Page 6 of Demitri

“She was more than a maid,” Grady speaks.

“She was one of my father’s whores.”

Aiden nods gravely, confirming what we all know already. My father was not a good man.

“And when she found herself in the unfortunate situation of being knocked up by my father, she had to disappear. What happened to her? And since I’m sure she’s not the only spawn running around, why is this one so important?”

“Because we think she’s trying to revive the Bratva.”

My stomach drops at the idea. “No.” The word is out before I realize it, and I’m not sure who I’m talking to—them or myself. I can’t help but look to the bar and Mia. I look at the people around the table. “She can’t do that.”

“Whether she can or can’t doesn’t really matter, does it? The fact is, she’s trying. And has some support,” Grady points out.

“Fuck.”

“We’re still looking into it,” Mary, who I know is DEA, offers. “We know she was involved in a rash of high school overdoses recently.”

“Wait, that was her?” I ask, astonished. Everyone in the state has heard about the high school athletes overdosing during games or going crazy at school.

“Partially.” I turn to a man I haven’t met before. “I’m Joker,” he offers. “This is my wife, Ginny. She was working with someone, and now she’s gone rogue and solo.”

I look at the woman sitting next to him. She’s quite beautiful, and I’ve seen her face before. “The music teacher?”

She smiles. “That’s me. And I’d really rather not talk about it, if you already know what happened?”

“Works for me.” I shrug. “You’re amazing with a cello, by the way.”

“Fuck yeah, she is,” Joker mutters under his breath, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s Ginny who kicks him in the shin under the table.

“So, why are you telling me all of this? How do I fit in?”

“You got the inheritance?” Daniel asks.

“I got the legal money, sure. But even more was taken by some alphabet office.”

“Not mine,” Mary offers, smirking at my choice of words.

“That legal money is still more than most will see in their entire lives. And we think she wants it. She needs the capital now that her partner is no longer involved. She needs money to get the support from others that might be waiting for just this moment to come back from hiding.” Nate, who’s been quiet this whole time, finally speaks, looking directly at me.

“And she needs the name to make that happen. More than money, she needs the name,” I mutter.

“Which means she needs you to prove it.”

“As long as you’re alive, you’re a threat to what she wants. Which means you aren’t safe,” Daniel adds.

I rub my hands over my face, trying to clear my head and think.

“Does Aunt Linda know?” I finally ask. Aunt Linda, who knows all, who has a direct line to the President of the United States, who knows how to use every firearm ever made with exact precision, and who is a fucking vault when it comes to secrets, is who met with me when I gave up my family to the feds. Also, don’t ask how I know she has the direct line to the President. I can keep secrets, too.

“Figure that’s our next stop,” Daniel says. “I’ll set it up and let you know.”

“What are you going to do?” Aiden asks.

“I’m not gonna do anything until we know more. I can’t put my life on hold for a possible threat that we don’t know more about.”

“Stay safe out there.”

Out of everyone sitting at this table, Aiden understands the most. He knows what it’s like to have family ties and loyalties you don’t want but can’t get rid of.

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