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My eyebrows slammed together. “South? He should be headed north if they were going back to school.”
Anya hesitated. “I don’t think they’re going back to school.”
“Right,” I gritted out. “Okay, you keep following the signal, I’m hopping in my car right now.”
I turned to Hannah and Nikolai who were looking at me expectantly.
“Anya traced her phone. I’m going to try to track them down and put an end to this whole thing.”
“You need back up,” Nikolai commented, but was clearly conflicted about leaving Hannah. I wouldn’t ask him anyway. He was brought up in this shit and was affiliated with the Bratva for a couple of months but he was out now and I didn’t want to be the one putting a gun in his hand. I’d ask Will. I knew he was here somewhere, probably getting laid.
“Yeah, but I’ll—” I started but was distracted by Delaney running out from the dancer’s room with Will running behind her fastening his jeans. Jesus Christ, this bullshit was the last thing I needed.
“Laney, hold on,” Will said, his pants finally zipped.
“No, it’s cool. Sorry I interrupted,” she said through tight lips.
I heaved a deep breath. I didn’t have time for this teenage melodrama. I quickly filled Will in on what was going on. “Will, Anya tracked Emmy’s phone. You’re with me.”
I looked at Hannah and Nikolai. “Can you guys take Emmy’s roommate back to school?
They nodded and Delaney looked at me gratefully, then threw a baleful, infuriated look at Will before heading out the door behind them.
“Wait!” I called out to Delaney. “Give me Orl—Drew’s number.”
She frowned in confusion. Fuck, she still didn’t know what was going on and I had no time or patience to fucking explain. “Why?”
“I need to get him to let me talk to Emmy right fucking now.”
Delaney hesitated for a moment, but ultimately complied, pulling out her phone and rattling off the numbers as I put them in my phone. She gave one more frowning glance at Will and marched out the door. I’d have to tell Hannah and Nikolai to fill her in. I was relieved to be absent from that conversation.
“Fuck,” Will muttered.
I shook my head. “Drop it. We have to focus on Emmy.”
He looked at me morosely, but nodded his head and grabbed his jacket. “Right. You packing?”
“Of course,” I replied, then felt my phone vibrate. Probably Anya sending us directions as she tracked Emmy’s phone.
I looked at the display and my heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t Anya. It was Emmy. She’d sent me only two words and while it confirmed everything my gut had been screaming at me, that confirmation sat like lead in my gut.
Emmy: Help. Orlov.
Chapter 31
Emmy
I looked down at my phone as it vibrated. Delaney. I felt an arrow of guilt as I declined it. I just couldn’t do it. My brain shut down at the thought of talking to anyone about what I was feeling. I’d watched Ivan run down the street, yelling something to me as Drew took off, feeling dizzy with sadness and despair and humiliation. I was grateful I’d gotten away.
My phone vibrated again. A text from Ivan. I wanted to not only ignore it, but delete it, but I couldn’t. Unable to help myself, I tapped on it—I had to read it.
Ivan: Emmy, you misunderstood what you saw. I was only talking to that woman to convince her to go back to Russia bc her boyfriend wants her to go back. That’s it. Come back here so I can talk to you.
I rolled my eyes. Technically, he was explaining himself and he was probably upset that I took off, but even his apology text lacked emotional expression. It was hopeless. I thought having sex would change something, he’d seemed so different this morning, but his text seemed so cold and emotionless. I had attached all these expectations to someone who simply had nothing to give.
“Thank you, Drew,” I rasped out, my throat raw from the effort it was taking me to swallow back tears that were pushing to get out. One tear escaped and I swiped at it angrily and took some deep breaths, trying to get myself under control.
Drew was probably the last person I wanted witnessing my breakdown and I had absolutely no desire to explain what was going on. I was sort of hoping he didn’t notice I was a wreck.
