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Kirill hesitates for only a second. “We started circulating the Venera a little over an hour ago. Everything was going smoothly. Everyone’s mood was up. The samples were doing their magic. And then—”
And then…
“—we had five people O.D.”
I nearly crash into the car in front of us. Emma screams and grabs my arm instinctively. I just barely manage to veer away in time to avoid the collision.
The only thing better than my reflexes are my instincts.
And they’re telling me that there’s foul play at work here.
“Venera’s not that kind of drug. It’s an aphrodisiac. Basically just an oyster on steroids. It’s not even fuckingpossibleto overdose on it.”
“Brother, I’m looking at five bodies right now that say otherwise.”
Emma’s eyes are wide, fearful, and aimed right at me.
“Get one of the men to pick Sergey up,” I order. “Go yourself if you need to. I want him at the club fucking immediately. I’ll be there soon.”
Emma doesn’t say anything when I hang up. But a second later, she moves her hand to my knee and squeezes it gently. It’s amazing how much of a difference one small gesture can make. The fear I saw in her eyes earlier is notbecauseof me.
It’sforme.
“I have to go handle this.”
“I know. Of course you do. I can just get a cab back—”
“Absolutely the fuck not,” I growl. “I’m dropping you off at my place. I’ll be back once I’ve got the situation under control.”
She accepts that wordlessly. At least until we arrive outside the sleek thirty-five floor luxury skyscraper. Then she turns to me with a frown. “This is Madison,” she says. “Not 48thStreet.”
“Penthouse #1. The access code is 23-28-37.”
She seems flustered when she exits the SUV and gives me a half-hearted wave as I drive off. I’ll have to worry about Emma after tonight. Right now, I need to focus on the botched Venera launch.
Ping.I chance a quick look at the text I’ve just received from Kirill.
KIRILL:Sergey’s missing.
Fuck.
70
EMMA
The Inner Sanctum.
That’s how the penthouse on Madison is referred to around the water cooler at Bane. People have more factual information about Atlantis or Narnia, though. If the rumors are to be believed, Ruslan paid a whopping three hundred and thirty million dollars to purchase it a few years ago.
No one has ever seen the inside of it.
Until now.
First of all, it’sbreathtaking. Like a palace in the sky. Even my frazzled brain is capable of noticing just how beautiful every single detail of this place is.
But that’s not why I like it. I like it because itsmellslike him. That familiar oaky spice is everywhere and it’s absurdly comforting.
How did I end up here?
