30. Damien
30
DAMIEN
The antiseptic stench of the hospital clings to the back of my throat, even with the damn mask on.
Oleg’s out cold—again. Tubes in his arms. Bruises darkening across his ribs. His head wrapped like some soldier in a war we forgot we were fighting. He muttered something about soup earlier, then promptly fell asleep mid-word. A nurse said it was normal. I still don’t like it.
I sit there beside him, hands clasped, trying not to think about Sasha.
Failing, obviously.
Every hour I don’t hear from her, I feel that cold itch in my spine. The one that always shows up before something explodes.
If I ever get Lev in a room alone, there won’t be enough left of him to recognize.
My phone buzzes once in my coat pocket. I check the screen. One of my men.
“Talk,” I snap, already stepping out into the hallway.
There’s a pause, too long. Never a good sign.
“Sir,” the voice says. Hesitant. “It’s Sasha.”
I stop walking. “What about her?”
“She’s…off-grid.”
That cold feeling hits the back of my neck.
“What do you mean ‘off-grid’?”
“She was at Zaitsev Industries earlier. Stopped by to collect some paperwork. We had eyes on her until she exited the building through the side. After that—nothing.”
My throat tightens. “Nothing?”
“Her phone’s been off for over an hour. No signal. No last ping. No security cameras on any street she would’ve taken. It’s like she just…disappeared.”
A long, slow silence.
I press my free hand to the wall to keep from putting it through the glass.
“You were supposed to be watching her.”
“We were, sir. But something’s wrong.”
No shit.
I hang up without another word.
I don’t even realize my hands are shaking until I look down and see my knuckles white around the phone.
I don’t remember walking out of the hospital.
I just know I’m outside, breathing air that feels too thick, too hot, too wrong. My stomach churns like I swallowed broken glass. I fish my phone out again with the barest hope of a miracle and hit Sasha’s number.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
The pit in my gut spreads like rot. She’s not just ignoring me. She’s gone . No signal. No trace. No word.
If anyone’s touched her?—
My phone buzzes again.
Different number. Familiar. I almost don’t answer, but my thumb moves before my brain does.
“Nina.”
“Damien.” Her voice is tight. Not smug for once. Serious. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“It’s about her, isn’t it?”
I go still.
She doesn’t wait for me to respond. “Sasha. You can’t find her.”
A chill rips down my spine. “How the fuck do you know that?”
There’s a pause. Too long. “I need to see you,” she says, lower now. “There’s something you need to know. I’ll explain everything. But not on the phone.”
My pulse ticks faster. My fingers curl into fists at my side.
I should hang up.
I should tell her to fuck off.
But I don’t.
Because she knows something.
And I’ll be damned if I waste another second while Sasha is out there—alone.
“Text me the address,” I growl. “If you’re wasting my time?—”
“I’m not.”
She hangs up.
The building Nina sends me to is one of those sleek, polished high-rises in midtown. Private floor, coded elevator, quiet enough to hear your own heartbeat. I don’t like it. Feels too clean. Like it’s trying to hide something in all that glass.
She’s waiting for me in a conference room. Alone at first.
Her hair is pulled back. No makeup. No jewelry. Just a neutral expression that tells me this isn’t a social call.
“I swear, if this is some power play—” I start.
“It’s not,” she says, cutting me off. “He’s here. You should hear it from him.”
Before I can ask what the hell she’s talking about, she nods toward the side door.
It opens.
And Ryan steps inside.
I stiffen immediately, jaw ticking. My fists curl before I even realize it.
“You. What the fuck are you doing here?” I say.
“Let me explain,” Nina says.
I walk right up to Ryan, catching him by his lapel. “I know you have feelings for her, but I swear if you touched her—” I snarl. Ryan flinches.
“Damien, stop it. Ryan isn’t responsible for what happened,” Nina says. “You’re acting crazy. Let me explain.”
I don’t let go of him.
“Damien, please,” Nina pleads. “I asked him to get close to Sasha.”
My eyes snap to her. “What?”
“We were keeping an eye on her,” Nina says. “To make sure she was okay.”
“Why?” I ask.
Nina’s gaze softens. “I know you won’t believe it, but I do care about you, Damien, always have. I made some mistakes when I was younger, and I always regretted it. I regretted letting you go. And when I saw you find her, I was enraged, jealous, but then I accepted it. I know you love her, that’s why you let her go.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t have to bother. I was doing a good job keeping her safe.”
“You think?” Ryan says.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I shoot back.
“She’s missing,” Nina says.
“We didn’t plan that,” Ryan says quickly. “I swear. That wasn’t us.”
I glare at him, barely holding back the urge to put him through the glass.
“She trusted you,” I hiss.
“I didn’t lie to her,” Ryan says, jaw tight. “I kept her safe. I didn’t touch her. I watched. I was reporting back to Nina—because she’s been trying to track Lev for months.”
My head spins.
Nina exhales. “Ryan’s my half-brother, Damien. Our mother married into Lev’s circle after she left my father. I saw things…I knew things. That’s why I left. That’s why I got close to your world. So I could get as far away from his as possible.”
I blink. That’s new.
“But Lev never let go,” she continues. “Not really. And Roman?—”
She pauses, looking suddenly weary.
“Roman’s working with him. I can’t prove it yet. But I’ve seen enough to know. The meetings. The encrypted traffic. The missing personnel reports from your security teams. He’s been feeding Lev intel for months.”
My blood turns to ice.
Roman.
Roman, who’s been by my side for over a decade. Roman, who stood beside me when my father died. Roman, who knew every inch of my operation.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Roman would never?—”
“He would,” Nina says gently. “Because Lev promised him something you never could. Power. Control. Maybe even a seat at the top.”
I feel the floor shifting beneath me.
“And Sasha?” I ask.
Ryan looks sick. “If she’s in Lev’s hands, she doesn’t have much time.”
Everything in me goes cold.
And then hot.
Because if Roman has betrayed me?—
Then I’ve walked Sasha right into the fire.