Page 144 of Crave

The tears finally fall, but it doesn’t help. “I miss him.”

That isn’t anywhere close to the mark. I don’t know if I’ll be able to live without him.

He keeps me steady. His patience supports me when I stumble without wavering.

I’m going to shatter without him.

“Can’t you go back? Look again?” I sniffle.

“You know Ivan keeps a close watch. Would you want me to be captured also? Let Enzo do what he does best, find things out.” Mikhail’s broad hand pulls me in for another hug before he stands. “You don’t need to come to work, Lara. I know this is hard on you.”

“It’s the only thing keeping me sane. I would be going crazy at home.” I’d probably hit thirty miles on my treadmill a day if I was left to my own devices.

He nods. “I get it. Okay, want to help me go over some surveillance? I want to see if Kirill came back into the country orif he’s still here. I’m worried that Tatiana fed Alexei bad intel.” He gestures at his computer. “It’ll keep us busy. There's at least a month's worth here to check.”

CHAPTER 70

ALEXEI

The thin pastegets stuck in my throat, making me choke. “What?” I cough. “That’s why you’re helping me?”

With narrowed eyes, the old man peers at me. “Let’s just say, finding out he was killed was one of the best days.” He drops his spoon and stands with his empty tray, carrying it to a table near the locked door to the kitchen.

His crooked finger points to a forming line near the exit where he stands silently.

How did he know my father? Were they friends? It didn’t seem like it.

Who is he?

So many questions that I know better to ask close enough to all of these other prisoners.

At least I made it through my first meal. I wasn’t sure that would happen.

I watch him raise his arm and gesture at a pair of men moving towards the line.

They both nod and separate. One takes his place in front of the old man, the other moves behind me.

Is this a trap?

“Are you tricking me?” I growl in his ear.

A heavy palm flattens on my shoulder. “Any friend of the Butcher of Buresk is a friend of ours.”

The words send an icy chill down my spine.

Everyone knows the stories. It happened before I left Russia almost ten years ago.

Thisis him?

No wonder everyone avoids him.

The carnage he caused was the stuff of legends. He wiped an entire town off the map.

What the fuck?

I’m going to roll with it. His reputation might keep me alive.

A gust of cool wind billows over us, but we start to move forward.

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