“Please don’t hurt me that way. Not like him.” I can’t even hear what I’m saying. He hears though and moves back.
When the blur of tears clears from my eyes, I notice something shifts in his. Something that makes him look human again. Almost.
I won’t be fooled though into thinking I have hope. I know I shouldn’t look for such a thing where there is none.
“Tell the truth. I want it all. You can start with who sent you.”
I breathe out a ragged breath and gather my composure. “Nobody sent me.”
“I just said don’t lie,” he roars.
“I’m not lying to you. I’m looking for my brother. He went missing five years ago. We were told he was dead, but then I found out he wasn’t.”
He considers this for a moment and narrows his eyes. “The picture of the man with the tattoo confirms you must be linked to someone from the Order. So don’t fucking lie to me. Who the fuck is he?”
I stare at him in horror as I think of what he’s asking me.
If he’s seen the picture of Eric, doesn’t recognize him, is asking me who he is, then it means he doesn’t know him.
And that means this was all for nothing.
This risk was all for nothing.
“Answer me!” He bellows.
“That’s my brother. His name is Eric. Eric Markov. You’ve never seen him before?” I ask the foolish question.
“No. And I’m the one asking the questions here, not you.”
Oh God… this was all a mistake.
All of it.
Everything.
“I only came to L.A. because your name came up when the person who was helping me look for him found it.” Of course, I’m leaving Amy’s name out of this.
“How did my name come up?”
“In Jude Kuzmin’s files,” I answer having no qualms in telling him that part. I can’t die here. If he doesn’t know Eric and has no information on where I can find him, I need him to let me go so I can get back to my mother.
“Jude Kuzmin?” He holds my gaze. He seems to recognize Jude’s name.
“Yes.”
“I have no business with Jude Kuzmin. He has no reason to have my name.”
“It’s him who’s linked to the Order. He has you listed in his files as a former enforcer.”
At that his skin pales, and I don’t know what part of what I said made him react that way. The part about Jude’s link to the Order or Jude having Aiden listed as a former enforcer.
It doesn’t matter. I continue with the truth hoping it will save me.
“He’s working with a man called Igor Evanovich. The two of them are linked to the Order. I heard Jude talking on the phone. He mentioned a tributary payment to Igor and how he staged Eric’s death. He said keeping him alive had been a benefit to them all. Jude plans to marry me so he can take ownership of my family’s company. I came to L.A. to find you, hoping you might have information on where my brother is. If I find him it fixes everything. He’ll be able to take back the company and force Jude out of power. That’s the truth.”
“Even if I knew who your brother was, what made you think I would help you? And, what the fuck did you plan to do to get that help?”
My breath stills because we both know the answer to that question.