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And there, to my horror, stands Uncle Craig with a gun to his head. I grip Anoushka's hand tightly, my heart pounding. We're outnumbered and outgunned. But I won't give up. Not when Adam’s life is at stake.
Anoushka's eyes meet mine, steely determination in their depths. She won't back down, either. Together, we can do this. We have to.
"Well, well. If it isn't the little mouse come to save her brother," a mocking voice emerges from the group.
I glare at the speaker. "Where is he? What have you done with Adam?"
Laughter ripples through the crowd. "Feisty little thing, isn't she?" The man saunters forward, pulling down his mask to reveal cruel eyes and a sneer.
“Nico Abatos,” Anoushka says his name through gritted teeth.
Abatos? Like the Zolotovs’s enemies?
I feel a chill run down my spine as the realization sinks in. We've walked right into the lion's den, surrounded by our enemies. Where the hell is Adam?
Uncle Craig's eyes dart between us, fear and desperation evident in his gaze as he struggles against the firm hold of his captors.
“Adam?” I inquire, my voice almost a whisper. He looks petrified and shakes his head.
Adam is nowhere to be seen, and Uncle Craig doesn’t seem to know where he is. My heart stutters.
Nico Abatos steps toward Anoushka, a smug grin playing on his lips as he surveys the scene before him.
"Well, well, what do we have here? The Zolotov princess herself, coming to play hero?" Nico taunts, his voice laced with malice.
Anoushka's gaze hardens at the mention of her family name, her free hand curling into a fist at her side.
“W-w-we have the money,” I stutter, trying to make sense of the situation and stop Anoushka before her anger causes a bigger mess.
“Oh, little mouse,” Nico Abatos laughs. “You think we called you here for some money?”
I take a deep breath and lift my chin. "Take the money, and more if you want. But leave my brother out of this. He's just a child."
Nico smirks, stepping back. "Oh, I think he'll make a delightful insurance policy. Game’s just started, little mouse." He melts back into the crowd, and they close in around us.
Chapter 21 - Boris
The night air chills me to the bone, but it fades in light of the unmistakable clarity coursing through my veins: I love Robin.
I've settled the war within myself—tonight, I tell Robin everything. The weight of the unspoken words lifts with every step toward home. I push open the door, the silence of the night greeting me with gentle whispers.
I stride up the stairs toward my bedroom. I need to tell her I want there to be no more secrets between us, and I will unveil my own first—that I love her.
I open the door gently and find my bed empty. I walk toward the washroom. "Robin?" my voice echoes off the walls. No answer.
I check the entire upper floor but can’t find her. I climb down the stairs two at a time, urgency gnawing at my insides. Perhaps she had a craving and is in the kitchen.
She’s not there.
"Robin!" I call out again, louder, scouring each room with growing desperation. Nothing. Not a trace. She's gone, vanished into the night like smoke.
I rake a hand through my hair, heart pounding a brutal rhythm against my ribs. This isn't right; she wouldn't just leave—would she? Doubt and fear knot together in my gut.
Even if she had, she would have given me an explanation. What if she’s gone to meet that uncle of hers? She would have told me, right?
I should give her the freedom to live her life on her own terms, but this is so unlike her. She’s never disappeared without informing me, and something feels off.
"Dammit." My phone is in my hand before I know it, thumbing through contacts with a shaky finger.
