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“I went to the other lords of the night,” he says quickly, nervously, and Peter picks up the pace. “I told them I need money.”
“Did you tell them who you owed?”
“I don’t know, maybe, I was desperate.”
Peter curses. “They’ve been watching you. God damn it, they knew we’d try you sooner or later.”
“What? What? Who is watching? Who is coming?”
“Rastus Filo. You know him?”
Galaki pales. “Yes, well, I spoke to him once, about my debt. He said he couldn’t help, but why is he watching me now?”
“I’d bet all my money that Rastus is watching every single person in this fucking city connected with Le Milieu. Especially the ones that owe them money.”
“What do we do?” Panic presses at my heart, but this time I refuse to succumb to it. I’ve come so far from the girl I was when the Russians abducted me and beat me and nearly broke me. I’m strong now, I can fight, I can spot gangsters when they’re watching us and trying not to be seen. I know how to defend myself and I’m not going to spin apart every time something goes wrong.
“We get away and regroup.” Peter makes a sudden turn down an alley. “Run. Now!”
We sprint down the narrow road to the end and move left. We keep running, down another street, and another, turning into as many alleys as possible. A few times we stop and walk and wait, watching for anyone, at twice I spot the car roll past, but it seems like we lost the guys on foot.
After another hour of hurrying through the maze-like streets, we stop outside of another cafe just like the first one. Galaki is a stressed-out and sweaty mess. He collapses into a chair, chugs a water, downs a coffee, and lights a cigarette with shaking hands. Peter pulls me aside and talks quietly.
“This is bad,” he says, glancing over at Galaki. “He’s a mess. He’s really spooked.”
“What can we do?”
“I don’t know.”
“The poor guy thinks he’s going to get killed now. What’s the point of money if he’s dead?”
“Fucking hell. I can’t even blame him.” Peter squeezes my arm, not hard, but I can feel his tension rolling off his fingers.
“Friends, I have been thinking.” Captain Galaki stands as Peter releases me and moves toward him. Galaki backs off, hands waving in the air. “I appreciate offer. I am happy by offer. But I must say no.” He says something else in Greek. Peter replies, quick and clipped, but Galaki is already turning and walking away, hands shoved in his pockets.
I stand there and watch our only hope jump on the first bus that comes along and disappears into the city.
“Are we screwed?” I ask.
Peter lets out a low rumble. “We very much might be screwed.”
Chapter20
Adrienne
Peter’s an angry wreck when we get back to Reina’s apartment. My sister is nowhere to be seen, no note, no response when Peter calls her. “She needs to hear what happened,” he says, pacing back and forth. “If the fucking pilot is out, we’ve got no other options.”
“There has to be another way. Maybe we can change Galaki’s mind?”
“You saw him back there. We got chased by gangsters and now he thinks everyone’s out to kill him. I wouldn’t be shocked if he left the country.” He curses again and stands at the window, leaning his palms on the sill. “Adrienne. Maybe it’s time we talked contingency plans.”
He doesn’t look at me when he says it, but the stress and worry that radiate off him tells me everything I need to hear. I don’t want to think about this.
“Not yet,” I say, coming up behind him. I put my arms around his middle and place my palms flat against his muscular stomach. I can feel his pulse through his strong back and I breathe his smell, holding him there, trying to comfort him the best I can, but I know there’s nothing I can do. Peter isn’t the type to be comforted, so no matter what I say, he’s going to feel on edge. And yet I want to try.
I don’t know why, but the panic isn’t ruining me. It feels like everything is lost and we have nowhere else to turn—but this is Peter. He’s clever and strong and he knows a million people, and besides, we’ve got Reina on our side as well.
My sister and my Peter.
