Why not? He’d abandoned her before. Without a single word.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Please don’t leave.
A prickle went up her spine as she felt someone come up behind her. Vladimir, at last! In a rush of relief, she turned.
But it wasn’t Vladimir. A different man stood before her, slightly younger, slightly thinner, but with the same hard blue eyes—only filled with cold, malevolent ruthlessness.
“Kasimir?” Bree whispered. “Kasimir Xendzov?”
“Having a good time?” he replied coldly. Before she could answer, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd, into a private alcove. She stared at him. She’d met him only once before, in Alaska, the Christmas night he’d burst in upon them, desperate to tell his brother the truth about Bree’s con. He’d been twenty-three then, barely more than a boy. Now...
Bree shivered. Now he was a man—the type of man you would never want to meet in a dark alley. She yanked her arm away from his grasp. “What do you want? If you’ve come to find your brother—”
“I haven’t come to see my brother.” Kasimir gave her a cold smile. “I came for you.”
“Me?” she breathed.
“It’s about...your sister.”
“Josie?” An icy chill went down her spine. “What about her?”
He came closer, invading her personal space. She instinctively backed away. He straightened, and his eyes glittered. “I’ve married her.”
“What?” Bree gasped.
He gave her a cold, ruthless smile. “Your little sister has become my dear, dear wife.”
“I don’t believe you!”
For answer, he pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her on his palm. Josie’s cell phone. Bree snatched it up. There could be no doubt. She saw the colorful rhinestones that her sister had glued to the back in the shape of a rainbow.
“I asked her to marry me some time ago,” Kasimir said, “and she refused. Until you disappeared. Then she came back. She offered to do anything, anything, if I would only save you from my evil brother. Marriage was my price.”
“But why would you want to marry her?” Then suddenly Bree knew, and her heart dropped to the floor. “The trust,” she said dully. “You want her land.”
“It’s not hers,” he said tightly. “It’s been in my family for a hundred years. It never should have been sold. We’ve fought for it, died for it—” Catching himself, he relaxed his clenched hands. “So. The land will be mine in three days, when the banks reopen. After that, I can either divorce her quickly with a nice settlement, or...”
“Or?”
His eyes met hers coldly. “Or I can seduce her, make her fall in love with me and destroy her pitiful little heart. I can force her to be my wife forever, and you will never see her again. It is your choice.”
Bree flinched, even as her heart pounded with fear. “How do I know this isn’t all some lie? It might just be some sick joke, some game in the battle between you and your brother—”
Taking the cell phone away from her, he dialed a number, then pressed the phone back against Bree’s ear. She heard her little sister’s voice.
“Hello?”
Bree gripped the phone. “Josie,” she gasped. “Where are you?”
“I’m so sorry, Bree,” her sister whispered. “The poker game was all my fault. I was trying to save you. That’s why I married him....”
“But where are you?” Bree cried.
Kasimir yanked the phone away. As he disconnected the call, Bree went for him, her hands outstretched. He pushed her away easily, tucking the phone in his tuxedo jacket pocket.
“Tell me where she is,” she cried. “Or—or I’ll kill you!”
“You’re scaring me,” he drawled.
“Then...” Bree had already threatened to kill him. What could be more frightening than that? She lifted her chin furiously. “I’ll tell Vladimir!”
Kasimir’s expression was cold. “Go. Tell him.”
She was flabbergasted at his casual tone. “But he will destroy you!”
“He’s tried to destroy me for years,” he said scornfully, “and I only grow stronger.” He moved closer. “And you are wrong, Miss Dalton,” he said softly, “if you think his desire for you will make him sacrifice anything for you or your family. He cares for you because you please him in bed, and he values that pleasure. But given the choice between helping you or himself, he will not hesitate.”
Was Kasimir right? She licked her lips, barely hearing the music from the nearby ballroom. With a deep breath, she lifted her hand to her necklace. She felt its rough weight around her throat.