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“Did either of you two ever work for them?” Star inquired, her tone bland, unlike the gleam in her eyes.
She’d scented gold.
The other women were silent for so long that I didn’t expect an answer. Then, Minerva, I thought it was, asked, “Why do you want to know?”
“I have a foster daughter,” Star intoned. “And I want to know if the reason I do is because one of you guys led me to her.”
When they cut the call without another word, I figured we had our answer.
Mouth taut, I rumbled, “Where do they live?”
She turned to me, but her eyes were unseeing. “London.”
Nodding, I headed over to the intercom and waited for Edgar to answer me.
“You need to tell Kuznetsov that we’re going to London for a few days.”
“Mr. Kuznetsov believed you’d be remaining in Dubrovnik, sir,” was the butler’s cautious reply.
“I’m well aware of that. But this is about our investigation. We’ll be back.”
“I’ll inform him, sir.”
“Appreciate that, Edgar.”
Turning to face Star once more, I wondered if it was a blessing or a curse to see this side of her.
She was strong. Fierce. A warrior.
She was akiller.
Unashamed. Unafraid. Unswerving in her dedication.
But she’d allowed me to pass behind that veil, and seeing her devastation was a gift because I was being given something no one else was permitted to see, yet that also meant I wanted to kill whoever made her look like this.
Those bitches were going to fry if I had my way.
Who the hell set someone up with a kid like that?
It didn’t matter that she loved Katina as if she were her own flesh and blood—she’d been played.
By allies.
I strode over to her and cupped her shoulders. She looped her arms around my waist, tucking herself into my embrace with surprising alacrity, then held me as close as I did her.
“Do you think their intent was malicious?”
Her hoarse words had me closing my eyes as I rested my chin on the crown of her head. That was when I accepted this truly was an honor—to be this woman’s strength could only ever be considered a blessing.
“We’ll find out when we get there, won’t we?”
She bobbed her head against my chest. “I don’t understand how this is possible.”
“Me neither. But when something seems impossible, it just means we haven’t figured out how someone could get to us when we think our defenses are impenetrable.” I gave her a little squeeze. “I think you should get Alessa to collect a sample of DNA from Kat on the down-low. Overnight a lock of hair to her and get them tested for familial markers. That’s the only way to know for sure if she’s related to you or not.”
Again, her head bobbed, her forehead rubbing against my chest.
Her listlessness was concerning, but before I could address the issue, my cell buzzed. I dug it out of my pocket and stared at the ‘Unknown’ on the Caller ID.
