6. Chapter 6
Chapter six
MICAH PRESCOTT
I don’t realize how long I’ve been standing there until Nico finally speaks. “Adela came looking for you a few minutes ago. They’re waiting upstairs to talk to your girl.”
I glance at him. “Adriana’s not my girl,” I mutter.
Nico scoffs, like he wants to tell me, you know what I fucking meant.
But I don’t have the energy to say anything else.
I almost trip on the stairs on the way up, since my mind is using all of its energy to process life.
By the time I reach the top, I can already hear people talking.
And when Nico and I step into the room, everyone stops.
Rafe is standing near the couch, one hand resting on the back of it. Adela sits in front of him, posture straight, eyes focused. Kieran is in the corner chair, arms resting loosely.
Nico goes ahead and sits on the edge of the fireplace beside Kieran, elbows on his knees, watching the room.
Emma and Heather are on the couch with Adela.
Emma is sitting forward slightly, her hands clasped together in her lap.
Heather is beside her, one arm resting lightly along the back of the couch, her attention focused right on me.
And Adriana is standing near the dining table, just a few feet from Rafe. She looks wildly uncomfortable, considering most of the people in the room do not like her at all.
Emma’s eyes land on me immediately, searching my face.
My jaw locks as I move into the room, trying not to show on my face the horror and dread crawling through me right now. Fucking goddammit.
Rafe watches me for half a second longer before he nods once. “Micah.”
I just give a small nod back.
I don’t sit yet. I stand near the fireplace.
“Kieran,” Rafe looks to his friend. “Do you mind keeping an eye on him down there?”
“Sure thing,” Kieran replies, standing with a grunt and leaving the room.
“Alright, getting right to it.” Rafe exhales, then looks toward Adriana. “Tell us what Morozov did to Jude.”
She hesitates, but begins telling them everything she told me.
I stare at the floor, still hating it the second time. And when there is finally a moment of quiet… “I tried to give him Suboxone,” I say quietly.
All eyes flick to me for a second.
“He refused.”
Rafe nods slowly, like he expected that.
Adriana doesn’t look surprised either.
“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?” Emma asks, her gaze throwing daggers at Adriana. “Micah, how is he? Be honest with me.”
I clench my fists. I can’t answer her, and that seems to get the point across, because her face twists.
“We have to stabilize him first,” Rafe interjects, sensing a fight we don’t need right now.
“We’ll treat the addiction as best as we can.
But we need to figure out how to handle Alexei.
He’s a fucking wild card. So we focus on the systems he put in place.
Adela, Nico, Kieran, and I can work on the tech aspect.
The rest of you,” he glances at us. “Help your friend. Whatever conditioning he’s under.
” His gaze sharpens. “Adriana. You’re going to be important for understanding what we can do for him. You’re familiar. He’s asked for you.”
My gaze darts over to Emma, to see her glaring at Adriana.
“Also,” Rafe sighs, crossing his arms across his chest. “Not only do we have to locate and eradicate Alexei’s files, but someone else has them. Can you tell us who?” His icy eyes settle on Adri. “Otherwise, we’ll be fighting a futile fight.”
I stay standing near the fireplace, staring at nothing.
“I think I can help with that part,” Adriana replies as she reaches into her pocket. She steps forward and places a flash drive on the coffee table. It hits the wood with a sharp, deliberate clack that echoes loudly.
My gaze snaps up to her.
“This,” she says, her voice steadier now. “Is everything.”
Rafe’s brow furrows. “Everything?”
Adriana nods once. “Bank accounts. Transfers. Photos. Videos.”
Emma straightens. “Of what?” she asks.
Adriana looks at her. “Everything that Nolan could tie to him. Every moment they captured when he was…not in control of himself. Nolan copied some of Alexei’s most incriminating evidence. Including Vlad, his trafficking buddy.”
I feel my chest tighten with a grinding pressure that doesn’t ease. Damn it. I’m going to need some of Emma’s medication.
“Nolan made a record of it all,” Adriana says. “Not only to keep Jude in line.” She pauses, jaw tightening. “But to protect himself.”
Rafe’s eyes narrow. “Explain.”
She exhales, chewing her lip. “Nolan didn’t just want power. He wanted insurance. So, he created a system,” she says. “If Alexei turned on him, or if Jude did—”
Her gaze flicks toward me for half a second.
“He would release everything.”
A cold weight settles into my stomach. My fingers curl into my palm as I stare at the tiny flash drive on the table. At something that suddenly feels like a loaded weapon.
“Why do you have it?” Rafe asks. “Why did Nolan trust you with a copy?”
She sighs. “He put it together when Alexei first started torturing Jude. He knew he wasn’t the big dog anymore and wanted to secure his safety and innocence.
He wanted something that would at the very least, force others down with him.
He never thought I’d turn on him, considering he owned everything about me.
Alexei was suspicious of Nolan having something like this,” she says, tapping the table once, “even had one of his goons come and question me about it. But I refused. This was the only thing I had that could possibly help us if we got out.” She takes a breath.
“I denied everything, and his man got pissed, and raped me. Jude walked in on it and killed him.”
Everyone falls silent. My stomach fucking hurts.
“The insurance system,” she continues, “is conditional.”
I lift my head slowly. “Conditional how?”
Adriana meets my eyes. And I don’t like the look in hers. “If Nolan decided a certain trigger condition was met,” she says, “the system would activate, automatically sending pre-arranged files to authorities and the press.”
My pulse ticks faster. “What trigger?”
She hesitates. “I don’t actually know,” she says quietly. “But he threatened to use it any time Jude stepped out of line.”
Emma goes pale.
“Jude was always fucked,” Adriana mutters.
I clench my fists down by my sides again. My best friend has gone through hell. And I want nothing more than for us, the people he loves, to pull him out. I just hope the fire hasn’t entirely consumed his soul yet.