She jabs a finger into my chest. “Do you know how easily I could have run away if I wanted to? I went on a jog twice this week and there weren’t any guards at the gates. I could have hopped the fence and been gone before anyone realized. Even before you realized. Easy enough since you haven’t been around much.”
She’s right. In the beginning, I had all eyes turned inward. I wanted to know where Luna was and what she was doing at all times. At some point, I stopped worrying about Luna leaving and became way more worried about someone taking her instead.
When the fuck did that happen?
“Your sister offered me her phone. It was a nice gesture and I wanted her to know I appreciated it,” Luna continues. “I called Kayla, told her I was safe, and gave the phone right back to Mariya. She was there for the entire call. End of story.”
“Not ‘end of story.’ Now, Kayla has my sister’s cell phone number.”
“So?” Luna shrugs. “What is Kayla going to do with that?”
“I have no fucking idea. That’s the problem.” I spin away from her, pacing off the energy that sizzles under my skin anytime Luna is around. “I could have Nikandr grab Kayla and bring her to the house for questioning. That would be the easiest way to figure out what she’s up to.”
Suddenly, Luna is in front of me, her hand flat on my chest. “You think kidnapping her is the easiest solution? Really? You need a new go-to Option A.”
I grab her wrist and throw her hand off of me. I still feel the warm impression of her fingers against my skin. “It’s either kidnapping or I kill her before she can go to the police.”
Luna blanches. “The entire reason I called her is so she wouldn’t go to the police. She’ll only go to the police if she thinks I’m in danger. Do you know what helps convince her I’m not in danger?” She presses onto her tiptoes and gets in my face. “Regular contact. You’re welcome.”
I snort. “I’m supposed to thank you for lying to me?”
“Sure. The same way I’m supposed to thank you for stealing my phone and locking me in a bedroom.” She plants her fists on her hips and glares up at me. “Not a fun thing to hear, is it?”
We stare daggers at each other for a few seconds, until the energy under my skin begins to burn. My gaze shifts from her narrowed eyes to her full, pink mouth.
Before I can wrap my hand around her neck, pin her to the wall, rip that skirt up over her hips, and empty all of this tension into her, I grab Mariya’s phone and tap the most recent call.
Luna blinks like she’s coming out of a daze. “What are you doing?”
I don’t respond. I just place the phone on speaker and lay it on the countertop. It rings three times before Kayla’s voice erupts out of the tinny speaker. “Luna! Mr. Stockholm let you call me twice in the same week. Is this your reward for good behavior?”
I arch a brow and look to Luna. “Mr. Stockholm?”
She presses a palm to her forehead. “Hi, Kayla. It’s Luna… and Yakov. You’re on speakerphone.”
“Fuck. Sorry. Could have led with that,” Kayla mumbles. “It would’ve saved us all this weird moment.”
I turn the speaker off and grab the phone. “Now that you know Luna is alive, the two of us can talk.”
“Hey!” Luna swipes for the phone. “She’s my friend.”
I snag her hand out of the air and twirl her around until she smacks against me with a heavy exhale. “Which is exactly why I need to clear her,” I hiss in her ear.
She wriggles in protest and I have to shift her off to the side before I revert back to my original plan and fuck her against the fridge.
“God, you two are so not normal,” Kayla says. “Are you fighting?”
“Everything with Luna is a fight. She’s your friend. You should know this.”
“I mean, not really. Luna has always been the quiet one. Not boring,” she’s quick to add. “Just… reserved.”
I look down at Luna’s blonde head as she tries to squirm her way out from under my arm. “I suppose I just bring it out in her.”
Luna jabs me in the ribs. “Stop talking about me.”
I grab her other wrist and hold both of her hands in one of mine, her body still wedged under my arm.
“Kayla, I’m calling to tell you that things will get very bad if you go to the police.”