What the fuck? Why would Gabe bring me here?
"—not my problem anymore."
The voice is unfamiliar. Male. Cold. Professional. Twinged with an accent I can't place. And yet, there's something oddly familiar about it. I can't place it, but I know that I know it.
I try to sit up, but my body won't cooperate. I'm on the floor, lying on my side, my pregnant belly pressed against the hardwood. Everything is sore. My shoulder. My ribs. My back.
I'm not surprised. Leo mostly shielded me, but I had just been in an explosion.
Shit.
The explosion. Leo.
I shiver. He'd been bleeding horribly when I left him. I bite my lips hard to keep from whimpering at the thought that no one found him, that he's dead.
"What the fuck do you mean it's not your problem?" That's Gabe. Angry. Desperate. "You said you'd help me. You said if I paid you?—"
"I said I'd provide the extraction. I did. You have your sister. My job is done."
I force myself to move, slowly, and I manage to push myself up onto my elbows, then into a sitting position against one of the bookshelves.
My vision swims, and I feel like I'm going to vomit. My stomach clenches, and I breathe through the pain.
I need to focus. I need to escape, and I can't do that if I'm laying prone on the floor.
Blinking, I glance towards the counter, surprised to see Gabe and a man whose back is to me. He's tall and blonde, but I can't recognize him from the back.
Instead, I focus on Gabe. He looks like shit. The stress of things has finally caught up with him. Good.
The other man turns slightly, and I gasp before I can stop myself.
The man from the store.
Artem.
"She's awake," he says calmly.
Gabe spins around. "Sera?—"
"Don't." I try to sound strong, but I'm hoarse. "Don't come near me."
I try to scramble back as the other man comes closer.
There's something calculating in his gaze. Clinical. Like he's assessing a problem.
"I suppose congratulations are in order, Mrs. Nero."
"Who are you?" I sneer.
He doesn't answer. "I apologize for your situation. Truly. You seem like a kind woman. This is... unfortunate."
"Unfortunate?" My laugh comes out bitter. "You helped kidnap me."
"I provided a service to your brother. What he does with that service is his concern, not mine." He glances at Gabe. "Though I would suggest you reconsider your plan. Alexei Morozov is already sniffing around. And from what I understand, he and your brother-in-law have formed an alliance."
My heart stutters. "Adrian and Alexei?"
"Interesting, isn't it? Two enemies working together. All because of you." Artem's eyes return to me. To my stomach. "You're quite pregnant."
