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I blinked but nodded, casting a cautious glance at the closed door between Sasha and I.
* * *
The realizationI’d forgotten my mask in the coat room hit me the second I stepped into the ballroom. Not that it mattered. The police were in the process of making everyone remove theirs, however briefly, for identification. Since I wasn’t a senator with dirty secrets or a corrupt businessman, I didn’t really care who knew if I was here or not.
I suppose I should have cared.
Standing with my arms crossed, I watched the scene unfold like my own personal true-crime documentary. Police separated people into smaller groups and relocated them to other parts of the house for private interviews.
“Small world,” a Russian voice said next to me, sending chills down my spine. It didn’t belong to Sasha — it was Misha.
Glancing up, I hoped for a split second it wasn’t him. Sasha-sized frame, perfectly tailored black tuxedo, and stunning sky-blue eyes? It was Misha without a doubt, even if he was still wearing an intricate silver mask. “What are you doing here?”
“I was invited.” Duh.
“I didn’t realize you knew Bennett.”
Misha smirked, scratching the corner of his mouth with his pinky. “Our paths crossed one or twice. What’s your excuse?”
“He’s like a family friend, I guess. I don’t know. Same social circles anyway.”
He nodded and glanced around, like he was looking for someone. “Are you here alone?”
I hesitated, shifting my weight to the other foot. It’s not that Sasha and I weren’t allowed to be seen together in public, but the two of us showing up for a function like this was bound to filter back to Sergei now that Misha was here. Not to mention, the mysterious blonde in the red dress and whatever relationship she had to this whole happy little crime family.
“Yep,” I replied, popping the ‘p’ in the hope it sold my irritation. Just in case it didn’t, I switched gears. “Do you know what’s going on? Why are the cops here? And why can’t we leave? I have stuff to do tomorrow. I’d like to be home before midnight.”
“Oh, it’s because there’s been a murder.”
I stared at him, holding my breath and waiting for the punchline. He said it so casually. It had to have been a joke, right? With Halloween right around the corner, it was an elaborate murder-mystery dinner thing... right?
When Misha didn’t volunteer anymore information, I filled the silence with more questions. “Are you serious?! Someone was murdered in the middle of all of this? How? Where? Who?”
Misha pulled his cell phone out of his inner pocket and swiped through the screens before handing it to me.
Holy shit!
It was the blonde chick!
One picture showed her smiling and very much alive, obviously taken earlier in the evening. Her arm was twined through Misha’s, of all fucking people. For being gay, or whatever he was, he sure looked cozy enough with his arm around her and his hand resting on the curve of her hip.
“Swipe right,” Misha said, as stoic as ever.
The next photo showed the same woman sprawled on an oriental rug in what looked like an office or a library. Blood coated the front of her dress, all thanks to the knife someone stabbed right in the middle of her chest. Pink foam spewed from her mouth and her wide green eyes stared at something off-screen.
There was no point in asking how, orwhy, Misha had pictures of a dead chick on his phone. I was sure I didn’t want to know the answer anyway.
A lump rose in my throat and no amount of swallowing would get rid of it. “Who is she?”
“She was my date for tonight but I lost track of her a little bit ago. Valery swore he saw Sasha with her. Are you sure he’s not here?” Misha looked around again, methodically scanning the crowd. It’s not like Sasha would be hard to miss, but thankfully he was nowhere to be seen.
I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts together instead of the constantoh shit oh shit oh shitstreaming through my brain. “He hates Halloween,” was all I could come up with. It was still a good defense when it came to Sasha. Misha had to have known what a stubborn asshole he could be when he one-hundred percent didnotwant to do something, so me showing up alone to an event like this was definitely plausible.
Misha nodded and squeezed my bicep gently. “Watch your back, Roan. After tonight, I have a feeling things are going to take a turn in the city.” And on that creepy note, he walked away to meet up with a small group of men.Hismen. Men who knew Sasha and knew him well. Men like Valery, who I could see giving me the evil eye from across the room.
“What the fuck did you do now, Sasha?” I muttered to myself, hoping there was a reasonable explanation for all of this. Well… As reasonable as it could be with a Russian hitman.
15
