Dulce

He doesn’t answer, just swallows hard before continuing.

“I hid and planned. Faked my own kidnapping and made it as public as possible with the help of a few trusted people back home who didn’t want my uncle in power any more than I did.”

My brain circles around everything he said and fills in the blanks.

“That’s pretty fucking smart. Let me guess, you made it seem like you were still in Russia when you were over here, miles away.”

“Exactly. And his inability to find me made him look weak. Especially since my kidnapper managed to drain all my father’s accounts and holdings, liquidating them before he even noticed. The only thing he had left was the house I grew up in since it always passed from Pakhan to Pakhan.”

“So how do you go from that to this and why? Why not have your fake kidnapper kill you and be done with it all?”

“I wish I had a noble answer to give you, but it was pure vengeance on my part. I got my education thanks to a few forged documents. But my degrees are real. I kept my ear to the ground and gathered information, ready to make my move. But then…” He sighs and twirls my hair again.

“But then?”

“I found out my uncle was trading in flesh. It was something that always divided the families. Some were very much for it, but others were very protective of women. Anyway, we had never dealt in flesh before and all I could picture was my sister’s eyes looking up at me so innocently, having no idea of the danger she was in.

“I did some digging and found links to Willow Creek. I knew they were funneling girls, but I didn’t know who the players were.”

“So, you tapped back in and entered the game once more.”

He nods. “I bought the academy and came out of hiding at the same time. I spun them a line about defeating my kidnappers, not just them but the whole imaginary syndicate, and now I was their leader. As a show of good faith, I vowed I wouldn’t step back on Russian soil unless they became a threat to me and mine, but to consider any ties between us severed.”

I whistle, thinking that was a ballsy move with no guarantee it would pay off.

“Where does Luke come into it?”

He looks at me. “Luka was my best friend growing up. He loathed everything the Bratva stood for. He’d lost his brother and mother thanks to turf wars. When he was sent to help keep me apprised of things, I was initially happy.

“He already had a degree in psychology, something to do with being able to have him on hand when key players were arrested. He could deem them mentally unfit to stand trial or some shit.

“It seemed like a no-brainer, but I wasn’t stupid enough to show him my hand. It became clear pretty quickly that he wasn’t the same boy I grew up with. Oh, he talked the talk and walked the walk, but it was like living with an actor and not a very good one at that.

“My aim to stop the girls from being taken derailed as more and more girls disappeared. They have a hacker that can access files. They were able to get in and make everything seem relatively above board, enough to not raise suspicions anyway. And if red flags did pop up, they would lead people to me. I was trying to weed out the recruiters, but it was easier said than done. And then you turned up, and I knew you’d be a prime candidate for snatching until I recognized you. I remembered you,” he says, staring into my eyes with such intensity that my breath catches.

“Anyway, I have my own connections. I knew who you were. I just wasn’t sure if you were here for the girls or for my uncle. I couldn’t tell you anything until I was sure.”

“And in the meantime, you left her swinging.” I jump when I hear Sugar’s voice.

“Fuck me. Are you sure they aren’t ninjas or something?” Dmitri curses as he takes in Sugar and all her pissed-off glory, Reese and Lollie standing just behind her.

“Please do come in and take a seat,” he offers drolly.

“The church?” I question.

“What church? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hell, I’d get struck by lightning just stepping onto holy ground,” Sugar tells me smugly as she sits on the edge of the sofa, crossing one slim leg over the other.

I glare at her, but Sugar is immune to me.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what’s been going on with you?” she says softly, but there is a lethal edge to her tone.

Eventually, after some cajoling on my part, I manage to get Dmitri to reluctantly leave me alone by convincing him he needed to go look for Cain, who had disappeared after getting treatment. The stubborn asshole should be in the hospital, but they tend to ask questions, and right now, we don’t have the answers to go with them. Dmitri has a guy on call, apparently, so I’ve left him to figure all that out while I face the firing squad.

“So,” Sugar prompts, her red nails tapping her knee.

“What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me how one of my best agents forgot the first fucking rule about being a Candy girl.”

“I didn’t forget, and it wasn’t something I did on purpose, Sugar. Jesus.”

“Oh, he can’t help you now. Tell me what exactly you see happening because if you’re looking for happily ever afters, they don’t usually start with ex-Bratva members and the grandson of a sex trafficker.”

“Oh, please. Rapunzel was kidnapped and imprisoned in a tower, the Little Mermaid had her voice taken from her, Beauty got fucked by a beast after trading her life for her father’s, and Cinderella married a man who couldn’t pick her out of a line-up without a fucking glass slipper. I think it’s safe to say fairy tales are a bunch of bullshit and that I’m no princess.”

“Amen to that, sister,” Lollie agrees.

Reese just rolls her eyes.

“Did you locate the girls with the pins?”

“Some. We aren’t giving up on the others though, don’t worry. We won’t stop looking.” Lollie reassures me.

I look at Reese. “What about the exhumations?” I brace myself for the answer.

“All the graves were empty except for one.” Reese admits.

“Molly?”

Reese nods. “Molly really is dead. I don’t know the why’s. Could be they tried to take her like the others, she fought back and slipped. We’ll likely never know but take comfort that she’s at peace now, not living in hell like the other girl’s that people think are dead.”

I nod, sad but relieved that I don’t have to tell Hunter his sister is in the hands of a monster. Death is almost kinder in a way.

“Dulce,” Sugar starts, but I stop her.

“I know what you’re going to say but please don’t. All my life, I thought I had my shit figured out. I took on more, did crazier and crazier shit, all just to feel the next high. But it wasn’t the high I was actually looking for.”

“So, what were you looking for?” Reese asks when everyone else remains quiet.

“Something to fill the void. I’ve been alone my whole life. Nobody wanted me. Nobody understood me. I’m a lot to take on, I get it. When you all came into my life, I finally had a purpose, and I loved it. I loved you. I’ve never felt that way about anyone before. I’d die for all of you, kill for each of you, but—?