Page 132 of The Darkness is Calling

“They’re mercenaries,” Yar answers after several irritatingly long seconds. “I’ll bet they’re colleagues of the ones who abducted you the night Katya performed.”

I frown, trying to disappear quickly into traffic, as far as possible from the place where chaos is unfolding.

“Can you get out?”

“Yes. We’re leaving now. We’ll meet you there.”

The pieces are starting to come together. I had a suspicion, but today’s information about the mercenaries only strengthens my theory about my suspect.

A man who was inside that cathedral.

A man who realized the nature of my relationship with Ekaterina some time ago.

A man I would never have believed capable of such a move on a chessboard far larger than I had imagined.

“Is that why you didn’t make it to my recital? You were abducted?” Her broken voice pulls me out of my scattered thoughts, out of the voices whispering me ideas and unanswered questions from every direction.

I let my eyes linger on her beautiful face, her makeup still flawless, though her lipstick is a little smeared along her lower lip.

My fault.

Her hair is slightly mussed, but that only makes her more alluring, awakening in me the desire to touch her again.

“They tried, but obviously, they failed.”

Her eyes widen, and she draws in a deep breath through lips parted in shock.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she shouts, turning completely toward me. “You lied to me!”

“Actually, I omitted the truth. I didn’t lie about anything, and you never asked me why I didn’t show up.”

“If I had asked, would you have told me?”

I don’t hesitate before answering. “No.”

“Why?!”

“Because I didn’t want you to have another unpleasant memory tied to your concerts.”

“And because of something that stupid, you preferred to let me think you were with another woman and let me go? I thought you didn’t lie!”

She screams, furious, but I don’t think she has the slightest idea how attractive she is.

“Do not confuse truth with honesty,” I say shortly.

“Actually, maybe that’s what you wanted. For me to leave,” she throws at me, believing every word.

“You know very well that isn’t what I wanted, Ekaterina,” I answer as calmly as I can, even though on the inside, I feel the fire growing.

“That’s exactly the problem. I don’t know anything! You don’t tell me anything! You don’t give me a single sign for almost two weeks, but then you show up at my wedding, kill the priest, and who knows who else you murdered in there! Who the fuck gave you the right to do that?!”

“I did.”

She freezes at my short, obvious answer. But a small voice in my head tells me I should explain.

“I needed this time to find out who was trying to keep you away from me. I needed to know you were safe, because someone was coming after me, and I risked putting you in danger.”

“And now I’m not in danger?”