Sighing, I dragged out a chair and fell into it. “And you think killing her will solve all of my problems."
He didn’t even look at me. “It would solve all of your wife and son’s, Alexei, and they should be what matters to you.”
The accusation in his voice was clear. “They are what matters to me, but that doesn’t mean Violet deserves to die.”
“She almost killed Amy and your son, Alexei. If anyone deserves to die, it’s Violet.”
Behind me, I heard the carer gasp. I’d almost forgotten she would have known Amy and liked her. Twisting in my seat. “Can you give us some privacy? The kitchen is at the end of the hallway.” I didn’t bother to check she had left before I turned back to my grandfather.
“That isn’t your decision to make,” I said coldly and heard Violet let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, you’re not doing it, Alexei. I would have thought after everything—”
“I haven’t forgiven her,” I snapped back. “What she did was unforgivable, but Violet has been part of my life forever. I can’t just have her executed without hearing her side of the story.”
The elderly man said something in Russian that made my eyes widen.
“Thank you, Alexei.” Violet reached over the table and tried to take my hand. “I knew you would understand. I knew you still cared.”
I ripped my fingers from hers, wiping them on my pant leg. “I don’t understand, Violet,” I said coldly. “But I’m giving you the chance to explain it to me so that I might understand.”
She sobbed, but it was a dry sound. Was she faking it? I searched her face. It was dry. She didn’t look like she was crying at all. “Thank you, Alexei, I won’t let you down again.”
“You won’t get the chance. Tell me everything.” Settling back in my chair, I studied her. “And believe me, the only reason you are still breathing is because my wife and child are. This means nothing.”
Her smile faltered. Violet blinked, and tears slipped down hercheek. The first one I had seen on her face. But she didn’t say anything. Bristling with rage, my grandfather pulled a gun from somewhere on his person and aimed it directly at her face.
Where had the old man gotten a gun from in his nursing home?
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” she cried. “Alexei, please,” again she begged for me.
“Just tell me the—” Truth, I was going to say, when she burst into tears. They flooded her face and soaked her cheeks.
“Kristoff.” She sobbed out, her words barely recognizable.
Kristoff. An icy calm settled over me. I wasn’t surprised. I’d heard his name mentioned at the club.
“You have been working with Kristoff?” I asked.
She lifted her face to meet my eyes. And for a second, I saw the woman I would have once done anything for. She looked like a broken doll. There wasn’t any hope in her eyes.
“He made me—” she stuttered. “He made me do it all, Alexei.”
Without thinking, I reached out and touched the back of her hands. “He forced you to do all of this. Why didn’t you just tell me straight away, Violet?” I asked softly.
“I couldn’t. He said he would kill me, and I believed him. He hates you, Alexei. He wants to end your family once and for all. That’s why he sent me after Amy. I wasn’t going to kill her, though. I just wanted to scare her enough that she would run away and never come back.”
I frowned and pulled my hand back when she went to entwine our fingers. Her face fell. Some of what she was saying didn’t make sense.
“You could have told me,” I said again firmly. “But you need to tell me everything now. There can’t be any secrets between us, Violet.”
“He will kill me.”
“I’ll protect you. I’ve always protected you. Just give me what I need on Kristoff to keep my wife and child safe. If you have ever cared for me, you will.”
“You’re a fool, Alexei,” My grandfather muttered. “You need to end this once and for all.”
Ignoring him, I trained my gaze on the blonde in front of me. “Tell me everything.”
