Page 64 of Gangster's Empire: Leeza & Havel

As she spoke, Saskia peppered her with questions, her features a combination of horror and fascination. “I knew your ex was a total creep!”

“I think this goes beyond creepy,” Leeza said drily.

“Yeah,” Saskia agreed with a smirk. “Who would’ve thought Adam had it in him to be so interesting.”

“That’s sick, Saskia,” Leeza admonished, trying to hide a smile. Trust Saskia to find news of a serial killer in the family more fascinating than horrifying. “Adam is dangerous. You have to take care while he’s on the loose.”

Saskia eyed her sister. “It’s not me he’s obsessed with.”

“Why does everyone think he’s obsessed with me?” Leeza asked impatiently. “He barely paid any attention to me or Kris when we were married. His actions never spoke of some secret obsession.”

“Dude, you clearly weren’t paying attention.” Saskia’s expression grew serious. “I always thought it was weird the way his eyes followed your every move. He tracked you constantly and if you weren’t in the room with him, he completely checked out of whatever conversation was going on around him until you were back.”

“That makes no sense,” Leeza protested. “We didn’t even share a room and we barely spoke to each other. Most of the time he acted like I didn’t exist.”

Saskia shrugged. “Like I said, weird guy.”

After Leeza placed her order and handed her menu to the server, she leaned back in her chair and studied her younger sister. Saskia looked much the same as she always had with her short, curly hair, vivid blue streaks going through the chestnut locks, an AC/DC T-shirt paired with skull leggings, and combat boots. Faint blue marks beneath her eyes and an uncharacteristic slump to her shoulders concerned Leeza.

“How is school?” she asked nonchalantly.

Saskia perked up. “It’s really great! I’m looking forward to next semester. I’ve chosen most of my classes, but I’m trying to decide between an ancient Greek mythology class or another Russian linguistics class. One is more practical and the other is more fun.”

“Go with fun.” Leeza took a sip of her water. “You can always do serious later or learn on the job when you need to but enjoy your studies while you can. You won’t get these years back.”

Saskia studied Leeza. “It’s never too late to go to school. Maybe you should apply.”

Leeza laughed. “Me? What would I do in university?”

Saskia rolled her eyes at her sister. “A business degree, obviously. You’re the most organized person I know. You’re also a problem solver and you enjoy bossing people around. You have the money and the time to further your education, so why not?”

Why not?

Leeza couldn’t think of a single reason. Kris was well taken care of at home, and in fact, thrived when he spent time with multiple caregivers. She had nothing of note to do with her days and she’d been searching for something to keep her busy.

“I’ll think about it,” she said to a beaming Saskia. “I’m not sure I liked school enough the first time around, though, to consider putting myself through that torture again.”

“University and boarding school are nothing alike,” Saskia protested. “Boarding school was meant to turn us into wives. University will turn us into powerhouses.”

Leeza laughed. “Not sure I want to be a powerhouse.” The server arrived and she salivated as her plate of Korean chicken lettuce wraps was placed in front of her.

Saskia looked shrewdly at her sister, moving her water glass as her meal, a spinach and mushroom egg frittata, was served. “The Phantom was a powerhouse.”

Leeza’s smile faded and after the server left, she said in a low voice, “The Phantom is dead.”

“But why?” Saskia protested. “She was the coolest thing about you. No offense.”

“None taken,” Leeza replied sarcastically. “And she’s dead because she caused a lot of problems. How can you condone what I did? I’m the reason everything went bad. I’m the reason our parents are…”

“Don’t,” Saskia said sharply, her eyes filling with tears. She looked away, blinking rapidly. “You aren’t responsible for the things they did. Our mother set those events into motion before you were even born. She killed Jozef’s parents for god’s sake. Both she and Krystoff were monsters!”

Leeza nodded. She’d come to terms with the things her parents had done, but she would always hold a kernel of guilt for her own actions. Maybe she wasn’t entirely responsible, but it was inarguable that she was the one to spark the powder keg that blew up her family.

Leeza changed the subject. “You look tired.”

Saskia shrugged. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“What’s bothering you?”

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