Page 83 of Possess Me
One sentiment in particular came to mind. She’d reminded me to always double-check my source wherever possible when hearing unwanted or bad news. I’d never really been forced to remember the words until now. Thankfully, I’d followed my gut and everything I’d learned so far screamed that I’d been right.
I’d sensed there was much more to Vissarian the moment I’d met him. Granted, when I’d discovered he was part of a powerful Russian Bratva I’d been leery, but his actions had spoken volumes.
Every minute spent had been so amazing, freeing and telling. Then Jasmine’s alarming news. It was funny how in doingresearch on the man and his past, I’d caught the jadedness of so many who obviously didn’t like the man or his family very much. Wasn’t that the same as what happened with almost every highly successful business?
When I’d tried to find anything about Vissarian’s wife, I’d come up on dead ends. Then a small article from over ten years before had caught my eye. It was a piece that I doubted many people had read and the only reason Jasmine knew was because she’d once dated a famous Jamaican soccer star.
Who hadn’t she dated in her life?
I sat on the outdoor couch with my feet curled under me holding a glass of wine. While I’d been allowed to grab a few things from my cottage, I remained in a shirt I’d snagged from his suitcase. The sleeves were rolled up and the buttons were mostly undone, which was why it was likely he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes off me.
As if I was complaining.
“What do you mean?” he asked. He’d been standing at the railing staring out at the ocean while the storm had continued for at least an hour. The man’s jaw was clenched and his expression was full of anger. He’d made a couple of phone calls while I’d tended to Bella, feeding her proper puppy food and pulling off tags from her collection of toys.
Marveling at every one of them.
Then there was the pretty pink collar and matching leash. Why was he trying so hard to show his good side?
Guilt.
He was feeling guilty about what happened. In his past. And maybe now. Although I wasn’t certain what he’d endured in his life that he’d need to feel guilty about. Especially with me.
“You were involved with someone you cared about deeply.”
His face registered no change in expression as he turned his head in my direction. Maybe he thought he could stare me down and make me forget what I’d asked.
I wasn’t budging.
Vissarian finally turned around, easing his butt against the railing. While he’d thrown on a pair of trousers, he was still shirtless. Since I could easily enjoy the view, he could continue staring and I’d be just fine. “She was my fiancée. For about ten minutes.”
I sat up in the seat, already gripping the arm of the couch. “Why ten minutes? What happened?”
His sigh was deep, rattling in his chest, completely full of personal agony.
“You were right that my family being Bratva means that we’ve done some very bad things in my life. I won’t try and sugarcoat our pasts. Yes, we were family, but we were also a band of brothers, our soldiers pledging loyalty for their lives. We were all required to respect our Pakhan at all costs, protecting his life even if it meant dying in the process. There is a very strict code that we followed and all of us at the time wanted to do so.”
I already had so many questions but didn’t want to interrupt him.
He took a sip of his drink, taking a few seconds to gaze at Bella. I had a feeling she grounded him somehow. “Yes, we were involved in criminal activity for many years. Illegal drugs. Extortion. Blackmail. Even arms deals. That was a way of life and all that my father and uncle knew when they brought their family here from Moscow when I was a young boy. But slowly over the years, the old ways of violence didn’t hold the same appeal. At least not for the younger generation.” He half laughed.
“So you’re perfectly legitimate now?”
He tried to throw me a grin, but the pain was raw. “Well, mostly. The businesses are and we don’t handle drugs or guns any longer, but I can’t lie and tell you that we haven’t handled some dangerous people over the years, enemies that returned even decades later to exact revenge. Memories are long in the world of organized crime.”
Memories. Just like his.
“While we try and avoid conflict, sometimes doing so is impossible to avoid. Many years ago, the family had opened a resort and casino and after several months, we were very successful. We’d adapted, something the Bratva was good at doing, computer and contracts used over back door deals and money laundering. But we still had enemies everywhere who loathed our success. I was young and arrogant, so sure of myself and that I could handle any danger.”
“You mean cocky,” I threw in to try to help him not wallow in the despair.
“Exactly. Maybe you know me better than I thought.” His laugh was halfhearted.
“Maybe so.”
He shook his head as the memory continued to eat at him. “When I met her, she almost instantly became the light in my life. I was a fucking crazed kid who wanted to spend every moment with her. She was nothing like the women who hung all over Bratva men, thinking we were all that and a bag of chips.”
“And you aren’t?” I acted shocked.
