“She was wearing one of those moon bump things the entire time. I’m pretty sure she came back and was going to try to trap Alexei by fucking him and faking a pregnancy. But his being married changed all that. At the end of the day,” he paused for dramatic effect, “she got him good. Even her doctor,” he air quoted, “was in on it, someone she was fucking back in their college days.”
My eyebrows slammed down. Violet had been dating me throughout college. Anger rippled through me, forcing my hand to clench around the glass with so much force that I was afraid it was going to smash and give me away.
“So you mean,” the laughter lifted so high that it was impossible to remember the next few words, and when I could again, I seemed to have missed the first half of the conversation.
“I’m glad the wife got away, though. Honestly, I thought Violet would put a hit out on her.”
“She tried, or so people tell me, but Alexei is not a man to be underestimated, and whether he cared for Amy or not, it would be dangerous to take out his wife. I reckon she will try again now the wife has been found, though.”
Violet had done what? After everything I had heard, it wasn’t eventhe most surprising. I might not have known the Violet wasn’t everything I always thought she was, but I suspected.
“Well, I’m glad she got away. I saw her once. She’s a tight little thing.”
“Yeah, I heard that as well.” One of the men in front of me made a crude motion with his hands, and more laughter bubbled up.
God, I wanted to tell them to shut up and just talk, so I could find out what else they knew. But my anger was threatening to boil over, and with what I had just heard, there was only one person it should be directed at. Violet.
Standing up quickly, I threw a roll of hundreds into the middle of their table, and an uneasy silence fell. “For the information, gentleman.” I didn’t look back as I walked away
An hour and a half later, I was home. Violet, as always, was in the main living room, shopping bags strewn all around her and an empty bottle of the best champagne thrown haphazardly at her feet. Drunk again. And no doubt my credit cards had taken a beating to accommodate her shopping spree.
“Alexei, darling.” She crooned, pushing herself upright and coming towards me. The entire time, her eyes struggled to stay focused.
“Is it true?”
She froze like a deer in the headlights, her whole body going stiff. “Alexei?” she whispered. “Is what true?”
“Do you know where she is?”
One hand fluttered to her neckline, twisting it. Violet knew she was in trouble. I could see it in the fear in her eyes. Never in all the years that I knew her had I ever wanted her afraid of me, but I relished in it now.
“I don’t—”
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Violet,” I screamed at her. My hands balled into fists at my side. “I’ve had enough of your lies to last me an entire life. Just tell me.”
There was a second where her every emotion flickered across her face, and I knew before he opened her mouth that she was going to lieagain. It seemed to come as easy as breathing to her. Why hadn’t I seen this side of her before?
“Alexei, sweetheart, I don’t know what you are talking about. You seem stressed. Why don’t you come upstairs, and I will help relieve some of this tension you are holding?” Seductively, she closed the gap between us, running her hands down the inside of my jacket.
So that was going to be her angle. She was trying to seduce me again. It hadn’t worked before, and it sure as hell wouldn’t work now. I moved without thinking, gripping the silk of her nightdress in one fist. I twisted it and lifted her so that only the very tips of her toes brushed the carpet.
“Don’t fucking lie to me, Violet. Where is my wife?”
Her hands clawed at mine, but I didn’t loosen my grip. “Alexei, stop, you’re frightening me.”
My eyebrows shot up. Frightening her. I would do more than frighten her if she didn’t start talking.
Walking us backwards, I slammed her down onto the sofa, kicking away the empty bottle so it rolled under the table. My hand closed around her throat, and I squeezed.
“Don’t think I won’t do it, Violet. Don’t think for one God damn second that I won’t squeeze the life out of you right here and now. Do you know where my wife is?”
She couldn’t talk because of my hand around her throat, but she nodded just slightly.
Fuck, she knew. “How long?” My voice shook with the effort not to end her miserable life once and for all. Instead of talking, she made a gagging sound.
I reeled backwards, my hands clenching and unclenching as she scrambled back and sucked in a deep breath. When she could finally breathe normally, she scowled at me. “A few days. And he saw her—” Suddenly, she stopped, almost like she had realized she had said too much. “I was just meeting a friend, and he thought he saw her.”
Blowing out a breath, I forced myself to step away from her. A male friend? We both knew she didn’t have male friends, but aftertonight’s revelations, I could well believe she had male lovers. And surprisingly, I didnt care.
