Page 50 of The Bratva Stalker's Ruthless Claim
“I know,” she says quickly. “That’s what I thought too.”
Something in her tone makes me study her more carefully.
“But?”
Her fingers lace together in her lap.
“A few minutes after he went through the door…Anya came out of it.”
My expression doesn’t change, but my mind sharpens.
“And then a few minutes later,” she continues, “Sergei came out too.”
Silence settles over the room as I ponder what she just said. Half of me struggles to believe that there’s a hidden meaning behind it. Anya and Sergei have worked together for me in the past, but in precarious times like this, I must admit it’s suspicious.
“I know you have no reason to believe me,” she continues. “But there’s more.”
She leans forward a little now, her voice lowering.
“I watched them the rest of the night,” she says. “Not obviously. Just…observing.”
“And?”
“They kept exchanging glances. The kind people think no one notices.”
I look down at my desk, my mind already turning through possibilities.
Sergei didn’t tell me he spoke with Anya at the party.
And Sergei always reports things like that to me. Always. That’s how our structure works. Nothing relevant goes unmentioned.
The omission is small.
But small omissions in our world have a way of becoming very large problems.
I nod slowly.
“I’ll handle it,” I say.
The words come automatically. It’s the natural order of things. I investigate. I deal with the threats. I keep her safe.
But Ellie’s reaction is immediate.
“No.”
I look up.
Her posture has stiffened, her eyes flashing with something sharp.
“No?” I repeat.
“You’re not just going to handle it and keep me out of it,” she says firmly.
My brows draw together. “Ellie—”
“The attacks changed my life,” she cuts in. “Twice now, someone has tried to kidnap me. That’s not a small detail I can just ignore while you and your men figure it out behind closed doors.”
Her voice isn’t loud.
