“Come with me to the kitchen.”
Amber started to hear Hawk’s whisper in her ear. When had he come up behind her? She glanced up. “Why?” she mouthed quietly.
Hawk nodded in the direction of the kitchen again and made his way there. Amber hesitated. She really didn’t want to miss any part of the interview, but Lily and Brad could supply any information the reporters might need. She patted Michela’s hand and whispered in her ear before getting off the sofa. The girl nodded. Amber felt Brad’s gaze following her as she left the room.
Hawk was waiting for her, a grim look on his face. “What is it?” she asked.
“Take me to Tatiana.”
She studied him for a moment. “You don’t even know her. She wouldn’t want to see you anyway. Don’t tell me you’re going to convince her to show those two men her injuries.” She shook her head. “Hawk, she’s in really bad shape.”
“Take me to her, Amber. I want to ask her one question. If she doesn’t answer me, then I’ll just leave.”
Lily would never agree. She was very protective of Tatiana. “Hawk, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Please, Amber. This could change everything for the girl.”
“How?”
“Trust me.”
Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes. “You’re being too secretive. Why can’t you tell me now? How do I know what you’re going to ask won’t upset her even more?”
“You don’t. But if I can convince her to talk to those guys out there, even for five or ten minutes, and show them her condition, it would really prepare them for what they’re getting into when they head for thekafena. Their eyes aren’t open, Amber. You know what I mean.”
Amber sighed. She did know what Hawk meant. The two men out there were still in reporting mode. They needed a nudge to get them to tell the story the way Amber and Lily wanted them to. A kick in the ass, actually, she corrected. And Tatiana…Tatiana could be the one person to do that.
“Okay,” she said, “but if you’re wrong, I’ll let Lily beat you up.”
Hawk’s lips quirked. “Aren’t you going to protect me?”
“I’m your guide, not your protector,” she told him, taking him by the hand. “Let’s go to Tatiana’s room.”
Tatiana was sitting by the window in her room, staring out, even though the panes were shuttered. Her crutches were leaning against the wall. She didn’t turn around when they entered.
“Tatiana? It’s me, Amber.” No answer. “I brought a friend. His name is Hawk.”
Tatiana turned around, her eyes in her thin face widening at the sight of a man in her room. Amber squeezed Hawk’s hand hard, trying to stop his advance.
“Tetovo,” Hawk said very, very quietly. Tatiana reacted with a jerk of her head. “Just nod your head, Tatiana. Was Papa’s name Sarunas?”
Tatiana fisted a hand to her misshapen mouth. Her eyes flashed with sudden emotion, then they became dull again. She nodded.
Hawk took a few careful steps toward the girl. Amber released her hold of him, closely watching Tatiana’s reaction to him. In the few months the girl had spent under their care, she had hardly shown any emotion, even when she was in pain and needed medication. There was always a far-off look in her eyes, as if her body were just a shell and she wasn’t really there. This was the first time Amber had seen Tatiana come to life. And over the name of the brothel Papa.
“He’s the one? This tall. A scar here. Two tattoos shaped like skulls on his back.” Tatiana nodded again. Hawk knelt down so that they were eye to eye. “Tatiana, I promise you. He can never hurt you again. I killed him not long ago.”
Amber watched as Tatiana leaned closer to Hawk. Her heart was in her mouth as she watched the girl struggle to speak, as if she had forgotten how to use her tongue. “Are…you…sure?” she managed to croak.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“With a knife during a battle.”
Tatiana reached out and grasped Hawk’s shoulder. Amber could see her nails digging into his shirt. “Long…fight?” she asked, and her voice was stronger, fiercer.
“Long. Long and dirty fight.”
