Chapter 7 #2
"Find out everything you can about security in Tremblay and contact the two Shadows.
I want them to be aware of all the risks and decide for themselves if they can protect the girls.
If they think it's too risky, no one will go," I said to Kenji, and he nodded as he took out his phone.
“What about the missing Stars?" I asked, turning back to Esme.
"Still nothing?" The Stars of the first, second, and most of the third generation had disappeared, almost thirty women in total.
All disappeared overnight. The Master considered them too old to continue or too damaged, so he simply erased them.
These women I had become friends with, these women who had taken me under their wing when I arrived after the institute, most of these women who had become family to me.
I had to find them, and if I warned the Ivanovs now, I would never find them.
Only Vassili knew where they were. No matter how much they tortured him, that psychopath would never tell them anything.
I knew him inside out by now, and there was no way I was going to abandon these women who were undoubtedly suffering at that very moment.
"We may have a lead," Esme suddenly said, and I sat up, interested.
We had been searching for traces of these women for so long.
"Anita has been in contact with Igor for almost three months.
She told me that he was trusting her more and more and that he had told her about an orphanage in the mountains.
" An orphanage in the mountains? A bad feeling crept into my veins.
"Do you think the rumors about these hunting parties are true?
" I whispered, one of my hands sliding down my throat.
There was a rumor that the Fallen Stars were taken to deserted places, often in forests, to be used in twisted and sadistic games during events that the Master threw for his good friends.
They would release these poor women into the wild, giving them a head start before hunting them down with their weapons.
Some even said that the Shadows took part in the hunt, promising them freedom if they managed to kill their own Star.
Nausea rose just imagining the fear these women must feel if these rumors were true.
"I don't know, Sienna, I hope not. Death would be a relief if these rumors turned out to be true," Esme replied with a sigh as the room was now plunged into deep silence, the Shadows having stopped their discussion, even Ava, drunk as she was, wearing a somber expression.
"We're going to find them, we have to find them," I said as I stood up.
"Anita has to keep digging. But she has to be careful.
" I turned back to Kenji. "Get in touch with her Shadow.
If there's any problem, tell her to contact us," I said, and he nodded again as music began to play.
The evening was beginning, and I had to leave before the Master arrived.
"I spoke with Marion this morning, and she told me she ran into one of Ivanov's men," Esme suddenly informed me, pressing her lips together as my heart stopped.
One of Ivanov's men? Who was it? Samy? David?
Marcus? I suddenly felt like throwing up.
What were they doing in the Mission District?
That was Vassili's responsibility, and it was an important rule in the Bratva that none of the council members interfered in each other's affairs.
It proved their trust in each other. If the Ivanovs knew that a kid was working in the Mission District, they would investigate, and they would suspect that Vassili was secretly plotting something.
Two things worried me in this case. First, if Vassili found out that the Ivanovs were investigating him before they could get any evidence, he could kick them off the council with Yelsky's support, justifying it by saying that they were jeopardizing the trust between council members.
And second, it was the Ivanovs' investigation itself, if they were conducting one.
Just the thought of running into Sasha in the Mission District drove me crazy, and he must not find out the truth about the Stars and Shadows before I found the older generations.
They would be lost forever. And I had to find her too, Valentina.
"Does she know who it was?" I asked, my hand around my throat as I began to pace around the cellar between the shelves filled with drinks.
"No, she told him she was lost and looking for her mother," Esme tried to reassure me.
"She recognized the Ivanov family crest engraved on the collar of his shirt," she added, and I nodded.
Each family member of the council had close men whom the families trusted implicitly.
These men were easily recognizable by the first letter of the family name they served, which was engraved on the left collar of their shirts.
"Tell everyone to be careful. If anyone comes across one of the Ivanovs or their men, they should get out of there," I said, and everyone nodded.
Damn, that's all we need. "Speaking of Marion, there's something else," Esme said, stopping me as I turned toward the stairs to go back upstairs.
I froze when I heard her voice tremble slightly.
I turned slowly, staring at her with a frown, but she pressed her lips together and looked down.
This wasn't good, not good at all. "What's going on?
" Kenji asked, joining me, sensing the tension rising.
"That asshole Edouard is back!" " Ava exclaimed, raising her arms in the air, and my head turned so quickly toward her that I thought my neck was going to snap.
"Edouard?" I suddenly repeated, looking confused.
"Edouard, like the pedophile we beat to death and chased out of the neighborhood four months ago?
" I asked, remembering very clearly the shit Kenji and the other Shadows had beaten him up for just before I threatened him.
He was a pedophile who preyed on little girls and even little boys, and if there was one line I would never accepted to be cross, it was children.
"He found a large sum of money, he'll be here this weekend," sighed Diane, rubbing her arms as her anger gradually rose.
"And he asked to be served by Marion, the Master agreed," Esme quickly added with a sigh.
"Emma heard him when she spent the night with him yesterday.
" I turned to Emma, who had just finished her cigarette.
"He wants to hire him," she said with a grimace, “ wants Edouard to train the next generation in Vegas.
" I felt my blood boil, my heart was beating so fast, the tension rose in the room, and then an uncontrollable laugh escaped me, and I laughed, covering my face with my hands.
I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes.
Seriously? "Enna," Kenji whispered, putting his hand on my shoulder, but I ignored him.
I was tired, I was so fucking tired. I felt like my brain was being stretched in every direction, like I had to think about a hundred things at once and make decisions, like I had to act on all of them.
Why they wouldn't leave the girls and women alone, damn it!
I sighed softly as I rubbed my face, think, Sienna, protect them, no matter the cost, protect the girls.