The past had come back to bite me, but it wasn’t over with yet.
So much had occurred in a little more than a week. Not only because of my father’s brutal intentions, but also because I’d devised a game of my own, a way of gaining my freedom.
If only I’d known then the price I’d pay.
With my eyes closed, I indulged in the memories that were still far too painful.
After I’d returned from giving him my virginity, I hadn’t told anyone what had happened. Including Sedona. She’d asked several times, but I’d wanted to keep the little secret to myself.
Given my father’s reaction when I’d reappeared, then later when he’d accused me of helping the man escape, I was damn glad I’d kept my mouth shut.
And that I’d thrown away the thong that had been laced with blood.
I opened my eyes, driving the past away. What if I wasn’t crazy after all? If I’d seen Kazimir then his sudden appearance was the beginning of a much larger plan. If my instincts were correct and Kazimir was as powerful as my father, neither he nor his family would allow what had occurred three years ago to go unpunished.
What was the old adage about revenge was best when served cold? My father would never expect anything after three years.
If Kazimir was alive, then he was well aware I’d been a catalyst in at least a portion of what he’d endured. What if he thought I’d had a larger part in the trauma endured? I could be making something out of nothing, but I had to see this through. My instincts were never wrong.
Well, almost never wrong.
My desire to see Kazimir again had outweighed everything else, including what my father might do.
I took a deep breath, realizing this could change everything once again. But I couldn’t help myself.
So after grabbing a bottle of water, I sat down at my computer to search to see what I could find.
Just by reliving the past, a series of triggering sensations brought another wave of agony, including seeing snippets of images that I’d tried very hard to shove aside. I started searching Google, frustrated after only ten minutes.
All the while Golden was pacing.
“It’s okay, honey. Everything is fine.” But was it really?
She peered at me with a little look on her face indicating she was remembering the past just like I was. When she moved toward the couch, grabbing the throw blanket I kept strewn across the back, I was surprised. She had a huge fluffy bed of her own, but she dragged it to the floor, making a nest out of it.
For whatever reason, I was compelled to drop by her side, stroking her fur until her eyes grew heavy. Leaning over, I took a deep whiff before kissing her on top of her head.
Another startling moment. The soft blanket smelled like him. I wasn’t daydreaming. He’d been inside my apartment.
Or at least someone had.
The man who’d been killed?
I certainly couldn’t jump to happy conclusions. If they were happy. Honestly? I felt a little numb inside and had since learning of the news.
Now I was even more determined to find something to confirm my suspicions or crush them once and for all.
Within an hour reality had set in. Finding anything about a Russian with a popular name and little else was pointless. I’d even searched for crime syndicates within Russia. Good luck.
The controlled media meant almost nothing had been forwarded to mainstream society.
If I had someone with a huge database, maybe they could use the picture I’d drawn, but was it drawn to some fantasy or reality? I’d thought I’d remembered every detail about his face. Every line. Every sharp angle. What if I’d been a young girl far too fascinated with the hunky man to obtain and keep an adequate mental picture?
After another hour had passed, I’d almost given up.
Then I’d remembered the name Jules had told me about. When I’d popped that into the mix there’d been nothing as I’d scrolled through thirty Google pages.
Until a single article had caught my attention.
