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“Of course.” Vladmir sits straighter and gives me a hard stare. “And whoever did this knew that’s exactly what you would do. After all, we were there. Your wife got taken on our watch.”
“She did, and there’s no trace of any clues.”
“And things have been fucked for us to even try to find any,” Zakh adds, staring them both down.
He’s like me when it comes to giving people chances. We don’t.
“Boss, we told you what happened,” Yuri jumps back in. “Vlad and I were at our usual posts, guarding the place and keeping watch. Neither of us noticed any unusual activity. Not a fucking thing until I found that door open and Jeanne on the ground. I checked out the place, looking for Gwen. When we couldn’t find her, we called you. That is what happened.”
Vladmir nods, agreeing with Yuri. “That is exactly how it happened.”
I look at Yuri and Vladmir, finding it difficult to conceive that either of them could have betrayed me. They’ve been my fucking guards since I was born and obviously with the Knights long before that.
But I can’t rule it out. I also don’t want to get it wrong and kill them when they could be telling the truth.
“Give me your keys and passes,” I demand, and they frown.
“Seriously, Malik?” Vladmir speaks to me, using my first name the way he used to when I was a boy.
“Yes. You will go with Leo to the Bratva compound and stay there until this is sorted out.”
Jail. I’m practically sentencing them to jail. But it beats death.
Without any further arguments, the two of them hand over their security passes and keys to Volkova Inc. and my property.
“It wasn’t us, just know that.” Yuri dips his head and stands.
Vladmir stands, too, and Leo leads them out, glancing back at me with apprehension in his eyes, suggesting he doesn’t want to do this.
They leave, and I look at Zakh, who’s already swiveled his chair around to face me.
“They didn’t do it,” he states.
“I don’t fucking know. I just want her back.”
“Malik—”
“Zakh, I want my wife back.” I’m an octave down from shouting. “I want Gwen back. I don’t care who I offend by trying my fucking best to find her. I just want her back, so please don’t tell me how wrong I am when I already know I’m fucking everything up by the minute and that this whole plan is fucked up.”
He sighs, then tips his head, agreeing. “Okay, calm down. We’ll keep looking. That’s all we can do. Everyone is on this. It’s all hands on deck. We’ll find her.”
“I have to, Zakh.”
I have to find her. Then I have to fix things in whatever way fixing the situation means.
ChapterThirty-Five
Gwen
I’m still surrounded by darkness. Except now I’m awake and sitting on a cold dank floor.
Once again, I’ve been taken captive. I’m a prisoner. But Esperanza and whoever helped her take me are not like Malik.
When I thought he was cold and uncaring, I was so very wrong.
This is what cold and uncaring is. Me in darkness with a chain attached to my ankle, holding me to the wall.
I’m being kept in a room. A small, small room. That much I know.
