Page 105 of Gabriel
“You used me.” My voice cracked. “You made a fool out of me. And Anya… She’s myfriend. How could you, Elira?”
“I didn’t do anything,” she claimed stubbornly. “And I didn’t say it has anything to do with Anya.”
I stepped closer, chest tight as she let out a heavy sigh.
“But you know who she is.” I smiled coldly. “Technically, you shouldn’t.”
“She was your roommate in the dorm,” Elira snapped, suddenly sharp. “I make it a point to know who you surround yourself with, sister.”
My back stiffened. “What about Jet, then?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. I have no idea how they met.”
I stared at her, the words ringing in my ears. My heart pounded against the cage of my ribs.
“But they met,” I whispered.
“Apparently so,” Elira deadpanned.
This makes no sense. Why had Anya lied when I asked her point-blank on the phone?
“I don’t know any specifics,” she added.
“You need to tell me his plan and what he wants with Anya,” Gabriel said, stepping between us. “And I need the truth, Elira. Both Amara and I do.”
Elira held our gazes.
“I don’t know,” she said, sighing. “I’ve never seen Jet go to such lengths for anything or anyone. He just asked me to help him.”
“With what?” I demanded.
“He told me where we needed to go in the jungle and instructed me to drop that stupid bag and encrypted devicein there,” she muttered. “I got to the location before you and dropped the bag off. It was part of the plan.”
“And the coordinates?” I rasped. “Why Albania?”
Gabriel stiffened next to me, answering, “Because that’s where Anya is.”
“Yes, the coordinates are to the house she’s renting next to Kian’s,” Elira answered, and betrayal flooded me.
It burned on the way down, but I didn’t let myself get distracted.
I couldn’t dwell on that.
Now it was time we closed in on Jet and got to Anya before he did.
Kian
It had been a week since I received the frantic call from Liana Volkov, the woman whose life I had saved decades ago and who had saved my granddaughter’s life in return. The web of our life choices had forever connected us, and I hadn’t regretted it for a single minute.
I picked up my phone, waited until the secure line blinked green, and then hit dial.
City lights flickered in Vlorë—my default home for years—the streets still glistening from the storm that had rolled through earlier.
I checked the time on my watch. It wasn’t terribly late in Boston, although I knew she’d be awake even if it was.
Liana picked up on the first ring.
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she said, her statement laced with dread.
