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“I don’t know how much you heard while the two idiots were talking. But they mentioned when you stepped out with…” My voice drops and I take a steadying breath.
“You don’t have to do this,malyshka.”
Ares moves to stand and do what I don’t know? Carry me upstairs? Tuck me into bed like some shivering scared flower?
I place a hand on his freshly shaved cheek. “No. I do have to do this.”
I turn to Dragon. “When you took Ellie away, they mentioned the Volkovs were selling a few other girls and me illegally.” I hold a hand up. “Wait, that’s not what I mean. The Volkovs, whoever is backing him, don’t know they are selling some of the girls off and not giving them a cut. Beast One and Beast Two, the guys who were in charge of making sure I was ready for the stage, have big mouths. If I recall they said: ‘This is our city. Not there’s. Remember that.’
I hit pause and hold off sharing what came after that comment for when I have Ares alone again. Why they were so interested in Ares buying a girl left me with questions. Ones only he can answer so I don’t see the point in asking them in front of the others.
“See, bet you didn’t know that.”
Dragon grunts but he doesn’t argue Riot’s point.
“How many women are left for the second auction?”
Dragon looks haunted at Rage’s question when my eyes come to meet his. We both saw the horrors of the basement. Being one of those girls held behind those iron bars is a feeling I’ll never shake. Escaping there was a miracle and a blessing. I realize that.
“There are far more now than there were a week ago, Prez.” Everyone drops their weight in a chair looking as exhausted as I suddenly feel.
Except for Rage. He’s pacing along the back wall, a cigarette hanging from his lips and a drink of something in his hand. Vodka it looks like because it sure the heck isn’t water.
“There’s five of us and a fucking army of them,bratan. We have to do better and we don’t have long.” He takes a long draw of his cigarette and releases the smoke slowly. I can visually see the tension in his body relax.
Ares grunts, nodding at Rage’s words.
Dragon pulls something from the inside of his jacket and tosses a stack of something black and white down the length of the table. Not papers, but pictures I see.
“You said you wanted some faces and names. I got one of the two. They don’t let me get too close to the suits coming and going. But I set up trail cams they haven’t found yet. Got these of people visiting Volkovs’ mansion.”
Ares scoops them up, shuffling through them, but pauses on one. It’s a blurry picture with a man facing away. I can’t tell who it is, but it seems Ares can. The set of his mouth and the deepness of the crease along his forehead read like a signpost.
“Who is that?” I ask unevenly. His eyes turn glassy and death looks like it steals over his tight expression. Gaze unmoving he says something in Russian before turning to Rage, ignoring my questions completely.
Dragon finishes his coffee and moves like he’s about to leave. “You need to know the brothers are getting restless. Be prepared to move fast when I call. The auction could be anytime. That stunt you pulled last night spooked them. About an hour after everything went down a man showed up telling them everything. Your girl’s description was on his lips which put your name on theirs.” Dragon scrapes a hand over his face. “They’ve moved the auction up to tonight.”
Dragon.
“I’ll confirm with the Genesis men.”
Ares.
“No need, I was in the room when they made the calls.”
Ares nods.
My heart is pounding. “And my sister?”
Dragon is on his feet at the end of the table. Hands with scarred knuckles grip the back of a chair. Years of fighting are evident. Each white and pink puckered scar tells me this man has never had it easy. Dark eyes pierce mine. “Your sister is alive. I can give you that much. They’ve had me out of the compound doing scout work so I don’t know where they are holding her, just that she is still at their compound.”
Beneath me Ares stiffens like he’s afraid of what Dragon is going to say next. Something he already knows and I don’t. I’m learning fast how to read the man which is a plus if it didn’t scare me in every way possible.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Ares releases a sigh. “Tell her.”
I brace myself and don’t realize my nails are digging into Ares’ forearm until he pries them off and wraps his hands around mine.
