Page 111 of Corrupting Ivy

The woman drew back with white powder rimming her nose. She sniffed again, then wiped her nose with the back of her hand, her face tilted towards the rafters.

Alek’s phone rang, pulling my attention away from the woman to him. He pinched his phone through his pocket and silenced it.

“Sorry,” he said as Sacha glanced at him.

The woman groaned and stumbled back a step, then nodded at Sacha. “It’s good,” she said, startling me.

She’s American.

He snapped his fingers, and the man who pulled her out grabbed her by the arm, and walked her back, shoving her inside.

“We have a deal.”

“Great, transfer the three-million to this number.” Alek passed him the bank information.

“Demetri,” he said, snapping his fingers again. The driver walked forward and took it from Sacha’s hands, then made a phone call while walking back to his position.

I glanced around, making sure the only ones moving were the men out of the vehicle, and no one else decided to sneak around. It would be difficult to do that with Dante around, though. I’d rather be up there with my eye in the scope than down here.

The driver put his phone in his pocket and nodded to Sacha. “Done.”

“Once we get confirmation from my bank that they have moved it over, we’ll give you the key, and you can pick it up within three days. If you haven’t picked it up during this time frame, you forfeit the contents and the money. Clear?” Alek said.

“Da.”

“Cleared,” Jake said in my earpiece.

“Good to go,” I said.

Alek stepped forward and shook Sacha’s hand. “Here’s your key and the picture of the inventory. It’s been a pleasure.”

Sacha picked up the key, put it in his inside front pocket, and then turned towards his SUV, leaving the pictures.

Alek’s phone rang again. This time, he walked away and answered it while the convoy exited the building.

“Close it up, Sam.”

I scooped up the contents on the table, then brushed off the leftover coke on the plate when Alek tapped me on the shoulder with his phone in front of him.

“I mean, she didn’t show,” Liz said over the speakerphone. “I thought maybe she’d gotten lost or something, so I gave her a bit, but it’s been well over an hour now, and she isn’t answering her phone.”

I snatched the phone out of his hand. “When was the last time you spoke to her?”

“I sent her a text around nine-thirty, ten o’clock. She responded to that, but I haven’t heard from her since.”

That sick hollowed-out feeling sunk into my stomach and twisted.

“I tried calling earlier, but Alek didn’t answer.”

“Shit, I didn’t know,” Alek said.

“How could you have?”

I tossed his phone back to him and pulled out mine, then dialed Ivy. It rang and rang until her voicemail picked up with her sweet voice soothing my senses. I hung up, then dialed Jason. It went to voicemail too.

“Jake, get over here,” I said to him through my earpiece.

“Go home, Liz. I’ll be home soon,” Alek said, then hung up.

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