Page 92 of Wrapped in Perfection

"Not everything. He won't tell me anything that would put me in danger. But I know you saw him yesterday. He's on his way to New York. I'm not stupid."

Chase stays silent.

"Do you want me to stay or go?"

"Of course I want you to stay."

"Okay. I will. But one more thing."

He raises his eyebrows. "What?"

"We're never having this conversation again. You'll accept Dmitri and welcome him into our family." I don't stay for an answer. I know my brother. He can stew over it, but his final decision will be to do what I ask.

I go into the kitchen.

"Everything okay?" Vivian nervously asks.

"Yeah. I'm going to be staying for a few days."

"Good. I've missed seeing you."

"I want to go shopping later. Do you have to work today, or do you want to go with me?"

"I'm free. I'd love to go."

"Okay. I'm going to do some work for a while. Want to grab lunch first? I'm craving a cheeseburger. I haven't had one in years."

Vivian smiles. "Yes."

"Great." I tap Viktor on the shoulder. "Let's go, big guy. I'll put some coffee on in my part of the Monroe mansion."

18

Dmitri

Boris handsme the pictures of Anna I got from the police and hospital files. Chase may have contacts in New York, but so do I. Once I knew where Mitch lived, I made a call to get everything from both incidents. It's the first time seeing the photos, and my stomach pitches so hard, I swallow down bile. My beautiful Anna is unrecognizable. Bruises and blood cover her face and body. I wonder how she survived. Her ribs on the X-rays are cracked into pieces.

How did she hide it from her family?

She must have been in excruciating pain.

Boris scowls. "Her brother didn't kill him?"

I give him the pictures of Mitch and Chase that the police took the night he brought Anna to Chicago.

Boris glances at everything and whistles. "Bet the police had a hard time breaking those two up."

"What do you need me to arrange, Dmitri?" Tolik Ivanov, one of our cousins who lives in New York City, strokes his black beard that hangs to the bottom of his neck. We're in his apartment overlooking Manhattan. He's who I called yesterday. Within hours, he messaged me. He got everything I wanted without any issues.

I brought Boris so I don't kill Mitch. I know if I cross that line, Anna won't be able to forgive me. So as much as I want to rip him to shreds and watch the last drop of blood leave his body, I won't do it.

Boris has more patience than I do. He is a fighter in the ring and a master at torture outside of it. He can control his rage or let it spiral when appropriate. I have a more challenging time. It's a flaw I have, and I know it. So I brought Boris because Anna means too much to me to screw this up.

"I need movers who can keep their mouth shut. Everything goes. Her samples get packaged and shipped overnight to my place. I'll take her laptop. Anything else in the apartment gets removed and donated to a family in need. I don't want one piece of silverware or tube of toothpaste left in his place, except for the blue skillet."

"The blue skillet?"

"Yes."

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