Page 41 of Claimed By my Ex’s Uncle

"Fine," she mutters, stalking back into the store. "But don’t think that you can just talk your way out of this, Rose."

I follow her in, Ilya’s hand on my waist, steering me. He seems willing to let me take the lead here, probably sensing that she’s only interested in talking to me. I don’t know what the fuck she has got into her head about me and Petar, but if it means that we can make some sense of where Petar is and what he’s been up to, maybe we can get some explanation for the note that was left in my room.

There are no other customers inside, much to my relief. With the store changing hands, it’s probably not been the best time for business. Lisa rounds on me as soon as the door swings shut, her lip curled and her eyes flashing with such hatred, I feel like they might punch straight through me.

"So, are you going to tell me where he is?” she demands.

"Lisa, I have no idea where Petar went," I tell her. It’s the truth, of course, but not exactly what she wants to hear from me. She tosses her head back, her slightly overgrown mane of blond hair flying in every direction as she makes a point of showing how ridiculous she finds that answer.

"Oh, yeah, very good," she snorts. "I know he went crawling back to you. Probably worried that I would sell him out, huh? Since I know where all the bodies are buried."

"Lisa, you have to believe me, I have no idea where Petar is," I reply. "And if I did, I would tell you. Or the cops. I don’t give a damn about him anymore, because he didn’t give a damn about me. And it seems like he doesn’t care about you, either, for that matter."

She bristles, but I can tell I’m starting to get through to her.

"Well, you wouldn’t know anything about our relationship," she replies haughtily. "He told me what kind of girlfriend you were when you were together. God, no wonder he cheated on you. It sounds like you were nothing more than a thorn in his side.”

I wait for the hurt to follow her jab, but to my surprise, it doesn’t. Because I truly don’t give a damn what that man has to say about me. He can spin whatever stories he wants to the women he’s with, tell them that I’m the worst girlfriend on earth and that he practically had no choice but to cheat on me, but I don’t care. I see him for who he is now, and nothing will undo the contempt I feel for him now.

Lisa seems to sense that she’s not achieved her goal of causing me pain because her eyes are beginning to fill with tears. She shakes her head, a few drops falling down her cheeks.

"I don’t know where he is," she whines. "He—he was meant to come find me after he was out, but that was ten days ago now, and⁠—"

"Ten days ago?" Ilya cuts in.

She glances at him, frowning. "What’s it got to do with you?” she demands, and, for a moment, I have the same question. But then, it hits me. If Petar was gone ten days ago, there’s no way he could have been the one to leave the note under my pillow. He might have had something to do with it, sure, but he wouldn’t have been able to get in to do it directly. Which means that someone else must have been responsible for slipping it into my room.

Ilya is not stupid; he understands now, too, that Petar wasn’t the one who left the note. And he is not going to let Lisa go until he shakes loose every last bit of information he can from her.

"Ten days," he growls. "That’s how long it’s been since you heard from him? You’re sure of it?”

She nods, swiping the tears away from her face. "Yes, but⁠—"

"Ten fucking days," he growls.

Lisa plants her hands on her hips. "And who exactly are you?"

"I’m his uncle," he replies. And as he looks back at her, I see something shift in her gaze. Her tears dry as her mind moves to the next possibility.

"Oh, of course," she replies as she runs a hand through her hair. "You know, Petar told me about you. He said that you were... well, that you had plenty of success."

She flutters her lashes at him, and I feel a rush of—wait, is that jealousy? I mean, I still don’t know where the hell I stand with Ilya, or where my feelings about him leave me, but when she looks at him like that, it sparks something fierce that I cannot deny. Something that I don’t want to ignore.

"I’m sure that you have a much better grasp on this than Rose does," Lisa, practically purring as she takes a step closer to him, planting a tender hand on his chest .

But Ilya remains cold as concrete, not giving her an inch, and he brushes her hand away. "You should leave," he tells her, his voice leaving no room for argument. His tone wipes the smile from Lisa’s face, and I can’t help but feel a little gratified that he seems utterly uninterested in her attempts to charm him.

"Well, it’s not like I have anywhere to go," she huffs angrily. "I⁠—"

"You have to be at a hearing at the end of the month, don’t you?" he replies. "Best get your ducks in a row and try to avoid prison time. Because I’m sure Petar will be the first to point the finger at you, given the chance."

Her face darkens again, and she glares at the two of us, frustrated that her plans have not worked.

"You’re threatening me now?"

"I’m giving you advice,” Ilya says. “And you’d do well to take it."

A beat of silence plays between them, and I half-expect her to shoot back with another angry remark. But thank God, she seems to think better of it and flounces out past us, the bell above the door ringing to announce her departure.