Page 52 of Wicked Knight 2

“Please. I’m super bored with nothing to do.”

“Okay. Bye.” She waved at me on her way out.

That was brilliant. Now the question was, did I really want to wait until Irina figured out if I could help her clean Ivan’s room, or did I want to go rummage through it now?

Now.

Definitely now.

I glanced down at my jeans and bare feet. If I were home, I’d wear something more appropriate like leggings and good running shoes. But here, I was working with the bare minimum. With a shrug, I padded to the door and peeked into the hallway. When I was sure Irina was gone, and I was alone, I stepped out and closed the door behind me.

Three doors down. I looked both ways, trying to remember which way Irina had pointed. In the end, I went with my gut and chose left. As soon as I entered the room, I knew I was in right place. The suite reeked of Ivan’s spicy cologne.

When I was younger, I used to pull stunts like this one all the time. I was hoping I hadn’t lost my touch. Taking even breaths, I headed straight for his bed. It was the easiest place to hide something as small as my phone—assuming Ivan even cared enough to go through the trouble of putting it away somewhere.

I checked under the bed, the pillows, and in between the mattresses. I made to move to the bedside table when the shower in the en-suite came on. Fuck. I wasn’t alone. Ivan had been in the bathroom the whole time. If he came out now, I wouldn’t have the chance to get out. I shivered at the idea that he might come out naked.

For a long minute, I stood staring at the bathroom door, waiting for something to happen. Then, Ivan belted out a jazzy tune I recognized. Luca used to play the song in his apartment. There—another sign that I was doing the right thing. Luca’s memories were still in there somewhere, buried deep in the recesses of Maxim’s brain. I placed a hand on my forehead while my heart thumped like crazy in my throat. I could leave now or take another minute or two to finish perusing.

Fuck it.

I darted to the bedside table, making sure I could still hear the water running. When I finished with the drawers, I moved over to his desk and then the sofa. He didn’t have my phone here. I glanced up and cursed my bad luck. One phone call was all I needed to get out of this place, to save Luca.

I padded across the room and headed for the door. Opening it slowly, I peeked to the right. When I shifted my gaze to the opposite end of the hallway, Belinda came into view. I pushed the door to close the gap but didn’t shut it all the way.

“Fuck,” I mouthed.

“He doesn’t want me anymore, Papa.” Belinda whined from the other side of the door.

Papa was here too? Fuck. Fuck.

“Are you sure the lady doctor doesn’t know about his condition?” Papa’s smoker voice boomed.

“She didn’t say anything to me.”

“And Maxim?”

“He doesn’t talk to me anymore. I’m sorry. He’s obsessed with her. I’m tired of begging him. I’m telling you. He’s done with me.”

What in the world? Belinda knew Maxim had amnesia. Belinda the spy? That little spying bitch. I really thought she loved Maxim, and that we were on the same side. I supposed having the same goals didn’t exactly put us on the same team. But what about her wanting to marry the love of her life?

The water stopped running. Oh no. I turned to glare at the door, wishing it to stay closed a little longer, wishing Ivan was the type to get dressed in his closet, and not in the bedroom.

“He can’t be done with you.” Papa stopped Belinda’s ranting. “Use your assets like you did before. The lady doctor is a means to an end. I don’t like his obsession with her. It can be dangerous.”

“She hates him.”

Papa chuckled. “I know you’re not that naive. Find out if Maxim was stupid enough to tell her he’s a man without a past.”

“Why did you have to bring her here?” She scoffed. “She’s not like us. She doesn’t belong here.”

“I need her here.” He let out a breath. “Do as you’re told.”

“Yes, Papa.”

I pressed my ear to the door and listened for Papa’s retreating footsteps. When I opened the door, Belinda was alone. Any minute now, Ivan would walk out and catch me red-handed. I didn’t even want to think what he’d say to Maxim. What if Ivan told him I tried to seduce him to get him to set me free? Maxim would never forgive me for that.

Come on, Belinda. Get out of here.

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