Page 183 of The Harbinger

Mia seemed pretty determined… what if she was correct about a space in the wall?

I snapped my fingers, and Dmitri nodded and walked away, searching for Catherine.

“Stand up and show me.”

“Show you?”

“The compartment you thought you found.”

“You believe me?”

“No.”

Her shoulders sagged as she stood from the floor and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands, then walked up the stairs, her round ass in my face.

What if she was telling the truth and Catherine had tried killing her and, in turn, put me at risk? What if she had succeeded before I’d made it home?

I gripped the top of the banister before walking into her room, then pulled my fist into my hand and rubbed at the knuckles until they were red, giving that false satisfaction running through my veins.

A few moments later, we were in her closet, the mess still on the floor, her hands roaming over the walls like I’d found her tonight.

“There.” She pointed. “A breeze came from this small crack in the wall.”

“That doesn’t mean there is a secret compartment.”

“All I know is strange things have happened in this room, things appearing out of nowhere like my shoes from the airplane.”The ones still lying on her floor.“And the cocaine.”

“The cocaine appeared out of nowhere?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “It wasn’t in that drawer when I first arrived—otherwise, I would’ve used it. It wasn’t until after I’d detoxed that I saw it.” She winced and put her hand on the back of her head, holding the bloody lump forming there.

Vlad still hadn’t come back with the results of the cameras, but there were weeks of footage to go through and only one man watching…

I kneeled beside her and pressed my hand to the crack. But it wasn’t a crack at all.

A seam ran up the wall, nearly one point five meters and another meter across.Hadshe found something in a house I’d lived my whole life in and never knew of?

I pressed and shoved, searching for a way in, and when that didn’t work, I put my foot through the wall until the opening was large enough to pop my head and cellphone light through.

The passage was narrow, with rough stone walls. The air was musty and heavy, almost oppressive. Cobwebs glistened in the corners, their keepers scurrying away from the beam of light, causing their threads to shudder.

I pulled my head out and glanced at Mia, who chewed on her inner lip, her fingers flicking over and over at her side.

“I’ve heard voices from there, my hangers swaying and disappearing, thumps, lights flickering. I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me.”

I collapsed onto the bench, staring at the proof of my mistake, the blood draining from my face. My chest tightened. I’d always prided myself on my unwavering confidence and conviction in my opinions, but now…

How could I have been so wrong?

I reached for her, pulling her damaged body into my arms, and tucked my head against her belly. We stood in silence for what felt like hours, unwavering until the slightest brush of her fingers against my nape sent shivers down my spine.

“Sacha?”

“Yes?”

“Do you believe me now?”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

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