“Look. At. Photograph.”
Inhaling a shuddering breath, I stepped closer to the noticeboard. Lifting the printed sheet of paper that was covering the majority of the bottom left photo with a shaking hand, I steeled myself.
My hand flew to my mouth, a muffled cry tearing from my throat. Nothing could have prepared me for the image I uncovered.
It must have been taken through a window with a long-range lens. The picture was grainy but clearly showed Jay’s bedroom.
His bed, to be exact. Where I was sitting wrapped in his arms, our mouths meeting in a kiss. That night, I’d been so worried about my brother, and Jay had comforted me during the party at his house…
My heart raced even faster, my breaths turning shallow as I struggled to process everything. I twisted my head, looking around for the camera that must be broadcasting my movements to whoever was on the other end of the speaker. “What do you want?”
“Look at photograph, bottom right corner.”
I gritted my teeth as I moved to the other end of the table. Beneath my fear, anger was rising within me, and I welcomed it. Who the hell was this person to think they could play with me like this?
Reaching out, my fingers brushed against the map that was hiding the photo from view. I paused, taking it in. This… Ididn’t know much about the supply routes our smuggled goods took, but I knew enough to be certain that the highlighted roads and areas circled in red marked on the map referenced important locations.
Stay focused, Nova. My left hand went to the waistband of my jeans, the slight bump of my comb-knife reassuring me, while my right hand moved the map aside.
Oh. So it hadn’t just been me. Anton had been with someone else too. It wasn’t surprising, although I hadn’t ever expected to be confronted with photographic evidence. I knew that Anton hadn’t kept his dick to himself, nor would I expect him to. This picture, though…it had definitely been taken during our engagement party. He was leaning against the wall with a heavy-lidded, unfocused gaze, dressed in his engagement suit with his trousers unbuttoned. His fingers curled into the hair of the woman kneeling at his feet, clearly sucking his dick.
Serena. That had been her name. At least, I thought that was her. Whoever it was, she—and Anton—seemed just as unaware of the camera as I had been. Unless… Unless that was what theywantedme to think.
My mind raced, trying to put together the pieces. Letting the map fall back into place, I examined the noticeboard more closely. There was a photo of me and Jay in the maze, taken that same night, and I recalled the footsteps I’d heard. Another chill ran down my spine. Someone had been out there that night, watching us for a reason.
Now, here I was. All alone in a place no one could find me, at the mercy of whoever the voice belonged to.
I blinked back the hot tears that were threatening to fall.“What are you hoping to achieve with this?” I called, sweeping my hand out to encompass the noticeboard.
A scraping noise came from behind me, and I whirled around to see the door opening.
A hulking man dressed in a severe black suit stepped into the room, tall and hard-faced, his mouth set in a flat line.
My jaw dropped.
Igor Volkov.
Anton’s uncle.
41
NOVA
Striding into the room, his polished loafers clipping against the stone floor, he placed a bag down on the table. Spinning to face me, he smiled. It made my skin crawl. “Nova Thorpe. Crown jewel of Thorpe dynasty.Ti krasivaya.”
You’re beautiful. I swallowed. “What do you want with me?”
“You have two choices. It is…simple. Join me.”
“Join you? What do you mean? What’s the other choice?”
His smile widened. “You will be tortured. Perhaps you die, perhaps not.” He shrugged, unconcerned.
I darted for the door, tugging at the handle fruitlessly. It didn’t budge. “Let me go!” I screamed, and he laughed.
“I am only one who can unlock door. Sit down.”
Forcing myself to breathe through my panic, I reminded myself that I needed to be smart about this. I scanned the door, noticing the keypad mounted on the wall. Of course. That was why he was the only one who could unlock the door.
