“Hi, this is Aiden Romanov, I was hoping to speak to Persephone.Is she available?”
“No, I’m afraid she’s not. She’s in Sicily until next week.Can I ask why Aiden Romanov would be calling?”
That’s an odd thing to say to a man like me.“Who am I speaking to?”
“This is Davide Portaleu, her P.A.”
Sounds a little more invested than a mere P.A to me, but I’ll play.“I need to talk to her about a sensitive matter, is there a number I can reach her on?”
It’s best I call it sensitive because if it’s true, and it looks like it is, then what must have essentially happened is her husband had a serious affair and had two kids.There’s no way she wouldn’t have known that.
“If it’s sensitive then it’s best you run it past me first.Madame Persephone has a weak constitution.She can’t handle sensitive.”
I narrow my eyes and only decide to talk to him because I don’t have time for shit.
“It’s about her husband and the Markov family.”
He goes quiet and I get the feeling that right there is more confirmation.
“Aiden Romanov, I think it’s best if you wait for Madame Persephone to return from Italy for that one.You will need to talk to her face to face.”
It seems the subject is a little more than sensitive.Persephone is eighty-five years old, so I respect the request.
“All right. Can you call me with a time that I might see her when she returns?”
“Of course, Pakhan.”
Well, he knows who I am. I quickly rattle off my number and hang up, then I must sit there in my chair for close to an hour mulling over everything and trying to decide what to do with Olivia.
I don’t know what to make of herbrother.There’s no evidence except her word that he’s alive. However, I can’t allow myself to believe anything other than facts until I see otherwise.
A majority of what Olivia said checkedout.But things are still outstanding.
Important things I can’t overlook.
There’s every chance there are things she’s not saying. After all she lied before.
Besides, I would never just let her go just because I found some truths.
That’s not how things work in the Bratva and not how I work.
In the Bratva if you lie the way she did to get close to a man like me you pay with your life.
I have every reason to keep her. And it’s not because I still want to fuck her.
She tried to trick me, and more importantly Jude is working for the Order, has my name and information from the past that must link him with knowledge on the whereabouts of my son.
I can't dismiss the possibility he could have sent her, although I can’t imagine sending my woman out to seduce another man. But the benefits of me dead and off the Order’s back would outweigh any possession a man could have over his woman.
Whatever the reasoning, the facts show she’s important to him and now that I have her, she’s leverage. That is what she became when she stepped into my lair.
She also became mine.
I'm prepared for whatever Jude throws at me if and when he discovers I have his woman, so let him come. I don't give a fuck who he is.
I won’t however bring Armageddon the way I have here in L.A. just yet. Not until I’ve done a full investigation on him and see what he might have on Aleksei.
Investigating him is not like looking for Dr. Pearson. Pearson was just a lead to find another lead, and it’s still a path I’ll follow.