She briefly closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of having him near. She was horrified he had put himself in danger, but a weak part of her wanted to wrap herself in his arms and be surrounded by his strength.
Where was her proud sense of independence now?
“Anya was in the attics when I was brought to the brothel,” she confessed, grudgingly opening her eyes to meet his smoldering gaze. “Let us just say she was not pleased by my attempts to rescue her.”
“Why not?”
“She already had planned to escape with one of the guards. I was an unwelcome interference to her elopement.”
A dangerous tension filled the carriage, sending a shiver down her spine.
“A guard?”
Emma hesitated, still reluctant to reveal Anya’s perfidy. Perhaps because she feared it would reflect on her failure to instill proper morals into her sister, she ruefully conceded. Then she winced as they turned a sharp corner, the manacles biting into her flesh as a reminder of their dire situation.
Dimitri had risked everything to rescue her. He deserved the truth.
“She swears that he is in love with her,” she muttered. “He promised to take her to his home in Austria.”
His fingers stroked over her cheek, his tone cautious, as if he were afraid of causing her more distress.
“I assume that you attempted to convince her of the stupidity in trusting such a man?”
Emma’s lips twisted, remembering how she had pleaded with her stubborn sister.
“Of course, but she refused to listen to reason. She is quite convinced that there is no worse fate than returning to Yabinsk with me.”
Sympathy briefly softened his features. “She is very young, milaya. If you are patient, she will eventually come to appreciate all you have sacrificed.”
Emma shook her head. It had taken Anya’s agonizing rejection to force her to accept that she had been willfully blind over the year.
There was nothing she could do, nothing that she could offer, that would be enough for her sister.
Nothing.
“No, she is lost to me.”
“Emma, listen to me,” he urged, his voice lowering to ensure it did not carry past bars that blocked the windows. Not that it was likely Valik could overhear anything over the clatter of the crowds that filled the streets. How late was it, she inanely wondered? Midnight? Certainly Cairo was still bustling. “Caliph Rajih is waiting outside the brothel. As soon as he is certain you are safe he will rescue the girls and capture the remaining guards,” Dimitri assured her. “As much as I might hate the bastard, you can trust Anya to his care.”
Emma felt a surge of relief that girls being held captive would at last be safe, but shook her head at Dimitri’s belief that Anya would be among the rescued women.
“You do not understand, Anya is already gone.”
He stilled, his eyes narrowing at her words. “I remember you said that a guard had come to take Anya from the attics,” he said slowly. “I sensed then you were lying.”
“It was all I could think of to keep him from going in search of her.”
His hand cupped her cheek. “Where is she?”
“I had only been in the attics for a few moments when she gathered a satchel and escaped through a trap door in the roof. She claimed that her beloved was awaiting her.”
“And you remained behind?”
She turned her head, unable to watch the dawning comprehension in the golden eyes.
“Obviously.”
“Why?”