Page 59 of Lost to Thievery
Michael laughed. “That’s what you get for being friends with a thief, Candy.”
I snorted. “Yeah, well, your wise words of caution would have been appreciated a few months ago,Mikey. So tell me where I might find him, and we’ll leave. As new friends. Or maybe even business partners. You’ll be needing a new thief when I’m through with Grayson.”
Michael watched me silently, an intrigued look on his face. “Last I heard of Grayson Varon, he was with his black-haired lover, finishing some old feud. What was her name again?” His eyebrow arched and he studied me intently. It was a test. To see how well I really knew Grayson.
I tried to keep my smile in place, tried hard not to let him see how deep his words cut me.His black-haired lover...
The joke was on Michael. I was exceptionally well versed on the subject of Grayson. I knew all about his lover and family feud. “You mean, Raina? No, she’s rotting in a Russian prison.Verysad. And as for the family feud with Anderson, that’s all over and done with. Thanks to me, actually. Almost had to fuck Charles too.” I gave a bubbly chuckle, flipped my ponytail over my shoulder, and hopped onto his desk. “Even a man like Grayson Varon can’t seem to do anything without a woman. Now if you’re done testing me, Michael, I’d really like to know where he is.”
“I’ll tell you what, Candy. I’ll give you the information you want, if you give me some information that I want on Grayson.”
I smiled sweetly at him. “You have yourself a deal, Mister Volkov. What do you need to know?”
He swirled his whiskey in the glass, took a long sip, savouring the taste in his mouth. He looked the picture of ease, which had that little voice in my head screaming. “I do not know Graysonon a personal level like you seem to. He’s very secretive. So I want to know, who are the people he really cares about?”
My stomach dropped. Why would he want to know that? Gods, I couldn’t tell him that. “That’s a trick question, Michael. Grayson doesn’t care about anyone. Take Raina for instance. He’s letting her rot in Mordovia of all places. He doesn’t give a fuck about anyone but himself.”
Michael Volkov was quiet for a second, scratching the stubble on his chin. “Hmm. Seems like you’re not as much help as I thought you’d be.” He lifted his hand and flicked his fingers towards us. “Ubit’ ikh.”
Vlad lifted his gun to my head, and the burly guard pressed a gun to the back of Owen’s head.
“Wait!” Owen’s eyes were fixed on me, his chest heaving. “Tell them or I will,” he pleaded, his eyes wild.
I shook my head slightly, my eyes boring into him. I couldn’t do that to Gemma. I couldn’t trade my life for hers. For whatever reason Volkov wanted her name, it was for no good reasons. I would get Owen out some other way. There had to be another way.
Think, Ava! What would Grayson do?
“I’m sorry. I’m not gonna let them kill you.” Owen turned towards Michael. “I’ll tell you, if you promise to let her walk out of here.”
Volkov gave a pleased smile and nodded his head in agreement.
“Gemma Monroe and Hunter, his adoptive brother. That’s who he cares about. Theonlypeople he cares about.”
“How sweet of you to want to save your boss’s life. I’ll let her live.” Michael chuckled and looked to me again. “But you need a new guard dog. This one is very disrespectful to disobey an order like that. Not to worry. We know how to deal with this type of insolence.” He nodded to the burly guard behind Owen.
The guard lifted his gun once more, and ice shot through my veins.
No!
I had no time to think. I reacted instinctively, pushing off the table, leaping into the air, right onto the guard behind Owen. A shot went off and I screamed in defiance as I stabbed a pen into the man’s neck.
Owen! Oh, dear gods, please, please, please, please!
The guard and I tumbled to the ground, but I was yanked up again before I could react. I struggled against whoever had me, struggled to get a look at Owen.
“Let her go!” I heard his voice, and a visceral sob escaped me. He was alive!
“You bitch!” Vlad spat, slamming my face onto the desk. Pain instantly shot through my cheek, so intense I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness.
I gritted my teeth against the pain and fought hard against the dizziness. I had to stay awake. I had to find Owen.
Everything slowed. I couldn’t think. The screaming in the room was distant. I blinked slowly, trying to clear my vision so I could see Owen. I was bent over the side of Michael’s desk. Vlad had a hand around the back of my neck, holding me down, while his heavy body pinned me painfully to the desk. I kept still, kept my hands pressed to the smooth varnished wood. “Owen?” I breathed, shakily.
“I’m here. I’m here,” his voice was pained, shaky.
I found his eyes, and my chin started trembling as I saw the truth in them.
Another guard with a gun had taken the place of the one I had stabbed. It was all for nothing. He was still going to die. I had saved him. But only for a few more seconds.
