Chapter 2
NATASHA
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I rushed through the cool evening air, my hands shoved tightly into the pockets on my less-than-chic windbreaker. It didn’t help that the fabric irritated my skin, and the massive tag in the back kept poking at my neck.
My lower lip throbbed, and my neck ached from twisting to peer over my shoulder.
I couldn’t help it.
I wasn’t in the Hamptons for a vacation. I was here in a desperate attempt to save my life from forces far too close to me.
They’d already taken too many people dear to me. At least for now, they had.
I wasn’t content to let that last. I was going to take back everything they’d taken, but it wasn’t going to be easy.
A crisp breeze ruffled my dark hair, blowing it across my cheek as I reached the door of my motel room. Its chipped, ugly green paint job gave me an uneasy feeling.
I unlocked the door, shoved it open, and rushed inside, slamming it shut behind me. My purse hit the floor as I scrambled to lock it.
Once every bolt was secured, I leaned back against the door with a shaky sigh. Rubbing at the tight muscles in my neck, my gaze drifted—then locked—on the open curtains.
My nostrils flared as irritation welled inside of me. The maid must have pushed them open.
Pushing away from the door, I raced over and started to drag the dusty, threadbare curtains closed. With a room on the ground floor, I didn’t want anyone able to peer into my window.
Before I could shut the room-darkening shades, my heart seized. In the dusky darkness, I spotted a hooded figure.
My lips parted, a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. My eyes widened, searching the man for details. Did he have the characteristic tattoo on his forearm that would identify him as a threat to me?
Another man appeared around the side of the building, coming toward him. The first man pulled his hood off, a grin on his face as he extended his hand to clamp onto the second man’s.
With a relieved exhale, I realized they were just two random people, not someone after me. I finished closing the curtains and shuffled to my bed, removing my jacket and tossing it on the worn chair before I slumped onto the bed.
I groaned at the lumpy mattress before I covered my face with my hands. It had only been a week since I’d fled my home country, but it felt like it had been ages.
I kicked off my shoes and swung my legs up onto the bed, leaning against the flat pillow. Tears threatened to fall as I sat alone, the silence deafening.
The ringing of the burner phone in my purse split the quiet, startling me. I scurried off of the bed and raced for the nondescript bag.
The phone was my lifeline, and only a handful of people had the number.
I collapsed on the rather gross rug and dug for the phone, hoping I’d find it before the ringing stopped. With trembling hands, I grabbed hold of it and swiped to answer.
“Hello?” My school-bred British accent returned as my voice turned breathy. I was sick of covering it, of pretending to be American, but I had no other choice.
“Hey, sis,” my twin sister, Nadia, answered.
My eyes slid closed at the sound of her voice.
“How are you holding up? Any trouble?”
“Not really,” I answered, my voice breaking.
I let my head sink into my hands. “Ya khochu domoy,” I said through tears, indicating my deep desire to go home.
“Oh, moya sestra,” my sister answered with a click of her tongue. “I know that. But not yet. It’s still too dangerous. And stop speaking in Belvarian before someone hears you.”
“I’m alone in this disgusting room.” I wiped at the tear that had fallen to my cheek as I frowned at the dirty carpet on which I sat.
Scrambling to my feet, I brushed off my backside and headed back to the bed. It wasn’t much better, but a tiny bit cleaner.
“But you’re safe,” Nadia said.
“I’m safe,” I said with a sniffle. “But how much longer do I have to do this?”
“As long as it takes, moya sestra,” she answered. “But I’m not letting off on the pressure. We just…need time to regroup.”
I pressed my lips together.
“And you need to stay safe. You know this is what Papa would have wanted.”
My fingers curled into fists, my nostrils flaring. “Do not refer to him in the past tense.”
“Prosti,” she answered, her apology simple but heartfelt. “But right now we’re on our own.”
My lower lip trembled. “Still no luck with finding someone to help?”
“Nyet,” she said. “But I’m still working on it.”
My mind flicked to the man I’d met earlier. Intriguing, and sort of sweet, he’d never really left my thoughts, but with all the other stress on me, I hadn’t given him much thought until right now.
“While you’re working on that, can you run someone through your…special network?” I asked, delicately mentioning my sister’s rather dubious ties to the underground.
“Shto? Kto?” she exclaimed, demanding to know what had happened and who I wanted checked.
“Dr. Kyle Carter,” I answered, tracing the edge of my cheap sweater, his awkward yet intriguing smile flashing through my mind.
“Kyle Carter. Could he sound any more American?” She scoffed.
“Just…check into him.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Where did you come across this…Dr. Carter?”
She said his name with such disdain that I couldn’t mistake it.
I shrugged, trying to keep my voice as nonchalant as what I was pretending to be. “I just…ran into him whilst I was getting something to eat.”
“You went out to eat?”
My annoyance made my muscles stiffen. “What do you want me to do? I couldn’t cook if I tried in this roach motel. And even if I had the means to cook, I haven’t exactly the skills.”
She clicked her tongue. “Fine. So you met him at a restaurant. Which?”
“Fiesta Fries,” I answered. “Did you know ‘fries’ are those little potato sticks Americans seem so wild about?”
“Da, I knew that. You’re so sheltered.” I heard the judgement in her voice. But I love my home country of Belvaria.
“Anything else you can tell me about this…person?” Nadia asked.
“He has a connection to Alex Stone,” I answered. “I was wondering if Kyle might have the expertise we need for our project. And if not, his tie to Alex Stone may still be useful.”
“The Alex Stone?”
“Yep, the Alex Stone.”
“Hmm,” Nadia murmured.
I could her wheels turning from here. “I’ll look into it.”
“Thanks,” I answered.
“But I want you to stay away from him until you hear from me. Do you understand?”
My lips tugged into a pouty frown, though I didn’t fully understand why. I’d just met the man. Why was I so interested in seeing him again? Maybe it was because he represented a deep-seated hope that I hadn’t had until now.
“Natasha,” she said, using my full name, “do you understand?”
“I had no plans to see him, though I don’t see what the harm is.”
“The harm is you think this man could help us, and I’m a little suspicious about why he’s shown up suddenly. It’s too random, and I don’t like it.”
“You think he’s an enemy?”
“I don’t know that he’s a friend, and I don’t want to take any chances. We’ve lost too much.”
I bit my lower lip, unwilling to make any promises.
“Natashka…” My sister prompted again. I recognized her patient wearing thin. She’d only held it this long because of her love for me, but I couldn’t push it much further.
“Fine,” I answered with a sigh. “I will be careful.”
“That’s not what I asked,” she said, her voice sharp.
I bit into my lower lip, my heart beating a little harder than it should have. I didn’t have any way of finding Kyle anyway. The likelihood that I’d run into him again was nil. “I have no ties to him whatsoever. No number, nothing. I’m not going to even run into him.”
“Good. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have something.”
“Lyublya tebya,” Nadia said.
My lips curved into a slight smile. “I love you, too, sis.”
The click of the line made tears sting my eyes. I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring down at it. Without anyone else on the other end, I was alone again.
I felt so removed from everything. And I hadn’t been used to that. I was used to people constantly being around me. Servants, staff, friends, family. My life had been full, and now it was empty.
I pulled my legs up underneath me, curling into a smaller form as I sought to escape my reality.
My fingers tapped the side of my phone before I selected the browser and typed Kyle’s name into the top. I scrolled through the overwhelming number of results. Apparently, Kyle Carter was a popular name in the States.
With a sigh, I clicked on a few false leads, pouting as I didn’t stumble across anything. I normally had someone else do this for me. I wasn’t equipped for this. But I’d have to learn to be scrappy and smart.
With narrowed eyes, I added Alex Stone’s name to the search bar along with Kyle’s.
A series of results popped up. Alex Stone’s name dominated much of the search results, but most of them indicated that Kyle’s name wasn’t mentioned. That didn’t help me at all.
I knew all about Alex Stone. We hadn’t met before, but we’d moved in similar circles ever since his success with the Stone Phone. I had nearly declined the dinner invitation, afraid he would recognize me. But since we’d never actually spoken, I’d lucked out.
I clicked on the News tab, expecting that to contain all recent news items Alex Stone-related.
My heart skipped a beat as one of the results mentioned both of their names. My trembling thumb tapped it, and I held my breath as I waited for the page to load.
The article came from a Hamptons’ paper society page.
At the top, a picture of Alex and Ava in wedding finery.
I scrolled down, skipping the details of who the bride wore and other wedding details until I found a picture.
Alex and Kyle grinned at the camera, and the caption read Alex Stone with best man Dr. Kyle Carter.
I tapped the picture, zooming in on Kyle’s face. For some reason, it made my heart ache.
I rolled my eyes at my own silliness.
Was I so starved for attention that I was seeking it anywhere? That had to be the explanation for that instant connection I felt to this man.
I stared at his smiling face. Had he already forgotten about me?
He’d called to me as I’d left. Maybe I should have waited for him, given him a way to contact me–or at least gotten a way to contact him.
But Nadia was probably right. I couldn’t afford to be careless—not now. I had to stay away from Dr. Kyle Carter until we were sure he was safe.
And yet, I wasn’t sure I could.
That scared me. Because deep down, I worried it would be my downfall.