“They thought I could be a…how do you say…courtesan?” She struggles with the word, her accent thickening. I don’t correct her by saying “prostitute.” If “courtesan” makes her feel better, that’s her business. Still…what the hell? Seeing my appalled expression, she hurriedly adds, “But I was not…attractive enough for them.”
I feel a flush of anger coloring my cheeks. “Not attractive enough? That’s…that’s sickening!”
Not as sickening as human trafficking, but I’m not going to rub her nose in that.
Anya shrugs, a touch of bitterness in her eyes. “I waslucky, in a way. Less…desirable meant less danger. The Ivankov household needed a maid. I was…spared.”
“Spared?” I echo, my mind struggling to process what I’m hearing.
Anya only gives me a sad, almost apologetic smile. “I know it is hard to understand, Sophia. For you, it is horror. For many of us, it is just…life.”
I press my lips together, but I feel my eyes soften. I’m not so different from Anya here, not when I’m neck-deep in my own mess. Forced into nannying and lying to spy for a monster, my brother and best friends’ lives are hanging by a thread.
“Fuck,” I curse under my breath, causing Anya to blink in confusion. For two whole days, I’ve heard jack shit from those bastards. My secret burner phone’s been as quiet as a church on a Monday.
Then, out of nowhere, two men in sharp suits pass by. They’re big, their eyes moving over everything, serious and ready.
“Do you notice there are more guards around here?” I ask Anya as I eye them. They’re built like brick shithouses, their eyes scanning the area, alert and watchful. The air around them is charged, the silent command they carry clearly stating they mean business.
She nods. “Yes. There is something happening…” Anya’s voice trails off, turning into a whisper. She moves closer and whispers in my ear, “They found spy stuff in the mansion.”
My heart freezes.
“Who…? When?”
“Few days ago, I guess. Don’t know much. They do not tell us maids.” Anya shrugs. “I heard from Polina – some of the staff, they have…gone missing.”
My blood runs cold.
Holy crap!
“Missing? What do you mean?”
She shrugs again, looking uncomfortable. “Like, they are not here anymore. Some say they got in trouble. Others think… Well, they might be…dead.”
Dead?
The word echoes in my head, a cold chill snaking down my spine. Fear barrels into me like a sucker punch to the gut.
Shit!
My stomach twists and turns, ready to revolt.
I can’t get caught. I can’t! I won’t let them end me.
Nana, Wren, Nilo… They’re all depending on me.
“Excuse me. I- I need to go…” My voice is a croak, barely audible. I feel the clench in my stomach, trying to ignore the way it lurches. Without waiting for a response, I bolt towards the nearest bathroom.
I don’t even manage to lock the door before I’m over the toilet, hurling out my breakfast.
Chapter 2
Luka
“Blyat,” I curse, holding the remains of the spyware we found scattered throughout the house. “Fucking six of them.”
Dimitri snorts, tossing another piece onto the table. “Make it seven.”
