Chapter 34
THEA
Icatch Amanda in the foyer as she’s leaving Gabriel’s office.
When she sees me coming down the stairs, she pauses, offering me that tight, professional smile that I’m used to getting from her.
“Thea. How are you feeling?”
She looks me up and down, as if she might catch sight of some important detail about my current state.
Or maybe she’s sizing me up.
“Better, thanks. The nausea’s actually been manageable these last few days.” I reach the bottom of the stairs, suddenly unsure how to bring up what I want to ask her about. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Of course.” She glances at her watch. “I’ve got a few minutes, actually.”
We move to the small sitting room adjacent to the entry hall. It’s a little nook with two chairs, a small circular table, and a nice view of the front stretch of the property. It’s a great place for a first cup of tea in the morning.
“What’s on your mind?” Amanda asks as she settles into the chair with practiced grace.
I take a deep breath. “I want to know what’s happened to Sylvie.”
Her expression doesn’t change, but something flickers behind her eyes. “Sylvie?”
“I wasn’t the only girl who was auctioned off that night. Sylvie is my friend.”
She winces. “Thea—”
“I know it’s dangerous to ask. And it’s not like you can just march into Kolya’s place and demand answers.”
“You’re certainly right about that.”
“And I also know that Gabriel probably doesn’t want me thinking about it. But she’s my friend, Amanda. We’ve known each other for years. And I don’t have many people in my life like her.” The words are tumbling out. “I need to know if she’s okay.”
Amanda nods slowly, processing everything I’ve just told her.
“It’s not going to be easy information to obtain,” she says, her tone careful. “Kolya and his operations aren’t exactly transparent. Asking questions about any one of his acquisitions could draw attention. And right now is not the time to make Kolya paranoid.”
Acquisition. The word makes my stomach crawl.
“But is there any way to find out?”
She nods. “I can try. I have a few contacts in the DA’s office—people who track organized crime activities. If your friend is being held somewhere, they might have some intelligence on her.”
“Thank you.” The relief is immediate and overwhelming. “Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Her tone sharpens. “And don’t get your hopes up. As you can probably guess, when a woman is acquired in such a manner, they tend to drop off the map and they don’t often resurface—at least not in ways their loved ones might recognize.”
The words hit me like a splash of ice-cold water.
She sighs. “This isn’t going to be easy to hear, so forgive the bluntness. But Kolya has a reputation for tiring of his new girls quite quickly. If that’s the case—”
“I understand.” I cut her off because I can’t bear to hear the words.
“Okay, then. I’ll make some calls,” she says, then stands. “It may take some time. These things require delicate handling.”
“I understand,” I say again.
“And Thea?” She pauses at the door. “Be careful whom you trust with this information. The fewer people who know you’re asking questions about Kolya’s operations, the better.”
“Of course. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Good.” She flashes me that professional smile again, as if we just wrapped up a nondescript business meeting. “I’ll be back in touch when I have information. Take care of yourself. And the baby.”
Then she’s gone.
I stay seated in the small sitting room, looking out the window. I watch as Amanda slides gracefully behind the wheel of a sleek white sports car and drives off.
Something about the conversation had felt off. I’m not sure what it was; Amanda was helpful and understanding. But all the same, there’d been something in her tone, in the way she looked at me.
Don’t be paranoid, I tell myself. She’s been nothing but supportive since she found out about the baby. She’s trying to help.
But the feeling lingers.
I make my way back upstairs, my hand unconsciously settling on my stomach as I walk.
It’s still so surreal—the idea that there’s a tiny life growing inside me, that by the end of the year, I’ll be holding Gabriel’s child.
Our child.
I pause at the window on the landing and look out over the grounds. My gaze moves from the security perimeter to the high walls to the discreet cameras I’ve learned to spot.
This is the world that my baby will be born into. It’s a world where his or her mother has a bounty on her head, where their father has a criminal empire, where violence and murder are a simple fact of life.
Is this what I want for my child? This beautiful, yet dangerous, impossible life?
The alternative is what? Running? Disappearing? Raising a child in hiding, always looking over my shoulder, never settling anywhere long enough to call it home?
At least here, in Gabriel’s world, there’s protection and resources, a man who would kill for me without a second thought.
And there’s love.
That’s what changes everything. The love I feel for this child and the love I feel for Gabriel, even though neither of us has been brave enough to utter the word to the other.
I think about the warmth he’s shown me since he learned about the baby, how he looks at me now with not just desire but something much deeper.
I press my palm flat against my stomach, a smile spreading on my face as I do.
“I’m going to protect you,” I whisper. “Whatever it takes. Whatever world you’re born into—I’m going to make sure you’re safe, loved, and wanted.”
It’s a promise not just to my unborn child, but also to myself.