Page 73 of In Her Blood
Evelina blinked, barely hearing Grigoriy’s next string of curses as she replayed the words and re-examined the man who’d spoken them.
Cousin.
He gave Grigoriy a shove with his foot before straightening and taking only half a step back. But the movement drew her eye to the peek of a tattoo that seemed to be climbing up from his partially unbuttoned shirt. It looked like the maw of a beast … like a dragon.
Evelina pushed at Otto again, concern distracting her for a beat when he allowed her freedom and lowered his gun. But he’d been with her since everything had started, and he hadn’t had the handicap of oxygen deprivation. If anything, he’d probably connected the dots earlier. Although she was still somewhat afraid to articulate her suspicions in words.
Because it was beyond crazy.
But she pushed to her feet, feeling more embarrassed about her abysmal state than she had when she’d been waiting for Grigoriy, and glanced between the three one more time. Not that it made much difference. The one on Grigoriy’s opposite side, a couple paces back, held a pistol low at his side. The other stood half a pace behind him and met her stare with an unreadable expression, both hands in his pockets.
“Evelina.”
Her focus snapped to the closest man again, the one who’d stepped on Grigoriy. The one who was obviously in charge. She swallowed a strange rush of nerves and dug up her voice. “I’ve not been the best judge of people today”—she motioned vaguely toward Grigoriy—“so I would rather not humiliate myself further by attempting to assume I’ve recognized you.” There was a chance that was rude, but she had no idea what she was supposed to be saying in this situation.
The man in front of her offered a faint smile, little more than a twitch of his lips, and said, “It’s not often I find myself in a position to say this, Evelina, and for many people I wouldn’t. But as we are family, and I was raised to value that, I’ll offer these words to you. I am sorry. No matter my reasons, I made unfavorable judgments of you and treated you harshly when you did not deserve it.”
She felt her mouth drop open. She was pretty sure she saw someone stumble, but she’d have had to look away—to look past the people directly in front of her—to be certain.
“I did my research—”
The man with both hands still in his pockets cleared his throat pointedly.
The shadow smile appeared again, looking more like amusement for a moment. “We know the truth. Or enough of it to be willing to hear the rest.” He cast his gaze down to the grumbling man beside him. “I would also be more than happy to help you clean house, if you’re having difficulties.”
Bozhe moy.She didn’t know who else they could be. This man, the people with him, they were her other family. The family she’d been held apart from her entire life.
They were the family her mother had been denied.
Evelina felt her throat swell with the thought and had to shove her emotions back down. It was not the time to be falling to pieces. “So, no burning to ashes?”
His gaze slipped past her for a beat. “Not for you.” He held out a hand. “This is not how we should be meeting, Evelina, but I am Dante De Salvo, and I—and my brothers here—are your cousins.”
Grigoriy coughed. “De Salvo?” he repeated, an audible note of disbelief beneath the strain in his voice.
Evelina ignored him and reached out, tucking her hand into Dante’s waiting palm and watching as if having an out of body experience.Is this really happening right now?A strangled laugh escaped her before their hands fell apart and she thoughtlessly blurted, “You’re not gonna try to kill me when I turn around or anything, right?”
Dante arched a brow.
“No offense,” the one with the gun said, “but you’ve been wide open this whole time. And asshole here”—he waved the gun at Grigoriy—“outmanned you. We wouldn’t have had to try.”
“Romeo,” Dante said sharply.
Evelina shook her head. “Right, no, that makes sense.” She dragged in a breath and was stupidly startled when Otto settled a hand at her back. Then she relaxed. “It’s just, before the asshole here—”
Grigoriy bit out a string of derogatory insults, proving he was following the conversation.
Dante snapped his fingers and two different men rushed up, tucking weapons away and reaching for Grigoriy like they werehauling supplies. As they worked, Dante said, “Gag him before I owe my cousin another apology.”
“Yes, Boss,” one of the pair replied.
The other one glanced up. “Uh, where to, Boss?”
The youngest brother pulled a phone from his pocket and answered instead. “Just throw him into his own SUV and drive. Miguel will find you a place.”
Dante dipped his chin and the pair dragged Grigoriy’s already unconscious form away.
Evelina wasn’t even sure when they had knocked him out.
