Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“And it’s why whatever your ex took is a big deal.” I flick at a speck of drying blood on my shoulder. “You knew all this already.”
“I knew. And I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know, anyway.”
“Does it change anything? Hearing it all confirmed?”
“Not really.” She slumps against my island. “Makes me feel tired is all.”
“You’re welcome to crash in my bed, love.”
Maybe it’s the way I say it, but she stands up and shakes her head. “I need to get home.”
“Alright. No pressure.” I move forward and take her wineglass from her fingers. She surrenders it, but lingers near me. I breathe in the smell of her perfume. Floral and lemony sharp. I like it very much. I’m tempted to fist her hair and pull her in close.
But her nose wrinkles. “You stink like blood.”
“That’s a side effect of my work.”
“Good night, Liam.” She hurries to my door.
“See you in a couple weeks.”
She doesn’t look back as she gets the hell out of there.
CHAPTER 13
REGAN
The sun feels good on my arms and face. I find a decent spot on a low retaining wall in a decorative garden outside a large office building near the one where I work and pop off the lid to my usual afternoon big salad. I crack open a Diet Coke and fold into myself as I eat.
It’s a nice day, but I don’t feel much of anything.
I’ve been numb ever since I went to Liam’s a week ago. I knew it was a mistake, sitting down on that couch in his lobby at ten at night after trying to call up to his apartment. But the obsession wouldn’t let me go.
I had to hear it from him. I needed to know for sure.
I’ve been aiding and abetting a money laundering scheme since the moment I started working at this place.
That’s why Dad wanted me to get my CPA license. He told me as much, but I didn’t want to think about it too deeply. It was easier to stay in denial. We’re just a rich family. We’re successful, and sure, we’re connected to some shady people, but I’m not involved in that side of the operation.
Except I am.
My name’s on all the filings.
All those fake freaking numbers I chose to ignore.
Because that’s what Dad wanted, right?
If I made a scene about them, I’d only prove to my father that I couldn’t be trusted and wasn’t as perfect as I pretended.
Now I know for sure I’ve been used my whole life.
And I’m not going to do a damn thing about it.
That’s the part I can’t get past. I keep waking up in my father’s house and going in to work. I keep on doing my job, even knowing that I’m digging my own grave. My father keeps letting me do it too. He keeps putting the shovel in my hands.
I hardly notice the man who sits beside me. He’s in a short jacket, jeans, nice sneakers. I’m thinking about the mountain of work on my desk when the stranger leans closer and speaks, his voice tinged with a Russian accent.
“Pretty day today, isn’t it?”
I look over. He’s middle aged and lean. His hair is light with some graying streaks. I give him a polite smile. “Yeah, it’s a good one.”
“Perfect day for a pic-nic lunch, I think.” He exhales, stretching his back. “Do you eat out here often, Regan?”
I go still, smile plastered on my face. My head starts spinning. Do I know this guy? Am I forgetting him from somewhere? He knows me—he used my name—but I can’t place him at all.
“I’m sorry, do we know each other?”
“No, no, I’m being rude, I know. My name’s Max Baranov. It’s very nice to meet you.”
I don’t move a muscle. Panic hits a wailing pitch. I know that name, even if I’ve never met the man attached to it.
Max Baranov. Vera’s older brother.
We’ve never met before. My understanding is he’s significantly older, at least ten years or more. I can see the resemblance: same hair color, same sharp facial features.
But what terrifies me is his smile. It’s completely empty.
In high school, there were rumors about Max. He got kicked out for hurting someone, people whispered. He beat up a younger kid over some misunderstanding. He stabbed a girl for cheating on him. He stole, bribed a teacher, and brutally eviscerated a janitor. He was the devil, they whispered.
Vera didn’t talk about him, at least I never heard it.
“Oh, you’re…” I clear my throat, trying to act like this is normal. “Hi, Max. I’m Regan.”
“Yes, I know who you are. I know you very well. My sister speaks highly of you. You and Vera were in the same class, weren’t you?”
I dip my chin. I grip my salad bowl hard to keep my hands steady. “We weren’t close back then.”