I bribed her with food.
You all know Pippa can’t be forced to do anything.
Jules
I know, but I don’t want her alone.
Enzo
I have men stationed outside.
Luna
It’s not the outside world I’m worried about.
There is a pause in the chain. I look across the bull pen at Luna’s desk, but she is not there. She got in earlier than I did. I can only imagine all the rooms she’s being pulled into today.
Enzo
I can have Luca drive Eva over to Pippa’s later.
We have to trust her. Pippa said she’s okay. She wanted a day to rest and sleep and she’s more than earned that. She’ll reach out if she needs us.
Imay be the temporary voice of reason, but it comforts me to know my girl has so many people that look out for her.
A few hours of emails, calls, and meetings pass. Luna and I shared glances across the room once, as she was passing from one meeting to the next, but nothing more, yet. I stand to go grablunch when my phone rings. Director Marsden. I pick up right away.
“Director.”
“Cross, I just spoke to Novak.”
“Yeah?”
“His lead on Sophie Delacroix is getting hotter.”
“That’s great,” I say. And I mean it.
“You’ll never believe who he spotted at the gala last night.”
I pause as I prepare to pretend like I don’t know what he’s about to say. There was a time when a Junior Volkov sighting would have been the biggest reveal to Enzo, Eva, and me. It would have halted everything until we had him. But now, there are more important things going on around us.
“Who, sir?” I ask.
“Konstantin Volkov—Junior.”
“Wait. What? I was there last night. Is he sure?”Seriously, I should have been an actor.
“Yeah. He had a hunch and asked one of our contracted security members to put a tracker on him. The mark ended up at the Volkov estate.”
“Well, shit. Why would he have been at the gala?” I ask, genuinely curious about his answer.
“I want to know the same thing. He was there with Lily Blackwell under the alias Michael Grant.”
“Damn.” I sigh.
“I have Steele running his alias and digging into Blackwell. I told Novak to bring you in just this morning. I want all my best on this—I want to be the team that finally brings Sophie Delacroix in. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
