“What are you?” My cheeks heat as I hear myself. “I mean…what branch of the military did you serve in?”
“Army. Same as Royce and Cam. And Ryker, really. Even though he ended up a Green Beret. Graham, our new guy, was a marine. Still is, I guess, since he’s in the reserves now. All we need is a Coast Guard alum and we’ll have a complete set.”
On the screen in front of us, the two red dots signifying Ryker and West’s trackers travel along the route Inara mapped out for them. We fall silent for a while until we hear banging coming from the basement.
“Not now,” Inara groans. “The little shit probably expects to eat again.”
“I can bring him an MRE.” Sliding off the stool, I start for the kitchen before Inara grabs my arm. Her fingers curl around my elbow where the needle marks still throb—though more from the memories than physical pain, and I hiss until she loosens her grip.
“Sorry. But…you should stay here.”
Her gray eyes warn me she’s serious, but I need to talk to the kid. Need to know why he thought Kolya would ever let Elena go.
“Ryker would murder me.”
I straighten as much as my bruises will allow and try to force some strength into my tone. “Semyon was Zion’s best friend. And I just…I need to talk to him. He’s terrified of Ryker, and he doesn’t know the guys are gone. This might be my only chance. Ryker doesn’t need to know.”
Inara sighs. “Leave the door open. If he makes a single move you don’t like, you scream. Got it?”
“Got it.” I reach out and grab her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “Thank you.”
Turning back to the computer, she shakes her head. “Don’t make me regret it.”
* * *
MRE in hand,I limp down the steps to the basement. It’s actually kind of nice down here. Cool, but quiet. On a dusty old mattress, Semyon sits, his hands bound in front of him, resting with his back against the wall.
“I do not want trouble,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender.
“Relax. I’ve…mostly forgiven you.” With a jerk of my head back towards the stairs, I add, “Don’t make me call for Ryker and you’ll be fine. I brought you some food.”
Like I’ve seen Ryker do a handful of times, I mix up the salt water that heats the meal, set the pouch inside until it’s warm, then tear it open and slide it onto a plate.
“Here.” Setting the dish next to him, I offer him a blunt spoon. This meal’s a chicken pot pie, and while it looks more like a pale, beige brick than actual food, it smells pretty good. “Eat. And listen.”
Semyon stiffens, but he picks up the meal and awkwardly tries to maneuver the spoon with his hands bound together. His quick hopeful glance up makes me snort.
“Don’t even think about it,” I say, and he nods quickly, his whole focus on the brick of pot pie. “When Zion came back to me, he didn’t want to talk about what happened. Heck, until a couple of months ago, I didn’t even know he’d been in Russia.”
“He call you.”
“From a blocked number.” A ghost of a smile touches my lips. “He was a smart kid. Knew if I found out where he was, I’d come get him.”
“I wish…” Semyon stares off into the corner of the basement, his meal largely forgotten. “I wish I had someone who cared for me like that.”
“You do.” At his disbelief, I risk patting his shoulder. “Zion. He left me pages and pages of emails. I guess he’d written them every couple of days during the years he spent with Kolya, but never sent them. He talked about you and Elena all the time. How you used to clean up his vomit when he’d take too much. How you took a beating for him once when he’d screwed up some delivery for Kolya. And the dumplings. That kid loved dumplings.”
Semyon’s lower lip wobbles.
“He loved you like a brother. Leaving you here…that was his biggest regret. If there’d been any other way…”
The boy’s eyes turn glassy, and he sets the spoon down. “He abandoned us.”
“No.” I shake my head, then sink take him by the shoulders so he looks me in the eyes. “Elena got him out because Kolya was going to kill him. She made himpromisenot to come back. When Kolya found out what she’d done, he beat her so badly she couldn’t even stand. And then he sent Zion a videoshowinghim how he’d hurt her, threatening to kill him if he didn’t come back. Andsellyou and Elena. Zion didn’t think twice about it, Semyon. He told Elena he’d get you both out. But Kolya got to him first. Zion was a smart kid. And he made sure if anything happened to him, I’d find his messages—and I’d come get you.”
Tears well in Semyon’s pale blue eyes, and he sniffs loudly. “And then I betrayed him.”
“You didn’t know, kid. I…I wanted to blame you.” I finger the abrasions around my wrist from the ropes Kolya used to tie me up. Anxiety tightens its icy fingers around my heart, and I draw in a deep, shuddering breath. “You’re just as much Kolya’s victim as Z. Or Elena. Or…me. Sit tight for a little longer, and then we’ll all get out of here, okay?”
