Page 71 of The Russian's Kidnapped Bride
“When?”
“I…I don’t know. Just a few minutes ago, maybe?” She questions, taking in my expression. “Why, what’s going on?”
I don’t even answer her. Instead, I’m already moving, heading in the direction of the washrooms.
The hallway is narrow and empty, but the moment I step further inside, something feels off, and my stomach turns. Immediately, I knock on the women’s door, and when I don’t get any response, I push my way in.
Inside, I don’t see Lily fixing her hair or taking a break from it all. I don’t find anyone there.
I check the men’s room just to be safe, but it’s just the same.
The hallway is empty, and it only makes that cold dread in my chest feel worse.
Something’s wrong.
Without a second to fully process, it all hits me at once, and the nightmare I’ve been trying to avoid seems to be unfolding right before me.
Heading back to the main room and into the VIP section, I wave down Nikolai as he glances in my direction. I grab Sergey by the shoulder, pulling his attention to me, along with everyone else’s.
Roman’s brows furrow as he sits up more. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t find Lily,” I mutter, certain that my voice is carrying the concern I can’t even begin to hide. “She’s not in the washroom or the hallway. She’s gone.”
Everyone pauses as if digesting those words at the same time. Then I hear Elena’s quiet, hesitant voice dripping with horror.
“She’s gone?”
“Yes. She’s been gone too long, and we need to move now.”
They all nod, getting up and correcting themselves while Victoria pulls Elena closer, trying to soothe the obvious guilt in her features.
I want to offer my sister the same, but at the moment, I can’t think of anything other than Lily.
Roman murmurs something to the girls, surely telling them to wait, and on the way out of the section, he says sternly to the guard standing there, “Don’t let them out of your sight.”
Showing only a flicker of the intimidation he feels, the guard nods and stays in position.
The rest of us storm the back hall, trying to cut as much time as possible. When we make it to the service entrance, I find the door cracked slightly, being propped open by something.
I push my way out and glance over to find the guard normally posted there slumped against the wall with blood around his nose and dazed eyes. I lightly kick at his boot, holding the door open, knocking him back into his body again. He’s barely conscious.
My anger spikes.
“Get up,” I snap, grabbing him by the collar and standing him up.
“I tried,” he mumbles with a cough before leaning back against the wall. He presses the sleeve of his jacket to his nose and winces. “There were three guys, and they came out of nowhere.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Who were they? Did they say anything?”
He shakes his head, trying not to throw himself off balance. “I couldn’t see…they got me too fast. They didn’t say anything…”
Useless.
The rage rises within me, and I’m half tempted to make his bloody nose worse before Roman steps in and puts an arm between us. His gaze is hard on the guard, however, and he hands him the square from his pocket.
“Find someone to cover for you and get your ass home…and if anything like this happens again while you’re on watch, you’ll wish you never took this job,” he mutters, to which the guard nods anxiously before hobbling away.
I scrub a hand down my face, trying to force air into my lungs again. Trying not to lose my mind.
