“It’s exactly as I said,” he replies. He turns to his sister. “I need to go clean up.”
“You’re not going anywhere until we talk about this.”
The firm tone that shoves those words into the atmosphere is unlike me. But then again, a lot of things have been unlike me lately.
Maybe I need to lean into that.
I hug myself tighter. “Explain what’s going on with Willow.”
“I won’t repeat myself.”
“I don’t give afuckhow many times you have to repeat,” I snap. My eyelids flutter as I try to hold back fresh tears. “I need to know what you mean. Being sold where? Towhom?”
He exchanges a glance with Karina and nods. Karina spares me a sympathetic glance and then heads for the door, leaving the kitchen in silence. The awful quiet is so loud that I swear Pavel can hear my thunderous heart.
He looks everywhere else except at me—the fridge, the counter, the half-eaten apple, the plates piling up in the sink, and the beer bottles lined up near the recycling bin. He stares at his wingtips or maybe his slacks. And then he looks at his free hand.
His throat clenches as he swallows. “Cardona didn’t say. But if I had to guess, she’s probably on her way as we speak.”
“And then what?”
“She’ll be put on a stage, and people will bid for her.”
My face twists. Disgust slams into my stomach and causes me to stumble toward the counter. “What happens next?”
He’s holding out on me. I know he is. I know he thinks I’m some delicate flower who can’t handle the truth. But the truth is that if Idon’tfind out what’s going to happen to my best friend, then I’ll never be able to live with myself if I can’t save her.
I have to know what she’s going through right now.
I have to know if there’s a chance.
Even the smallest hint of hope will be enough for me to take action.
Pavel takes a deep breath and then sighs. “After that, she disappears.”
The world tilts on its axis. I hold my forehead, the headache from earlier slapping me right in the back of my skull. I’m vaguely aware of Pavel returning the ice pack to me. I press it to the back of my neck and lean against the counter, towering over the sink, biting back bile.
She disappears.
“It must be a bluff,” I blurt. “He’s lying. Those things aren’t…”
“They’re real, Liya,” Pavel says gently. “They’re not rumors. Criminal bosses host these parties all the time. They took a hiatus after the asshole running the Cavazzo Mafia nearly shot the place to shit, but they’re back to full operations now.”
“She can’t…Shewon’t…” I meet his gaze. “She’ll fight.”
“The harder she fights, the harder they’ll break her.” He holds my gaze. “It’s pointless to resist. These guysenjoywatching their new victims struggle.”
“I can’t let that happen.”
Me.
Notwe.
Just me.
As if I have that kind of power.
But I sure as hell can try, can’t I?