"I think Russia. I heard something the last time we talked and it reminded me of when Alessa and Amara are together. But it wasn’t Ukrainian. I’d have recognized some of the words if it was."
Why the fuck would Star be in Russia?
I sucked in a breath. "I want to bring her home."
"You do?"
"I do. I want her to be happy, Kat."
"Me too." She peered down at her feet. "After my mom and dad died, I went to live with some really bad people."
Reaching over, I gently cupped her hand. "Did they hurt you?"
"No. Star got there before they did. She saved me." She angled her head back and, tugging on my hand, said, "I want to help bring her home. I want her to be back here where she belongs. With me."
Releasing a shuddery breath, I nodded. "I’ll help do that. Don’t worry."
"Come with me?"
"Of course."
She took me down some stairs then up some and along a few walkways that told me if Ihadtried to find it, I wouldn’t have managed on my own.
Star’s room was much like it had been when she was a kid—computers fucking everywhere. These were sleeker, of course. Newer. And, weirder still, they weren’t running.
I had no idea why that choked me up more than anything.
Dead air.
Star never saw a computer that she didn’t leave switched on at all times with some stupid program running.
Kat had pulled away to turn on the light, so I took that moment to lean against the doorjamb to catch my breath at the sight.
When Kat faced me again, her mouth turned down at the corners. "It’s strange, isn’t it? It used to have this weird smell in here, and it was always hot. Noisy, too. A constant soft, low hum," she whispered. "This isn’t right. I don’t like it."
"I agree. I don’t either." I stepped into the room. "What did Star want you to show me?"
Silently, she moved over to one of several desks in here that had a laptop on it. "She wanted you to take this."
"Take it?" I asked warily.
"Yes." She picked it up and carried it over to me. "Here."
If that laptop had any security information from the MC on it, then my taking it was a declaration of fucking war.
My hands balled into fists.
But if I didn’t accept it, then Conor couldn’t have it. That had to be Star’s end game—for Conor to have it.
I released a breath and took it from her. It wasn’t a large laptop, more like a mini, and I knew I could smuggle it back with me under my shirt.
With the chilled metallic frame against my heated palms, I tucked it under my arm and reached into my purse. Drawing out a card and a pen, I jotted down my address on the back of it and handed it to her.
"If you need anything, Kat,anything, you can come to me, okay?"
She peered down at the address. "Conor lives in this building, doesn’t he?"
"You know who Conor is?"