“I was awake this time.”
“You’ll always be a sleep brawler to me.”I texted the photos to me and Renat, then dialed him.
“Who's that?”he asked, skipping all the pleasantries.
“These two tried to get to Nadya and Vera Almaznaya.They are fleeing the scene, but we have eyes on them.Do you want to run facial recognition or should I?”
“I’ll run it.You go take care of your girl and see your parents.”
My heart squeezed painfully at the reminder.
“Do you want me to give your number to the tech running the drone?She's working for a private security company.”As in, she didn't have clearance.
Renat grumbled something under his breath, then said, “Yeah.And we need Almaznayas in protective custody.This is the third attempt between all three of them.”
Nadya would kill me, but at least she'd be alive to do that.
“Rodger that,” I answered before hanging up and giving Leila his number.
It was time to piss people off.
Chapter 37
Nadya
WE PULLED UP TO THEcurb outside Nick’s parents’ house and cut the engine.The sound died instantly, leaving just the tinniness of wind chimes from two doors down and the soft whisper of leaves on pavement.The air tasted like cut grass and distant rain, and I could smell exhaust on my jacket even after the ride was over.
The place was modest, with red bricks chipped in a few spots, blacktop drive with a fresh oil stain, windows so clean you could almost see through the mesh of the curtains.
Nick took his helmet off and ran a hand through his hair, then looked at me like he was about to apologize for bringing me here but didn’t quite dare.
We came a day late because of the fire, but I wouldn’t back out of it.I had promised to be here for Nick, and I intended to keep my promise.
“You ready?”he asked.
“Always,” I’d faced worse than parents before, but my stomach knotted all the same.This wasn’t a happy meet the parents occasion, after all, but Nick needed my support, so here I was, despite the fact I was supposed to be locked up in some remote cabin away from traffickers’ eyes.
