Page 42 of Devil's Retribution
“I’ll get a call when they do.” He lifted an eyebrow. “You seem nervous.”
“I’m just wondering what craziness I’m going to learn about my uncle next.” I let out a high, nervous laugh. “I used to think he was the kindest man I knew. But then again, back then I had to depend on him for everything.”
“He may have felt guilty for stealing from you. Or, he may simply have been covering his own ass.”
My throat tightened. There was part of me that still ached from the betrayal. “Probably the second one, if he’s done all the things we think.”
“Mm. Good guess.” His face softened slightly at my expression. “Does it sadden you so much?”
“I’m a psychiatrist,” I sighed. “I’m supposed to be an expert at figuring out other people. But I never saw this coming.”
“You had a bias. He is family.” He hesitated, then reached over and took my free hand gently. I looked from my hand to him, but didn’t pull away or complain. My skin started to tingle a little. “And apparently, a quite accomplished liar.”
“I guess I just keep thinking I should have been able to tell something was off somehow.” My voice shook a little. “I mean, if anything, he was overprotective of Lucia and I.”
Uncle Charles’s mind remained a mystery to me. In some ways, so did Viktor’s. My uncle pretended to be noble but had apparently always been a monster. While Viktor pretended to be a monster, and yet…
The man kidnapped me. He is still technically holding me captive. So why did I feel so safe around him?
I couldn’t trust my own mind anymore. I took a mouthful of my coffee, then set it down and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Maybe that was guilt as well.”
“Guilt and control.” He rubbed his chin. “Though I wonder why sorting out his motives is so important to you.”
“Closure, I suppose, and from a professional point of view I would like to know why. The workings of the human psyche fascinate me, even if in this case, it’s a bit too close to home.” I paused, “And also, if I can sort out his mindset, it might provide a clue to where he went.”
His face lit up. “Hmm. That’s an interesting thought. Let’s see what my man gets out of your uncle’s electronics, and then I’ll let you have a look at it and see if you can figure out anything.”
I nodded, feeling a little better. This conversation was going better than I’d expected, by a lot. This was the third time he’d surprised me that way. I just hoped it wasn’t an act to get what he wanted. It was, apparently, easier to trick me than I thought.
“Tomorrow I shall have the genetic testing materials. The boy will need to do a cheek swab. No blood, no needles.”
I nodded. “That’s a relief. He’s really not a fan of needles.”
“Nor was I, until I got my first tattoo. Once you’ve had one dig into your skin enough you either get used to it or flee from it forever. And I am not a man to run.”
“Do you have a lot of them?” Of course, none of them showed, with his suit on.
“Most men of the Bratva do. Especially those who have been inside a Russian prison. They each have certain significances. Though a few of mine are pretty much just for fun.” He gave me a slightly smoky-eyed look, the corner of his mouth curling up teasingly. “I could show you, if you wish.”
I blushed furiously and glanced away. “Um. Well. Maybe later…” I managed to meet his eyes again. “Once Nick is in bed.”
His smile deepened, and so did the smolder in his eyes. “Very well.” He ran his thumb over the back of my hand, and I shivered.
He let the silence thicken between us for a bit while I felt my skin prickle with heat. Then he said, “I must go attend to business for most of this afternoon and evening. Do what you can to work on that story of yours to tell your colleagues and the school. If need be, we can say you were hospitalized, and I can have discharge papers made up for you.”
“All right.” I took up my coffee again and swallowed down as much as I could, my mouth suddenly desert dry. “Creative, but I’m not sure if my colleagues at the clinic would buy it.”
Viktor’s lips quirked up into a smirk.
“Look, Nick’s a five-year-old boy, everything with him is drama and excitement, even on a trip to the grocery store he’ll pretend he’s searching for some weird creature behind the shelves. I’ll tell his teacher we had a family emergency with my uncle. Even if he said we’d been kidnapped in our sleep by a Russian mobster, they’re just going to think it’s his overactive imagination.”
Viktor stared at me for a long moment, and then suddenly broke into laughter. “Of course you are correct.”
“Seriously, the more elaborate the lie, the easier it is to get caught out. We just keep it simple.”
His amused look lingered. But then he stood, letting go of my hand. I felt the absence of it like a sudden chill. “Good. I will see you tonight. Let the boy know that he may return to school next Monday.”
He turned to walk into the foyer and gather his things. I watched him, stomach clenched with craving for his touch.