Page 70 of Intolerable Bishop

“It’s me, Ren.”

“Tank the good Lord. I was so worried when I couldn’t reach ya. Don’t ya be doin’ that ta me again,” she said, making me smile as I sat down. The instant fear that had gripped my chest eased.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. Myles said not to contact anyone. He gave you the number?”

“Aye, when I couldn’t reach ya, I texted him instead. I cannie believe that ya were in a shootout.”

“It was crazy,” I said, trying not to think about the fact that my aunt died and there was no one to give her a funeral. Or the fact that there was a good chance I’d never see my old house again. I closed my eyes and tried to put the image aside. It already kept me awake at night. I tried not to let the sadness consume me during the day.

“I’m sorry about yer family. Myles said ya lost yer aunt.”

“Yeah, I did. I’m not sure when I’ll be home again. I need to sort out who is after me first.” I picked little fluffies off the comforter.

“About that.” I sat up straighter. “I’ve been doin’ some diggin’ over here.”

My pulse jumped. “Did you find anything?”

“Hmm, not as much as I woulda liked, but there is some serious unrest in the entire Mikhailov family. Like a whole family feud. I’m no supposed ta know that, but I have me ways of diggin’.”

“What do you mean by feud?”

“The Mikhailov family be a large one. There is who we think is yer granda, but he had two brothas and a sista. They all have kids who have kids. Big, powerful families like that always have turmoil for control, but from what I’ve been able to find, things have been quiet for years until recently.”

I stood and walked over to the window. It wasn’t completely dark out yet, but it would be soon, and the forest looked eerie as Fiona spoke.

“What’s changed?”

“Dunno, but whatever it is, it’s big. The infightin’ has ramped up, and one of yer distant cousins was just murdered fir tryin’ to take control from yer granda. If that be who this is. Vadin Mikhailov is a scary man.” Fiona made a shivering noise.

“How scary?”

“He’s skin ya alive, deep fry yer skin, and eat it for dinner, scary.” Fear snaked down my spine, and I wrapped my arm around myself. “Da said that he heard that Vadin once killed a man for touchin’ his wife by mistake. The guy fell into her and died the next day. I also heard that he kept a tight hold on yer ma, and I could definitely see him wantin’ her dead if she ran off and embarrassed the family.”

“Do you think he was already trying to kill her before she left or after?”

My poor mum. She’d run from home and had been terrified so much that she put a panic room in the house. It explained why she refused to do art shows or have her picture in print. She made excellent money, and only a very small group of art curators knew who she was, except maybe Count Dick. He was a whole other story. The rage that coursed through my body at the thought of him taking advantage of my father all this time or threatening him made my blood boil. I still hadn’t heard from him, and I became more afraid with each passing day.

“Honestly…girl, it coulda been either. Oh, I did find out one other thing. The name ya said was in yer passport…um…well…um.”

“It’s okay, Fiona, just say it.” I braced myself for the worst.

“Yer ma did marry a Christov Ivankov. At least there are clips from old newspapers with the announcement. I’m sorry, Ren. I dinnie know what ta say.”

I swallowed, trying to steady my erratic pulse as she confirmed what we’d found at my home. Was my dad my dad? If he was, then when and how did he and my mum meet? “It’s okay, it’s another small piece. Can you send me the announcement?”

“Aye, it’s in Russian, though.”

I smiled. “Good thing I took it last year,” I said, and Fiona laughed. “I better go, but thank you so much for looking into everything.”

“Bye, Ren, and make sure that Myles is treatin’ ya right.”

“I will.”

Hanging up, I tapped the phone on my chin as I stared at the darkness that had crept in while I spoke to Fiona. Everything was blanketed now, and I pulled the drapes, hating the idea that someone could see in, but I couldn’t see out.

I turned around and clutched my chest as I almost screamed. “Liam…oh my god, you scared the shit out of me. How did I not hear you come in?” He shrugged as he casually leaned up against the door. “How much of that did you hear?”

“Enough to know that a demon is chasing you,” he said, and I swallowed hard.