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In the end, Lazlo finds us. A young woman dressed very modestly in a long lilac dress with a white headscarf. She wanders a little too close for my personal comfort and I glare at her.
A second later, I realize with a start that she is actually Lazlo. The Hungarian raises his rather hairy hand and puts a finger to his lips. Then he gestures for us to follow him.
I notice that Lazlo doesn’t carry any kind of briefcase. A cash transaction is not necessary in this day and age, but the obvious lack of cash pushes me a step closer to the edge. I grit my teeth, casting my eyes over the scene around me.
Trying to sense whether I am walking into some sort of trap.
Lazlo hurries across the plaza and ducks in close to the dreary buildings that line the street. Pulling Eros along, I follow Lazlo to one of the nearby doorways that frame the market. When he ducks inside, I unbutton my jacket and move my hand toward my weapon.
Just ahead of me, I can see Eros doing the exact same thing. We are well-trained; our chances of surviving any bullshit that Lazlo might pull on us now is high.
But he doesn’t seem to have anything like that in mind. After he steps through the doorway, we step into an alley with no roof and empty other than us.
Lazlo points at the door and I close it after I slip through. Only then does the Hungarian separatist push back his headscarf with a groan.
“It is too fucking hot for this disguise,” he laments. “Sorry to have to keep such a low profile. But even here, there are people that are on the lookout for me. Better to be safe, eh?”
Whipping off my sunglasses, I nod. I pull out my phone and check my text messages.
The cargo is safe, my screen reads.
Penny is so close; I think I can almost taste her sweet tang in the back of my mouth. My pulse hammers against my neck.
When I speak though, I make sure to keep my tone even and hide the excitement that floods my veins.
“I would like to move things along. Give me the coordinates where they are keeping the girl first. Then I give you the address of the warehouse in Algiers where you can find the trucks.”
Lazlo runs his hand over his bald head, cocking a brow. “You want the girl’s location first?”
I narrow my eyes and start to move closer, glowering. But just that fast, he puts his hands up.
“I did not mean to intrude.”
“Keep talking, Lazlo. If I don’t hear the location from your lips soon, I’m going to start thinking that you decided not to turn your back on Constantine.”
Lazlo squints, looking a little puzzled. “How do you know who the other bidder was?”
My brows go up just a hair. I slide a curious look at Eros. He gives his head a tiny shake, meaning that he doesn’t know what Lazlo is talking about.
“Constantine offered to pay you for the address?”
“Yes…” Lazlo frowns, looking between me and Eros. “He offered me two million euros. It just so happened that you have what I need most.” He smiles, his eyes hardened. “Although I don’t understand why you didn’t just beat the coordinates out of your brother. If Ares was my blood, I would hang him upside down from a tree and drain his blood until he confessed where he had hidden the girl. Perhaps that is just the Hungarian way though…”
I blink several times, unsure what he said to me just now. “I think I misheard you. Who has the girl?”
Lazlo’s eyes narrow on me. “Your brother Ares. Is this new information to you?”
Without realizing it, I violently lurch toward the wall, punching the dull sandstone with enough force to cause a crack in the wall.
Lazlo jumps back a foot, licking his lips nervously and throwing his hands up like a shield. “I did not know. I assure you; I would have made a bigger commotion yesterday.”
My furious gaze turns to Eros. His cheeks color slightly but he is already shaking his head, a denial on his lips.
“I don’t know a thing about it, Hades. I swear. This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
My eyes burn into him. “I’ll deal with you later,” I grate out. “For now, I want to know where the girl is stashed.”
Lazlo nods eagerly. “Here, let me get the coordinates for you now.” Reaching in a pocket sewn into his dress, he pulls out his phone and scrolls for a moment.
