“Stay here,” Nina ordered, her hand already reaching for the weapon I knew she kept concealed at her ankle. “We’ll check it out. Don’t move an inch, understood?”
“What’s happening?” Cara asked, her voice tight with anxiety while she climbed from the pool and huddled closer to the rest of us.
“Probably nothing,” Mila said, but her tense posture contradicted her casual tone. “Just stay put. We’ll be right back.”
They disappeared through the gate, and I immediately stood up, scanning the area. Something felt wrong.
“We should move,” I said, grabbing Mira’s arm. “Now.”
Before we could take a step, the electronic lock on the gate clicked, and the entrance sealed shut. Six men in tactical gear appeared from behind the cabanas, moving with military precision.
“Miss Salvini,” the leader said, his accent vaguely Eastern European. “Mr. Grey requires your presence immediately.”
My blood turned to ice. Ivan’s warning echoed in my mind:Never let Grey catch you alone.
“I’m comfortable right here, thanks,” I replied, backing up slowly, positioning myself between the men and the others.
“This isn’t a request.” His hand moved to the back of his pants, where he probably had his weapon.
“You can tell Grey I’ll meet with him later, after I’ve had a chance to?—”
The man lunged forward and grabbed my arm. Jemma jumped up, but another guard shoved her back down with enough force to knock the wind from her lungs. Fee launched herself at him, but the third guard caught her midair, twisting her arm behind her back until she cried out.
“Stop!” I shouted as the fourth man pressed a gun against Mira’s temple. “I’ll come with you. Don’t hurt them.”
The leader smiled, cold and efficient. “A wise choice.”
As two of them dragged me away, I caught a glimpse of Mila and Nina trapped on the other side of the gate, held at gunpoint, the same as Mira, Jemma, Fee, and Cara.
Fuck. I should’ve stayed in my room or demanded to be a part of the meetings with the men. Or I should’ve left the island when Vince wanted to.
I just didn’t believe Grey would try something, what with my family around.
Hopefully, someone would soon be able to alert them.
I’d never felt so vulnerable, so exposed. I was good behind a computer, but this real hardcore-crime-shit stuff? Not at all my cup of tea
Where were Vince or Ivan when I needed them? Damn. I shouldn’t have let my guard down. Should’ve demanded to leave the island as soon as my family arrived.
Fuck.
What was I thinking? Letting myself become dependent on someone else’s protection.
Trusting Zotov.
Being independent, not trusting anyone—that had always been one of the core principles in my life.
How did Zotov waltz into my life and turn everything upside down, including my principles?
They marched me across the compound toward the sea, to what I could only assume was Grey’s private villa since that was where he’d wanted to interrogate me the first time.
We approached the Mediterranean-style building that somehow felt more like a mausoleum than a home. Inside,the air conditioning raised goose bumps on my sun-warmed skin.
The guards led me to a study lined with books that looked like they’d never been opened, all matching leather spines arranged by color rather than content.
So Grey was a poser.
Grey sat behind an ornate desk, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as he watched me enter. Another man stood in the corner, his white coat and the medical case at his feet setting off all the alarm bells in my head at once.
