Irina: Are you home tonight?
Kat: Is everything ok?
I swallowed, relaying the message to Ri, who sighed, letting her head fall back against the headrest. Everything was decidedly not okay, but it wasn’t up to me to communicate that to her friend.
“Tell her everything’s fine, I was just wondering how things were going with Sir Daddy Dom.”
I raised an eyebrow at the name. Ri managed a wan smile. “It’s a long story.”
I sent the message, and almost immediately another pinged into the chat.
Kat: No idea where you are, you elusive bitch, but I’m in an Uber on my way to Sir Dom’s house, with drinks … don’t wait up!
Kat: If you were even planning on coming home tonight … where the hell are you living at the moment?
“Leave her on read,” Ri instructed, taking the phone from me and tucking it back into her purse. “She’ll forget that I haven’t replied as soon as she gets to Dom’s house, anyway.”
My heart ached for her. “You could just tell her about us—hear me out,” I added hastily when her head snapped in my direction, opening her mouth to argue. I tucked the photo into the seat pocket and slid closer, taking her still jittery hand in mine.
“You wouldn’t have to tell her about the marriage, but you could tell her that you’ve started seeing someone. At least that would explain you being away a lot, and … I don’t want this duplicity we’re in together to cause a rift between you and your friend.”
Ri shook her head sadly. “It’s a nice idea, Henry … but it’s just another lie to add to all the lies I’m trying to keep straight in my head.”
Maybe it doesn’t have to be a lie …
I bit back that thought before I could voice it.
“Understood,” I said stiffly instead, but I couldn’t bring myself tolet go of her hand as Lucian climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the car and pulling into traffic.
“Back to the yacht?” he asked, preparing to turn at the next intersection.
Ri’s hand twitched in mine. “I need to go to my apartment. I need to know what she’s done.”
“Did Rumi know about the existence ofthat?” Lucian snarled as Ri slid a small lock box out of her letterbox.
“Possibly? I often didn’t take a key with me when we went out, so I couldn’t lose it. I doubt she ever saw the code, though.”
But as I stood beside her, it was a simple matter of watching over her shoulder, as the numbers snicked into place, and the box popped open to reveal a key. If Ri had brought Rumi home with her at any time, it would have been all too easy for her lunatic ex to memorise the combination.
Lucian massaged his forehead, scowling. “It’s almost like youwantedthis crazy bitch to break into your apartment.”
I shot him a warning glare, but Ri just rolled her eyes in his direction. Hope flashed through me that this evening’s events hadn’t killed her spark completely, as she led us into the foyer of the building and up the stairs.
Ri’s apartment swung open, and I stepped inside behind her. Cold seeped through the soles of my shoes as I followed her down the dark hallway. She flicked a light on at the other end, illuminating a small living room and kitchen. It was old, but she and Kat had made it homely with cushions and a woollen throw on the Ikea sofa, and a round rug that soaked up some of the cold.
Not enough, but some.
“At least there was no sign of Cockerels Cap outside tonight,” Lucian muttered. Ri ignored him, heading directly for a closed door off the living room. I followed close behind, worry churning under my ribs.
She unlatched the door, pushing it inwards. The room was too dark to see, but when Ri flicked on the light switch, she stepped backwardsso suddenly that she collided with me. I caught her around the waist, steadying her as we peered into the carnage.
“Ce pula mea!” she gasped.
The room had been ransacked so completely that there wasn’t a scrap of the cheap timber-look flooring visible. Clothes were strewn from the wardrobe as if they’d been dragged onto the floor and riffled through. Bottles and tubes of makeup scattered across the bed, one of them leaking a reddish liquid onto Ri’s brightly patterned bedspread.
Drawers were opened, and papers, textbooks and stationery had been thrown haphazardly, some of the textbooks torn down the spine.
“Why?” Ri whispered, stepping out of my arms and picking up an anatomy text that was probably worth a few hundred dollars. The cover had been torn off. “What’s the point of ruining my things?”
