Ignoring me, Sergei opened the fridge, took out a stout beer and cracked it open.
After an excruciating moment while he drank, he finally looked at me. “I’ll kill your dog if you don’t do what I say.”
I knew two things in that moment. One, he meant what he said. Two, I couldn’t live with myself if he hurt Bandit. In that moment, the only thing that mattered was Bandit’s safety.
My voice came out subdued, calm. A soothing tone that was careful not to anger the beast. “I’ll do whatever you want.”
I didn’t want to imagine the horrors I would face, but it didn’t matter. As long as Bandit didn’t die.
He gave me a cold smile. “You’re coming with me, but we’re leaving the fucking dog behind.”
My mind raced. I’d comply with Sergei until we got away from here. When we were far away from Bandit, I could try to escape. And the further away we got from Bandit, the more his leverage over me would decrease. “I’ll do whatever you ask as long as you let my dog live.”
He nodded and took out a key. He unlocked the handcuffs and freed my hand, knowing that he had complete control over me now. “Let’s go.”
With one last look at Bandit, who was barking and frantically pawing at the glass patio doors, I turned and walked away from my beloved dog. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again, and thatthought almost killed me. Bandit was frantic, near hysterics, as he watched me leave him for the second time that day.
I felt tears coming on, but I knew they would only piss Sergei off, so I worked to keep my face free of emotion.
We passed the pantry and I glanced in, fully expecting to see Giselle gagged and bound.
A small scream ripped out of me when I took in the scene. Giselle’s lifeless body was lying in the corner of the pantry, her unseeing eyes staring up at the ceiling.
“Oh my god,” I exclaimed, as bile came up my throat.
Sergei gave me a push from behind. “Keep moving, or you’re next.”
I was in shock when he made me climb into the back seat of the car. Then he reached down, stuck a needle in my neck, and everything went black.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
AXEL
I wasseconds away from snatching the notepad from the cop’s hand, but finally he answered me. “Giselle took someone by the name of Mila.”
My entire body went cold, then hot, as I realized how much danger Mila was in being out of jail without me to protect her. “Are you sure?”
He read out his notes. “Giselle signed out a detainee by the name of Mila, and then they left.”
“Did she leave a message? Did she seem like she was in distress?” Daniel stood by, his arms crossed.
I stood up, trying to quell the panic in my body. “I’m going to look for them.”
Yuri protested. “That’s like finding a needle in a haystack. We’ll put out a BOLO on them. She’ll probably show up here shortly.”
Ignoring him, I dialed Mila’s number. It went to voicemail. I knew, deep in my gut, that something terrible was about to happen to my wife.
“Axel.” Yuri’s expression hardened as he watched my face. “You’re not done here.”
“I’m going to look for my wife.”
“Look, I understand that these are trying moments.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “But where are you going to even start looking?”
Daniel was listening to us. “Why did Giselle pick up Mila?”
That made Yuri pause. “What?”
“Were they friends?”
