There’s no mention of Aislyn in here.
And nothing about Corinne Boudreaux.
That has me confused, because I’m positive that I saw her in the basement last night.I wanted to go back and search, but once I was out of the basement I didn’t think I could risk going back.The last thing I needed was for my father or any of his men to find me down there–and worse, find me there when the girls were missing.
But now I was starting to question my sanity.I’ve searched every way I can think of for her name in the database, and there’s nothing in here.Has she been kidnapped, or was she there by accident?Did I hallucinate the whole thing?
No, my brain tells me.
Because you don’t hallucinate a door locking and not letting you back in.
And the person who locked the door was mybrother, which brings up a whole other set of questions.What the fuck was Corinne doing in that basement, and why wasBeauwith her?I haven’t seen my brother since the night of that first party–not that I would have, as I wasn’t at my dad’s house until yesterday–but he’s been pretty obviously MIA since my dad re-kidnapped me.
Until last night.When I saw him in a basement that had been holding girls caught in the smuggling ring.
Where the fuck did he go after he locked me out?
Is he still alive?
Oh God, is hepartof all of this?
The thought makes me so sick that I almost throw up.I haven’t spoken to my brother in years but when I was a kid, he was one of the only solid people in my life.When I was scared, I would run to his bedroom and climb into bed with him, and he’d hold me until I was feeling better.Once I got older, he protected me in other ways, sending me proud smiles whenever we got out of a scrape together.Granted, he’d never been able to protect me from my father, but I’d never been certain he even knew that my father was hitting me.
If he’d known, he would have gone into battle for me.I never doubted that.
But my father would have killed him, and I would never have been able to live with that.
The idea that he’s involved in my father’s smuggling ring now...
No.He knew of it, for certain.He said as much at that party where I saw him.But there’s no way he’s involved I won’t believe it.I can’t.
At that moment the door to the office swings open and jump to my feet.A man stands in the doorway.
A huge man.
“What are you doing in here?”he asks, in Russian-flavored English.
Russian.
Another Russian.
I remember the one from the poker table last night, and immediately feel the mantle of Brooks Peterson fall back over my face.
Because he might be Russian, but I’m Brooks Landry, heir apparent.And it’s none of his fucking business what I’m doing in here.
“I’m doing research,” I say coldly.“On my business.What the fuck areyoudoing in here?”
Instead of answering, he stares at me like he’s trying to decide whether I’m worth killing or not.I stare back and pull my jacket to the side, revealing the gun in its holster.If this man thinks he can intimidate me with just a stare, he’s got another thing coming.I might not like being my father’s daughter, but it does give me some standing in this room, and I’m going to use that for every piece of power it’s worth.
“Do you have something to say?”I ask coldly.
He pauses for one more moment, and I watch the emotions chase each other across his face.Shock at a woman speaking to him like that, then anger.Disgust.Disapproval.
His eyes snap to my gun and back up, and I see it the moment he realizes he can’t do anything about the way I’ve just spoken to him.
He turns and leaves without another word, and I move to slam the door behind him.
This time, I lock it.
