I shook my head. “No. The signal’s picking up outside of my building. Not inside. That could be anything that anyone tossed onto the property in passing.”
He nodded slowly, still skeptical.
“Look, I’m not going to be stupid about this.”
He smiled goofily. “Fuck, Cuz. Love makesallof us stupid.”
“Who said it’s love?” I challenged, feeling like a liar. If I had a better gauge of what love was supposed to be like, I’d chime in. “I’m not going to be stupid about this. About her. I’m going to talk to her and figure this out.” I was too thorough not to give this concern all of my attention.
“Good. And hey, if you need anything…”
I held up my hand as he trailed off with his vague offer. “Yeah. Yeah. I can ask you.”
I got into my car and headed home. On the drive, I replayed how last night had gone. Was Sofia shaking her head to my question whether she was a spy? Or had she been thrashing her head from side to side because of how fiercely she’d come?
As soon as I parked and entered the house, I scanned the foyer for a clue of where to find her. She couldn’t still be sleeping in, but hell, maybe she would be. I’d worn her out. And Renee and Susana had mentioned how they’d noticed Sofia napping a few times this week.
Oleg strode down the corridor, furrowing his brow.
“Where’s Sofia?” I asked. He wasn’t her keeper, but he’d know. He seemed to always know what was going on around here, and when he didn’t, he didn’t have any reservation about making his fucking assumptions.
“In your room.” He raised his chin and let out a deep breath as if he was bracing to give me bad news. “I think she’s getting ready to bolt.”
My brows shot up. “What? What the fuck did you say?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
I passed him, mad all over again. “Nothing? Bullshit, Oleg. You fucking talked to my father.”
“I am assigned to assist you, but he is my boss. Yours, too.”
“He’s also my father.”Literally.“You shouldn’t have gone over my head.”
He held his hand up, walking with me. It’d take more than a little attitude from me to scare him off. He’d seen me at my worst and my best and could weather everything in between. “I didn’t say anything to her, though. She almost ran into me and had a bag. Like she could be trying to pack and go.”
Fuck!
I rubbed my jaw and growled. “No. That’s not fucking happening. You tell the security team that she is not allowed to fucking leave.”
I can’t lose her. Not like this.
“Are you going to be able to accept it if it’s proven that she’s a traitor? A liar?”
I gritted my teeth and spun to face him. “Fuck you. Are you going to eat your goddamn words when it’s proven she’snot?”
I wasn’t being obtuse or stubborn for the sake of it. The way she made me feel was too real. Too good. She couldn’t be the wrong woman for me. Not when it felt so right with her.
He held his hands up again, as if physically gesturing that we’d agree to disagree on this—for now.
I hurried away from him, finding Sofia in my room. She wasn’t packing. She wasn’t on the bed or in sight. The horrible sounds of her retching reached my ears and I ran to the bathroom.
“Sofia?” I frowned at her getting up from bending over the toilet. Flushing gurgles were already halfway through from her pushing the lever.
“Oh!” She was startled, flinching back and clearly not expecting me. Her face seemed pale, her tan not as golden despite her spending so much time on the balcony reading under the sunshine. “I didn’t realize you’d be back so soon.”
“Were you hoping I wouldn’t be?” I asked. Confusion set in. Was she trying to run like Oleg said, or was he assuming the worst of her? And why did she seem so sick?
Only one thing popped into my mind. Because Claire and Natalie had recently been expecting and dealt with some morning sickness on and off.
