Retribution Read Free Page B

don’t expect you will find her in the best of
moods.”
    “How does she feel about a
bodyguard?”
    “Probably the same she
feels about me; distrustful and angry. She’s had them before,
though, maybe not of your caliber, and it’s been a few years, but
enough to be able to tolerate them.” Peter smiled without emotion.
“She’ll do it though. She witnessed her sister’s death. She’s
frightened. However, you’re smart. I know you can handle
her.”
    Handle her? Like he thought
before, how hard could it be? She was probably a sheltered spoiled
princess and would just need to be told the rules. He was certain
she wouldn’t be a problem. Besides, she was his way in. If there
was resistance, he’d make her listen. His agenda was more important
than a socialite’s safety.
    Ryan also didn’t ask what
happened. He already knew. His superiors gave him everything on
Peter Nickolov and his family. Both women were abducted outside a
nightclub and the younger was found three days later tied, gagged
and left near one of Peter’s whorehouses. The older, found dead,
washed up on a beach. None of the intel he had on the family knew
what had happened. He only knew about the autopsy on Anna Nickolov.
The surviving sister was questioned, but she said she didn’t see
their faces or hear anything. She was kept bound, gagged and
blindfolded the entire time. Ryan knew that wasn’t true. You always
hear something, see something, or smell something that you would
never forget. He knew this for a fact. She was lying because she
was terrified. That would work in his favor. She needed him and he
would do his best to protect her, but his priority was his
brother’s killer.
     

CHAPTER ONE
     
    The morgue was cold. It
wasn’t the first one he’d been in, but this time it was
different—horrid. The chill ran deep this time, all the way to his
bones. One of his superiors, and a good friend, Ned Sampson, stood
beside him with his hand on his shoulder for support. Ryan didn’t
show any emotion when the coroner placed his hands on either side
of the stark white sheet at the head of the body and smoothly
folded it back to reveal the handsome face of the dead man on the
slab. A man, that was once a child he played with, fought with and
shared a brotherly bond that was unbreakable. Icy fingers wrapped
around his heart as his eyes studied the man beneath. Nothing in
his expression stirred, but the anguish was deep. He swallowed hard
to curb the emotions. They cleaned him up for the viewing, but it
didn’t hide the bullet hole in his forehead. Execution style. A
mixture of rage and devastation hit him like a sledge hammer to the
gut, and he actually felt his knees go weak for a moment. Still,
you wouldn’t know it by the lack of expression on his
face.
    “Sir?”
    His eyes went to the
coroner. “Yes,” he finally said calmly. “That’s him.” He felt Ned’s
fingers squeeze his shoulder.
    “I need you to say his
name,” the detective said.
    Ryan shifted his gaze to
man who stood opposite of him beside the coroner, Detective William
Kinsley. He’d introduced himself when they met outside the morgue’s
double steel doors. He’d almost forgotten he stood there. He’d been
silent until now, out of respect. He was there doing his job, and
he could see sympathy in the man’s eyes. Not just for him, but for
the man on the cold slab—one of their own.
    “That’s Georgy Lavoie, also
known as George Casey, but he kept my mother’s maiden
name.”
    “Why?”
    Ryan moved his eyes back to
his brother. “To make sure no one knew he was my brother.” He
returned his gaze to the detective. “To protect his
family.”
    The detective’s eyes
narrowed. “What exactly does that—”
    “— We’re done here. If you
have any questions you can contact our office,” Ned interrupted as
he handed a card to the detective. “Although, that is probably all
the cooperation you are going to get Detective Kinsley, because
that’s all he