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She felt like she’d stepped into a reverse Oz, a place dark and dangerous that she shouldn’t have tried to find.
They continued down the hall to a set of wood doors. They were obviously antique, and Ruby’s eyes were drawn to the design etched in the dark wood. She identified a gnarled tree and a grazing lamb before the door was opened by the guard.
Ruby felt herself falling deeper down the rabbit hole as they walked into a room that was more old-world library than modern office. The walls matched those in the hall, the old mahogany glowing under the soft light of several table lamps resting on the antique furniture.
Two Chesterfield sofas sat near a small fireplace, flames crackling from a fire burning low. And everywhere she looked there were books — books lining shelves on every wall, stacked on the end tables and even in some places on the floor.
It wasn’t enough for an episode ofHoardersbut definitely enough to make it clear that this person — whoever they were — was a reader and probably a collector.
He materialized almost out of thin air, stepping from the shadows of the room like he was made of them. “Good evening.”
A fresh thrum of fear started to twang in Ruby’s bones. The man was huge — at least as big as Roman — but where Ruby had always seen the light of humor in Roman’s eyes, this man’s eyes were dark as pitch and just as empty.
“Good evening,” Roman said. “Thank you for seeing me. For seeing us.”
The man tipped his head, acknowledging Roman’s gratitude without downplaying it.
His gaze flicked to Ruby and she felt the heat of his naked appraisal. “You must be Ruby.”
She had no idea how the man had come to know her name but the knowledge felt strangely intimate, as if he knew more about her than just her name. “Yes.” She held out her hand. “And you are?”
A ghost of amusement touched the corners of his mouth as he took her hand, his palm warm and dry against her own. “You can call me Baz.”
His hair was as dark as his eyes, his face angular, harsh against the contrast of his full lips.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Ruby said.
“Indeed.” He gestured to the sofas. “Please, sit.”
Ruby sat at the end of one, the leather soft and supple, and was relieved when Roman sat right next to her. It wasn’t that she felt unsafe in the presence of the other man.
She just didn’t feel safe either.
Roman had always made her feel safe, even when she shouldn’t have felt that way.
The man took a seat on the sofa across from them and Ruby noticed the guard had moved into the room and was standing behind the other man, relaxed but clearly alert.
Baz trained his gaze on Ruby and she felt the crawl of a shiver up her back. “How are you finding our fair city?”
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Baz was generous enough to share his house with us,” Roman said.
Ruby nodded, finally understanding. It made sense: the underground room at the club shared a similar aesthetic to the house. The club was darker, more sensual, but like the house, it was packed with antiques and old-world details.
“The house is gorgeous,” Ruby said.
That faint smile again, as if Ruby amused him. “Thank you.” He turned his attention on Roman. “I’m not thrilled to be on the radar of the motherland. Especially right now. I have problems of my own.”
Roman nodded. “If there had been any other way, I wouldn’t be here.”
Baz looked at Ruby. “The missing girl, she’s your daughter.”
Ruby glanced at Roman, not sure what was going on here, how much she could say.
Roman nodded his approval.
“Yes,” Ruby said. “She’s only five. I’m… I’m worried about her.”
