Page 46 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

Three guards come running inside and stop when they see me.

I know I should be terrified.

But all I can do is laugh.

ALEKSANDER

I get the call that Viktoriya ran off again and I need to find her. I’m actually glad about this news. Maybe that means she’s changed her mind about marrying Gleb.

This is my chance to have her for myself. To show her I’m what she needs.

There’s just one problem: unlike the last time she ran away and used her credit card, there’s no record of her anywhere.

“I’m not sure where she is,” I admit to Mikhail once I get to his penthouse. “I tried looking at her credit card statements, but nothing.”

“You can’t find her?” Sofiya asks, brushing right past her husband. Both she and Mila are there, giving me looks of concern. Gleb is there, too, looking … not as worried.

“I have no leads this time. Unless … Mikhail, get your guard in here.”

He calls the guard from the hallway outside the penthouse. A moment later, the guard, a man named Erik, enters. “Yes, boss?”

Mikhail motions for me to speak. “There’s only one way in and out of this house. Surely you saw Viktoriya leave.”

“I did. She left with him.” He points right at Gleb, who straightens up and avoids making eye contact with any of us.

“You said you went to the club,” Sofiya says. “You never said Vik was with you.”

“Well … we left together. But then she ran off. I couldn’t find her so I came back here. I’m worried she might be …”

“What?” I snap.

“Dead,” Gleb says, hanging his head low.

Mila gasps. “Dead? What? Why?”

“Because she was talking about killing herself.”

Sofiya sharply shakes her head. “That doesn’t sound like Vik. I know my sister better than anyone. If there’s one thing I know about Vik it’s that she never gives up. Never.”

I stare at Gleb harder. “You’re lying. You know where she is.”

He meets my gaze head-on. “Truly, I do not.”

I continue to stare him down, but he doesn’t look away. Finally, I sigh and turn to Mikhail. “Figure out what he knows. I’ll start asking around. There may be one place she went to.”

“Where?” Mila asks.

I glance at Mikhail. “Damien Petrov’s club.”

Mikhail inhales deeply. “What?”

“She went to his club?—”

“I know,” Mikhail snaps. “She told me. I just didn’t think she’d do something so stupid like that again.”

“It’s worth checking. I’ll go now.”

“I’ll come with,” he says. “If Damien is involved, I have some things I need to say to him.”

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