My sister crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe, looking at me like I’m the biggest idiot she’s ever met. Which, given our family, is saying something.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Cleaning up one of my brother’s messes. As usual.”
“I don’t have time for this, Anya. Kirsten is missing, and I need to—”
“She’s not missing.” Anya pushes off the doorframe and walks into the apartment. “She left.”
I go still. “You know where she is.”
“I do.”
“Tell me.”
“Not until you explain to me what the hell you were thinking.” Anya drops onto the couch and kicks her feet up on the coffee table. “I ran into her as she was rushing out of this house. She was crying, Menlow. Kirsten. Crying. That womanhas been through kidnapping and torture and car crashes without shedding a tear, and you made her cry.”
The words land like punches. “I didn’t mean to—”
“You told her to pack her bags. You set up a whole new life for her somewhere else. What did you think was going to happen?”
“I was trying to protect her!”
“By kicking her out?”
“By getting her away from me!” I drag both hands through my hair, frustration boiling over. “Don’t you understand? As long as she’s connected to me, she’s a target. The Volkovs already proved that. They used her to get to me once. They’ll do it again.”
Anya studies me for a long moment. “You’re an idiot.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” She stands and walks toward me. “You think sending her away will keep her safe? You think Jovan Volkov cares whether she’s living in your apartment or some studio across town? If they want to hurt you through her, they’ll find her. Distance doesn’t matter.”
“It’s better than nothing.”
“Is it?” Anya stops right in front of me. “Or is it just easier for you to push her away than to admit you’re scared?”
I don’t answer. I can’t.
“That’s what I thought.” Anya sighs and pulls a piece of paper from her pocket. “She’s staying at the Starway Hotel. Room 412. I paid for a week so she’d have time to figure things out.”
I take the paper with trembling fingers. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Anya heads for the door. “She’s furious with you. And honestly? She has every right to be.”
The Starway Hotel is a modest place on the east side of town. Clean but unremarkable. The kind of place where people go when they don’t want to be found.
I take the elevator to the fourth floor and stand outside room 412 for a full minute before I can bring myself to knock.
The door opens a crack. Kirsten’s face appears in the gap. Her eyes are red-rimmed and puffy.
“Go away,” she groans.
“Kirsten, please. Let me explain.”
“You’ve explained enough.” She tries to close the door, but I stick my foot in the gap.
“Five minutes. That’s all I’m asking. Five minutes, and then if you still want me to leave, I’ll go.”
