“While you’re working on that, can you run someone through your…special network?” I asked, delicately mentioning my sister’s rather dubious ties to the underground.
“Shto? Kto?” she exclaimed, demanding to know what had happened and who I wanted checked.
“Dr. Kyle Carter,” I answered, tracing the edge of my cheap sweater, his awkward yet intriguing smile flashing through my mind.
“Kyle Carter. Could he sound any more American?” She scoffed.
“Just…check into him.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Where did you come across this…Dr. Carter?”
She said his name with such disdain that I couldn’t mistake it.
I shrugged, trying to keep my voice as nonchalant as what I was pretending to be. “I just…ran into him whilst I was getting something to eat.”
“You went out to eat?”
My annoyance made my muscles stiffen. “What do you want me to do? I couldn’t cook if I tried in this roach motel. And even if I had the means to cook, I haven’t exactly the skills.”
She clicked her tongue. “Fine. So you met him at a restaurant. Which?”
“Fiesta Fries,” I answered. “Did you know ‘fries’ are those little potato sticks Americans seem so wild about?”
“Da, I knew that. You’re so sheltered.” I heard the judgement in her voice. But I love my home country of Belvaria.
“Anything else you can tell me about this…person?” Nadia asked.
“He has a connection to Alex Stone,” I answered. “I was wondering if Kyle might have the expertise we need for our project. And if not, his tie to Alex Stone may still be useful.”
“TheAlex Stone?”
“Yep,theAlex Stone.”
“Hmm,” Nadia murmured.
I could her wheels turning from here. “I’ll look into it.”
“Thanks,” I answered.
“But I want you to stay away from him until you hear from me. Do you understand?”
My lips tugged into a pouty frown, though I didn’t fully understand why. I’d just met the man. Why was I so interested in seeing him again? Maybe it was because he represented a deep-seated hope that I hadn’t had until now.
“Natasha,” she said, using my full name, “do you understand?”
“I had no plans to see him, though I don’t see what the harm is.”
“The harm is you think this man could help us, and I’m a little suspicious about why he’s shown up suddenly. It’s too random, and I don’t like it.”
“You think he’s an enemy?”
“I don’t know that he’s a friend, and I don’t want to take any chances. We’ve lost too much.”
I bit my lower lip, unwilling to make any promises.
“Natashka…” My sister prompted again. I recognized her patient wearing thin. She’d only held it this long because of her love for me, but I couldn’t push it much further.
“Fine,” I answered with a sigh. “I will be careful.”
