"I've always played dangerous games."
"Not like this." He moves toward the door, then pauses. "Be careful, Ilya. You're not just risking your empire anymore. You're risking her too."
He leaves, and I'm alone with my thoughts. I need to meet her soon. This isn’t sustainable for much longer—sneaking around, watching her, sending her gifts. There’s nowhere to go from here except deciding how I’m going to insert myself into her life, finally introduce myself and pull her into my world for good.
She needs to be seduced. I’ve done all I can from a distance.
Now I have to figure out how to seduce her in person, before she finds out too much about who I really am. Before she has a chance to run.
When she sees me again, she’ll remember how I made her feel. She’ll see everything I’ve done for her, and she’ll know it was me.
And then she’ll be mine in every way.
11
MARA
Detective Wilshire calls me back three days after I find the hand.
I've left four messages by then, each one more desperate than the last. The first was professional and calm—just checking in on the investigation, wondering if there were any leads. By the fourth, I was barely holding it together, my voice shaking as I asked if I was in danger, if they'd found anything, if they had any idea who did this.
When my phone finally rings with a number I recognize from the police station, I answer before the second ring.
"Ms. Winslow, this is Detective Wilshire returning your calls."
His voice is flat, bored even, like he's calling about a parking ticket instead of a severed hand left at my door.
"Detective, thank you for calling back. I was wondering if there were any updates on the case? Any leads on who?—"
"The case has been closed."
I freeze, my brain struggling to process what he just said. "I'm sorry, what?"
"The case has been closed. You're not in any danger. You can go about your normal life."
"Closed?" I stand up abruptly, pacing my apartment. "How can it be closed? Someone left a severed hand at my door. Someone cut off a man's hand and?—"
"I understand your concern, Ms. Winslow, but the matter has been handled."
"Handled? What does that mean? Did you find who did it? Did Richard Maxwell identify someone? What did he tell you?"
There's a pause on the other end of the line. When Detective Wilshire speaks again, his voice is even more clipped. "I can't discuss the details of the investigation."
"But you just said it was closed. If it's closed, surely you can tell me?—"
"Ms. Winslow." He cuts me off, and there's something in his tone now that makes my skin prickle. "The case is closed. That's all I can tell you. I suggest you move on and put this behind you."
"Move on? Someone is stalking me. Someone cut off a man's hand because he—" I stop myself before I say too much. "I need to know if I'm safe. I need to know who did this."
"You're not in danger anymore. That's all you need to know."
"That's not all I need to know!" My voice rises and then breaks, frustration and fear bleeding through. "How can you just close a case like this? What about the card? The initials? Did you even investigate?—"
"Ms. Winslow." His voice is hard now, final. "This is above my pay grade. The case is closed. If you have any further concerns, you can file a report, but I'm telling you right now that nothing will come of it. Go about your life. Forget this happened."
"How am I supposed to forget?—"
But he's already hung up.
