Page 161 of Emerald Malice

As soon as I pull up to her building, Shura makes a beeline to the fifth floor. I follow behind him and find him battering his fist against the door of Unit #506.

“Katya! If you’re in there, open the fucking door now!”

Glancing down the deserted corridor, I notice someone peering out of the door at the far end. The moment she sees me, she pulls her face in and the door snaps shut.

“Shura,” I caution, “I’m not sure we want to draw attention to ourselves like this.”

“She’s not in there,” he declares, whipping around. “We’ll have to break down the door.”

“First, you need to calm down.”

“‘Calm down’?” he growls, his eyes bulging. “Would you be able to calm down if your woman was in danger?”

Thankfully, before I can even attempt to lie, we hear footsteps on the stairs below. I peer down over the banister to see Natalia running up with Leonty at her back.

She appears on the landing, panting and clutching her side. “Well? Is she here?”

Shura shakes his head, the vein in his forehead throbbing.

“Move aside,” Natalia commands as she steps between us. “I’ve got a spare key.”

One quick flick of her wrist and the door swings open. Shura steps in behind her.

“Katya! Kat?”

But I know Katya’s not here.

The air in the apartment is stuffy and stale. There’s a rancid stench coming from the garbage can, which hasn’t been taken out in a few days at least.

Natalia seems to be thinking along the same lines. “She hasn’t taken out the trash. She always takes out the trash before she leaves. She got maggots once and swore she’d never let it happen again.”

Shura disappears into Katya’s bedroom, but my eyes stay fixed on Natalia. She looks as pale as Shura.

“Andrey,” she croaks, turning to me, “something is not right. She travels for work sometimes, but she would’ve told me about it. And she would’ve answered my calls.”

I take her hand and pull her to me. Katya’s disappearance and Shura’s panic makes me want to keep Natalia as close as possible.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

Before she gets any words out, Shura is stomping back into the small living room. “Her passport was in her bedside drawer,” he announces, holding it up. “Her suitcase is still under her bed, too. She only has the one, so?—”

“Someone took her,” Natalia gasps.

They look at each other, horrified. I’m not sure who to reassure first.

“First things first,” I say, taking control. “We’ve got to get back to the manor. I’ll get the whole tech team on her trail ASAP.”

Shura’s eyes meet mine. “Andrey?—"

“Breathe, brother,” I tell him firmly. “I will find her. Have I ever let you down before?”

His jaw tightens fiercely. “Never.”

“Then trust me.”

58

NATALIA

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