Page 149 of Eternal
How the fuck am I supposed to do my job when the only thing I want to do is come back to her and ruin her for anyone else?
38
DAMIR
“Rosemary” by Deftones
Present
I’m pacing again.
Our last mission after the dinner was a few days ago and it was too quick for my liking. She was really thoughtful that day, but her eyes felt empty.
But I had a lot of questions and never had the time to focus on them.
I dial Lev’s number on my phone, and when he answers, there’s a distinct thought in my mind because I know what to ask.
“Lev, I need to know something,” I say. “The Bratva…did we ever have any Jordanian associates?”
There’s a long pause on the other end, like he’s trying to figure out why I’m asking. “Jordanian?” Lev repeats slowly. “Why the hell would you want that info?”
“Tell me, Lev.”
Another pause, then Lev sighs. “Alright. Yeah, I’ve heard about a story from like twenty years ago about a Jordanian woman. She was a lawyer, married to one of our top enforcers. They were all killed in one night. The parents, the kids. All of them.” His voice drops. “It was brutal. Viktor and his father looked into it for years. They never found who did it. Apparently, they were loved in the clan.”
“Kids you say?”
“Yeah, a boy and a girl.”
A boy too? And the girl, the little girl... She was part of this?
“Do you remember the name?”
Lev’s response is quick. “I don’t remember the name,Viper.It was so fucking long ago. But let me look into it for you. It’s not something I’ve thought about in a long time.”
“Okay, let me know when you find something.”
I end the call and immediately begin searching myself. I don’t like doing that. Actually, I don’t like doing that to her. Cause if she is that little girl, it means I don’t know anything about her past and that I’m searching through something she probably wants to forget.
I scroll through articles, news reports, trying to find anything that connects to what Lev said. And then, buried deep within a legal blog, I found something.
“Well-Loved Lawyer Found Dead in Brutal Attack: Investigation Continues” The headline catches my eye, and I click on the link.
It’s an article from years ago, detailing the murder of a respected lawyer and her family. She worked for the bratva unofficially but also in a women’s defense organization, fighting for the rights of those too often overlooked, too often silenced. The article mentions that she had been involved in several high-profile cases, earning admiration across the industry.
Her death was described as a shock to many, a loss to the legal world.
The picture accompanying the article is of a beautiful, poised woman, her dark eyes full of grace. It feels like I’m looking at her for the first time, but I know... I know why she looked familiar.
The article doesn’t give much else, no clues on who could have done it, no mention of her family’s slaughter.
I scroll through the article again, looking for any lead I might have missed. But nothing.
Who are you?
The phone slips from my hand onto the table, and I stand there for a moment.
Think Viper. Think.
