Another louder summons.
“Left,” I say at the top of the stairwell.
“This place is massive,” she comments.
I’m too tense to reply. The farther we get from my father’s office, the closer that conversation becomes.
Finally, we reach my room. I experience a surreal moment, seeing Carina approach the door. Registering she’s here, in Russia, and not as an apparition.
Inside the suite, I flip on more lights. Walk over to the wall and unlock the safe, pulling a gun out and handing it to her.
She bites her lip as she takes it, questions I don’t have answers to swimming in her eyes.
“Lock the door after me. I have a key. If anyone else tries to come in here, shoot.”
Her eyes widen. “What if?—”
“Shoot. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” I head for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to deal with some things.”
“Things … like figuring out what to do with me?”
I exhale. “You trust me?”
“Yes. But I … I don’t want to keep running, Lev. But I will. I can if it’ll?—”
“Stay here. Shower”—I point at the bathroom—“then eat something”—I point at the small kitchen—“and I will be back soon.”
She hesitates, then nods.
“Drink water. No more vodka.”
She rolls her eyes but says, “Okay.”
I nod, then walk out of the room. The longer I wait, the worse this will be. I hear the lock click after me, confirming Carina listened to my instructions.
Igor is smiling when I enter his office, which is more unsettling than his anger.
Maksim is lounging in one of the armchairs. No Aleksandr, which is a good sign. Igor didn’t deem this important enough to summon him.
“Maksim says you captured the Caruso girl on this secret trip?”
I nod once, and Igor’s smile expands.
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs.”
“The cells are in the basement,” Maksim says, eyes locked on mine.
“She can stay in a guest room,” Igor says, oblivious to what Maksim suspects. “Might make her more cooperative.”
