Page 169 of Cashmere Cruelty

That’s our biggest concern. After all this shit hit the fan, we’re still completely in the dark about what fucked us over to begin with. “Show me the system logs.”

Every time ourvorywork on acquisitions, they’re obligated to log into the Groza Group company system and report their progress. When Grisha first suggested it, I thought it was a bunch of useless extra steps and almost stomped out the idea. I only ended up agreeing because it would let us keep an eye over thevory’s activities.

Now, we’ll see if it was worth it.

“I have them right here. But…” Grisha hesitates. “I checked in with Ivan and the others. Since everyone was working on this, it appears they haven’t been consistent with the logging. If two or more people handled a certain step, they’d just log it under the name of whoever was nearer to his computer. So I’m afraid these won’t necessarily show us the person who took point on each passage.”

I slam my fists on the table. “You’re telling me they’ve been fucking sloppy on this? On the one thing that mattered?”

“Basically, yes.”

I grit my teeth so hard I wouldn’t be surprised to hear them crack. “Goddamnmudaki.Somebody’s head will roll for this.”

I yank the documents out of Grisha’s hands. I’m about to scan them with red-veined eyes, ready to punish whoever dropped the ball on this, when my phone rings.

I pick up without looking and snarl, “If you’re calling me about her again, Yuri, I swear?—”

“So you know where she is?!”

I blink. The voice that came out the other end right now certainly isn’t Yuri’s.

That’s when I glance at the display. “You shouldn’t have this number,” I growl.

“Clearly, you have mine,” June Evans replies. “So I guess we can skip introductions. But still, nice to meet you or whatever, Mr. Baby Daddy.”

“You have exactly five seconds to tell me why you’re calling. After that, I’m hanging up and sending my men to find out.”

Turns out, she only needs one. “It’s about April.”

My senses go on high alert. “Explain yourself.”

June seems to hesitate. Then, all in one breath: “I was supposed to meet her at the hotel today. We were on the phone earlier and suddenly, the call cut off, so I thought maybe her phone died, but then I got to the hotel and she wasn’t there and the gorillas weren’t there, either?—”

I filter out the panic and zero in on the one piece of information that really matters.

April’s gone.

It’s fifteen minutes by car from my apartment to the hotel.

I make Grisha get me there in five.

“Oh, good, you’re here!” June rushes over to us as we step out of the elevator. “Also, wow, she wasn’t kidding. You’retall.”

“Ms. Evans,” I greet curtly, “I’m not a patient man. If you have anything else to add, now would be a good time to get to the point. If not, I’d suggest you go home.” Then I turn to Grisha. “Check the cameras. Also, get a hold of Yuri. I don’t care where Petra’s fucked off to—I need himhere.Now.”

“Wait, Petra’s missing, too?”

June’s words make both our heads turn. “How do you know Petra?” I demand.

“Well, I don’t exactlyknowher,” June rambles. “Of course, I knowofher?—”

“Ms. Evans. To the point. Now.”

June purses her lips, arms crossed. “Jeez, she wasn’t kidding about this, either. You’re, like, super bossy.”

I’m seconds away from resorting to enhanced interrogation techniques when Grisha clears his throat. “Ahem. You mentioned you and Ms. Flowers had some kind of engagement. Is that correct?”

“That’s right,” June says. “We were supposed to go to the Mallard.”

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