Targeted Risk (R.I.S.C. #7) - Anna Blakely Page 0,24

door. Opening it as silently as possible, he scanned the immediate area for threats.

The open living and dining areas made it easy for him to quickly assess the situation. From what he could see, it wasn’t good.

The place was in shambles. Overturned furniture, broken lamps and picture frames, and cushions that had been ripped to shreds all pointed to someone with a serious beef against Juliet.

Son of a bitch.

Her sharp intake of air told him she’d seen the disheveled state of her home, as well. With a finger to his lips, he motioned over his shoulder for her to be silent as he slowly made his way through the door.

Starting with the main floor, they cleared every possible nook and cranny. Room by room, Mike made certain there were no viable threats there before leading Juliet upstairs.

His rage grew when he realized the second floor was in even worse shape than the first. Especially Juliet’s bedroom.

By the time they were finished, adrenaline had his heart racing a mile a minute, and Juliet was still holding onto his belt loop as if her life depended on it. After double-checking the small, partitioned back yard, he turned to face her.

Shoving his Glock 40 back into his jeans at the small of his back, he muttered, “All clear.”

Unshed tears blanketed the fear in her eyes. “Who would do this?”

“I think you know who.” Mike stared back at her.

With anger replacing her fear, Juliet fisted her hands at her sides and took a step toward him. “My father is locked away in a federal prison. So is Ivan, for that matter.”

“Come on, Jules. You know as well as I do that doesn’t mean shit. They want someone taken out, there are plenty of people like Schreiber to do their dirty work. Question is, why you?”

“I don’t know!” Juliet insisted sharply.

Mike thought for a moment. “Call Mikhail. If your father did send his people after you, maybe he knows something that can help us.”

All color left her face, her voice lowering to just above a whisper. “What?”

“Mikhail...you know, your brother? Call him. See if he’s heard anything.”

Mikhail may be Alexandar Volkov’s son, but Mike had gotten to know the guy pretty damn well while he was undercover. Unlike their father and Ivan, Juliet’s youngest brother wasn’t a bad guy. He’d just never been given an option when it came to the family business.

“Oh, my God.” Stumbling back, Juliet dropped into one of the kitchen bar stools that wasn’t overturned. “You don’t know.”

“Know what?”

Juliet licked her lips, those damn tears welling in her eyes again. “Mikhail’s dead, Jay.”

“What?” Mike could feel his own eyes bugging out of his head. “When?”

“About a year and a half ago. Right after he testified at Dad’s trial.”

“What the hell happened?”

Juliet simply shrugged. “It’s...a long story.”

“One that might clue us in on what’s happening now.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It won’t.”

“You just said he died right after the trial,” Mike pointed out. “There’s a good chance that whatever happened to Mikhail is related to what’s going on with you.”

“It’s not.” Juliet spoke with utter certainty. “At least, not in the way you’re thinking.”

“How can you be so sure?” Mike pressed on.

A tear escaped the corner of her eye. “Because Mikhail killed himself.”

Oh, shit. “Ah, Jules.” He went to her. “I’m so sorry.”

Swiping the tear away, she shrugged and looked away. “It is what it is.”

Unable to let it go, Mike said, “I get that Mikhail wasn’t a stone-cold asshole like your dad or Ivan, but he never struck me as the suicidal type.”

“Who knows?” Juliet stood from the stool. “People kill themselves all the time, Jay. Maybe Mikhail was depressed. Or maybe he’d finally had enough of our family and wanted out. Doesn’t matter now, anyway.” Putting her back to him, she made some kissing sounds and called out for her cat. “Lydia, where are you? Here kitty, kitty.”

She doesn’t want to talk about it, right now. Message received.

Dropping it—for now—Mike went along with the change in subject. “Maybe she heard whoever made this mess come in and ran off.”

“This is the only home she’s ever known. Minus the shelter I adopted her from. But she was a tiny kitten when I first got her. She wouldn’t even know where to run off to outside these walls. Kitty, kitty,” she hollered for her beloved pet again. Going to the cabinet near the cat’s food and water dish, Juliet grabbed a small bag of cat treats and shook it. “I have something