Just like the night I found her in the tunnels, when her claustrophobia nearly broke her but she kept moving forward anyway.
“Boss?” Marco’s voice comes from the doorway. “We’ve got a problem.”
I look up at him, and whatever he sees in my face makes him step back. “Sophia’s gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?”
“She went to Lorenzo.” The words taste like poison. “She’s trying to end this herself.”
Marco’s face goes pale. “When?”
“I don’t know.” I check my phone, but there are no messages, no missed calls. “Could have been hours ago.”
I’m already moving, shoving the note into my pocket and grabbing my gun from the nightstand.
My mind races through possibilities. Where would Lorenzo take her? The old textile factory? One of his warehouses? The docks?
“Get everyone,” I order Marco. “I want every location Lorenzo’s ever used searched.”
“On it.” He pulls out his phone, already dialing.
I head downstairs, my boots heavy on the marble steps.
How did I let this happen?
How did I become so consumed with hunting Lorenzo that I drove away the only person who matters?
The answer is simple, brutal in its honesty.
I was afraid.
Afraid that if I let myself feel anything other than rage, I’d have to face the guilt.
The knowledge that I killed her father for crimes he didn’t commit.
That I destroyed her life based on lies.
That every moment of pain I inflicted on her was for nothing.
So I buried myself in vengeance.
Told myself I was protecting her when really I was just running from the truth.
I’m such a goddamn coward.
Tony appears in the hallway, leaning heavily on the wall.
He shouldn’t be out of bed, but the look on his face tells me he already knows.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?” His voice is rough with pain and exhaustion.
“How did you know?”
“Because I know my sister, even if I haven’t been around her these past six years.” He moves closer, each step clearly costing him. “She’s been planning this. I could see it in her eyes when you were talking about the safe house. She had that look she used to get when we were kids and she’d decided to do something stupid and brave.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” The accusation comes out harsher than I intend.
“Because she’s right.” Tony meets my gaze steadily. “You’ve been destroying yourself, Mikhail. Pushing everyone away. Becoming exactly what Lorenzo wanted you to become.”
