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“Misha, we need to get back to the compound. Maxim never showed up. I tried calling him and the guards at the compound and nobody answered. I am worried about Adalina.” I announce as we race out of the club.
We jump into an SUV and speed off towards the compound, my mind racing with thoughts of what Maxim could have done to Adalina. Tatyana will have to find her own way home.
My heart is pounding. I clench my fists as the SUV weaves in and out of traffic, the sound of the engine roaring in my ears. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and every second feels like an eternity. What could be happening to Adalina? Was she safe? My mind is racing with worst-case scenarios.
We finally arrive at the compound, screeching to a halt outside the gates. I leap out of the car and sprint towards the entrance, my heart feels like it is going to burst out of my chest. As I approach the door, I can see that it is slightly ajar. As we enter the darkened compound, I know immediately that the power has been taken out. The only source of light is the moonlight peeking through the windows.
I feel a knot in my stomach, fearing the worst for Adalina. Misha and I split up, each with a bodyguard, searching every inch of the property for any sign of Maxim and Adalina. I find Nona and Osip in the kitchen lighting candles. They tell me they had gone to bed early and hadn’t seen or heard anything.
My mind is racing with possibilities. Did Maxim kidnap her? Has she been taken by the Outfit? My thoughts are interrupted by Misha's voice calling out, "Boss, over here!" I run towards his voice, the knot in my stomach becoming rage.
Misha is holding Adalina's ankle bracelet, which lays open on the floor. "Maxim must have taken it off," he says grimly. "But where's Adalina?"
“Fuck!” I exclaim.
We search the rooms, calling out her name, but there is no response. I am furious about what might have happened to her. Fucking Maxim! I knew he was up to no good. He couldn’t be trusted. I should have never left her here alone. I will kill the son of a bitch if he has laid a hand on her! As we continue our search of the entire compound, we notice that some of the guards are missing. My gut tells me that they have gone with Maxim. Maxim had been waiting for the right moment to strike. Finally, the moment had come.
We interrogate the remaining guards, trying to gather any information that might lead us to Adalina's whereabouts. It seems that Maxim had left the compound about an hour ago, but no one had seen if he had taken Adalina with him. The power outage has conveniently wiped out any surveillance footage, leaving us without any clues as to what happened.
“I wonder if some of our men are working for Maxim Now.” Mischa speculates.
“Looks that way.”
My rage is building as we frantically tried to track down Adalina's whereabouts. The realization that some of our own men might be working with Maxim is a hard pill to swallow. Betrayal is never easy, especially when it comes from your own people.
"I have been tracking Maxim's car using an app on my phone. He went to his motel," Mischa reveals, providing me with a glimmer of hope. Without wasting any time, I immediately instruct Misha to assemble a team to accompany us to Maxim's motel. The mere thought of what he could be doing to Adalina awakens the monster within me.
Misha nods, sensing the urgency, and quickly exits the room. Time is of the essence, and we must act quickly to rescue Adalina from whatever fate Maxim has in store for her.
We pull up to the Maxim’s motel, tires screeching as we park haphazardly. I scan the parking lot and the deserted, run-down motel for any sign of Adalina or Maxim. But the only thing I see is Maxim's empty car, taunting me with its silence. My frustration boils over as I realize he must have had another car parked nearby to make his getaway. The bastard outsmarted us, and it feels like a punch to the gut. I slam my fist against his car door, feeling the anger surge through me. This level of subterfuge is too clever for Maxim alone. He must be working with someone. Who the hell is he working with? I should have kept a closer eye on that slippery son of a bitch. Fuck!
“Nikolai. I’m calling Alexei. Maybe he can figure out where Maxim is.”
Misha facetimes Alexei. “Alexei, Maxim has disappeared with Adalina. The motel he paid cash for is empty. Do you have any ideas where we can search for him?”
“Alright, I’m on it. I’ll scour the dark web for any traces of sex trafficking in the Chicago area. Maxim likes to visit pedophile chat rooms, so maybe he’s talked about his business there. Pedophiles tend to discuss upcoming events, times, and locations in dark web chat rooms. I’ll use a search engine I created that can scan the entire dark web using keywords such as ‘Chicago’, and ‘sex trade.’ Maybe something will pop up that could lead us to Adalina.”
“Don’t explain. Just fucking do it!” I can barely contain my anger.
Relief surges through me as Alexie's voice rings out. "Hey, I've got something!" I lean forward, eagerly waiting to hear what he has found. "There's an auction tomorrow night at a seedy motel not too far from there. The owner is hiding behind a bunch of shell companies, but I have a feeling that the owner is Maxim or whoever he is working with.”
I waste no time in climbing into the SUV. "Let's go!" I shout. I have to find Adalina before it is too late, and this is our only lead.
Chapter 26
Adalina
As I wake up, my head throbs, and my eyes feel heavy. I lie on a bed in a dingy motel room, and the air is thick with the smell of stale smoke and cheap cologne. Maxim sits next to me, his gaze fixated on my face with a sinister look in his eyes. I immediately shut my eyes, pretending to be unconscious, afraid of what he might do next.
“I know you’re awake Adalina. Open those pretty eyes.”
I open my eyes but don’t look at Maxim. The room is dimly lit by a single lamp, casting shadows on the walls and on the old and mismatched furniture. The lumpy bed I am laying on has faded floral sheets that have not been changed in a long time. The walls are yellowed and peeling, and the carpet is threadbare and stained.
Maxim strokes my head with his hand.
“Don’t touch me!” I exclaim as I pull away.
"Now, now, Adalina. Don't be like that. I know you're no longer a virgin. I know you and Nikolai have been fucking for a while now, so don't act all innocent."
