap into a blackout rage, but Cillian hadn’t expected her to go after Dmitri, either. He’d known she had a gun, but it never even crossed his mind that she might use it.Stupid.
His sister nodded. “We’ll help however we can.” She glanced at James, who crossed his arms over his chest. “We’re not huge fans of people who prey on the weak.”
That was all well and good, but the chances that Sergei came back to Boston after taking Hadley were slim to none. Olivia must have realized the same thing,because she gave a brittle smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I need to search beyond your reach.”
Teague approached, his arm around Callie. “We can help, too.”
Callie took Olivia’s hands. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. If your half brother didn’t order this, where would this man have gone?”
“If I knew that, I’d be there instead of here.” Olivia stepped back, extracting herself from his sister-in-law’s grip. “If you’ll excuse me.” She walked down the hallway away from them, checking each room and then ducking into the bathroom and closing the door. He wanted to follow her, to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything would be okay. Maybe if he did that,hewould actually believe it.
Because things were starting to look pretty fucking stark. He turned to Aiden. “Dmitri Romanov’s man came to our house in Connecticut, butchered three of the men I had watching the house, and then abducted a fourteen-month-old toddler. I don’t care what our father says—this is personal.”
“Why are things never simple with you?” Aiden shook his head. “You know what, don’t answer that. Nothing is simple anymore.”
That was the damn truth. Even if Olivia hadn’t ended up in his life, Dmitri Romanov still would have been skimming off their top. Everything was so twisted up, it was a wonder he could keep any of it straight anymore.I don’t have to keep shit straight. The only thing that matters is getting that little girl back.
With that driving him, he walked past his siblings and slipped into the office, locking the doorbehind him. His father sent him an aggravated look. “We’re talking business, boy. Get out.”
“I have business with Romanov.” He ignored his father and crossed to stand in front of Dmitri. Not close enough to be in the man’s space, but close enough that he had no choice but to focus on Cillian. “That little girl is your niece.”
Another of those goddamn shrugs. “As my sister is so fond of telling me, she’s onlyhalfmy niece.”
Maybe. But he could read the tension in the man’s shoulders. Whatever he thought of Olivia, she was right that his promise to his late father was weighing on him. If he wanted to honor Andrei’s wishes, letting Hadley be hurt—or worse—was a shitty way to go about it. “Do you really think this Sergei can take care of a toddler?”
Dmitri’s mouth went tight. “I told Olivia, and now I’m telling you—I don’t know where the man is. If I did,Iwould take care of things. I don’t tolerate disobedience.”
Thatwas the button to push to get the information he needed. “A man like that doesn’t have a whole lot going for him that isn’t connected to you and your people. Where would he go?”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “What interest do you have?”
“He killed three of my men. I don’t like that.” He couldn’t believe how calm he sounded. It felt like there was a creature inside him, shredding his heart and lungs and stomach, but nothing showed in his voice.
