Satin Princess(8)

Yulian frowns. “What does her phone have to do with anything?”

Lev looks irritated. “It’s a device used for talking to people who may otherwise be far away.”

“Fuck off,” Yulian says. Then he frowns. “You think someone called and talked her out of staying? Maybe one of her friends?”

“Whoever is doing this isn’t a friend,” Lev says softly.

I turn to him. “You think that the person trying to undermine me is the one who got to Jessa?”

Lev nods. “What other explanation is there?”

“Nah, c’mon,” Yulian protests, looking between Lev and me. “There are tons of other explanations. Also, who is trying to undermine you?”

“Grow the fuck up, Yulian. Rodion didn’t get suspicious of me on his own.”

“The hell he didn’t! He knew about your problems with Marina. Papa Bear got mad. Simple as that.”

“Yes, and every time I managed to convince him that I didn’t have anything to do with her death, he came back, his suspicions stronger than ever.”

“Because someone was stoking the rumors,” Lev adds. “Putting fuel on the fire.”

“This is all just a theory, though,” Yulian points out. “Right? No hard evidence?”

“Think about it,” I tell my brother. “The rumor was circulating through the underworld from the moment Marina was found dead. Someone was fanning the flames.”

“And why would this person choose to include Jessa in their schemes?” Yulian asks skeptically.

“I don’t know yet. But I guarantee you one thing: I’m going to find out.”

Yulian grunts in acknowledgement, then pulls out his phone and starts hitting keys manically.

“What are you doing?”

He barely glances at me. “Trying to see if I can find any leads. See if maybe we can close in on whoever it is that has it out for you.”

Lev meets my eyes and shrugs. “It’s not a bad idea…”

“No, it’s not,” I admit. But my focus is not really on the shadow enemy I’m fighting at the moment.

It’s on the woman I love who’s carrying my baby.

Lev seems to sense the same thing. He moves next to me and says softly, “We’ll find her, brother. I swear to you.”

But I don’t need reassurance; I need answers.

“I have no doubt,” I tell him. “But in what state of mind? Whatever forced her out of here was convincing enough to make her do a one-eighty on me. On us.”

“Is it possible she stumbled across something she shouldn’t have?”

“Like what?”

Lev gives me a knowing look. “The tapes?”

I scoff at the suggestion. “Those tapes are under lock and key in my office. But I have a feeling I know who she might have called.”

“Who?” This time, it’s Yulian who asks.

His eyes still dart between me and the phone, but he seems interested. “A man named Christopher Eckhart,” I say grudgingly. “A friend. The two of them are close.”

“How close?”

Too damn close for my liking, is the answer that comes to the tip of my tongue. But I repress the unwanted thought. “They’ve been friends since college.”

“Is that all they are?” Yulian probes.

Lev throws him a warning look, but my brother is too distracted to pay attention.

“Of course that’s all they are,” I growl. “She’s carrying my baby. She agreed to move into my home. Do I look like the kind of man who shares?”

Yulian raises his eyebrows, his expression turning stubborn. “She did all that right before she left without telling you. Sounds like she may have been telling you what you wanted to hear.”

I narrow my eyes at Yulian. “You really think I’m that easy to fool?”

“She is the first girl I’ve heard you refer to as ‘your woman,’” he says. “As far as I’m concerned, anything is possible now. I wouldn’t be surprised to see pigs flying past the window.”

Lev steps between us before I can get angry. “Don’t listen to him, Anton. I’m sure there’s an explanation for why Jessa left, and the sooner we find her, the sooner we find out what it is.”

“Have you tapped her phone?” Yulian asks.

“No.”

“What is this, amateur hour?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “She wasn’t my prisoner. I didn’t see the need.”

“So we wait for her to use her credit cards?” Lev suggests.

“She won’t,” I say confidently. “She’s too smart for that.”

“Then—”

“Like I said, she’ll be with Chris.”

Yulian looks unimpressed. “Wherever he is.”

“It won’t take that much effort to hunt him down,” I point out. “Lev?”

“On it.”

He’s already heading out the door. That’s good.

On the other hand, it leaves Yulian and me alone, which isn’t ideal. My brother isn’t the best company when I’m already on edge. He has no filter, and there is no one as good as family at driving you fucking crazy.