Deceitful Lies by Brook Wilder
Chapter 41
Paige
The house is eerily quiet when I return home. Andrei is out on a job, and I feel an ominous unease as I walk aimlessly through the empty hallways.
It’s too quiet, like a crypt filled with the ghosts of the men I’ll never see again.
Sometimes I wonder who won’t come back. When did I become this melodramatic? I don’t get creeped out by being alone. Still, someone must be here. I search downstairs until I find Natasha sitting in the kitchen, chatting with the chef. No food is being prepared yet; it’s too early for dinner. And I wave off the chef’s kind offer to make me something light to eat.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“They’re out on business—a construction site in Lower Manhattan, off Canal Street,” replies Natasha. “They’ll be back soon.”
Now, I can read her body language, and I can tell by her dismissive gesture she’s telling me the truth. Natasha breaks eye contact right before she lies.
But I pace the hallways, unable to shake this unnerving feeling. I check my phone, shocked when I realize Emma has been out for three hours. Maybe Kenney let her go off with her friends? But she should be back by now. I told the Rover to remain in Twin Rivers so she could be picked up.
My fingers fly over the screen as I text her.
Almost immediately, she calls me back.
“Emma, where are you?” I ask urgently. “You should think about coming home. Where’s Kenney?”
Emma’s voice is barely louder than a whisper, and there’s panic in her voice. “We’re at Mom’s apartment. Kenny is looking for something, Paige. But I don’t know what. He’s ransacking the place, looking for papers.”
Alarm bells start ringing in my head.
“Looking for what papers?” I demand.
“I don’t know,” she replies, “but we’ve been here for over an hour, and he’s not acting right. He’s pissed and keeps telling himself it’s here.”
The dread that has been with me all day turns into fear. “Tell him nothing, Emma. Go outside and wait for the Rover. Okay?”
But there’s a muffled scuffle before she can answer, and the call ends suddenly. I hit redial, but she doesn’t pick up.
I call again. Emma’s name lights up, and I’m desperate for her to answer. But it goes to voice mail. I call again, and this time it goes straight to voice mail.
I jump when I hear footsteps coming down the marble hallway behind me. I hold my hands against my chest as a worried Vanya approaches me.
“Paige, I got a call from one of the guards,” he says. “They’ve lost Emma.”
“Was a cop with her?” I ask.
“They saw one taking her away.” Vanya explains that a cop was seen dragging Emma to a navy SUV. She fought with him, but they were gone by the time the guards reached the spot. “She put up a real fight not to go with him.”
He says it as if I should be proud. But all I can feel is my world blacking out around the edges of my vision. Kenney took Emma because I didn’t bring her back with me.
“I want all guards on the property to meet me in the front hall.” I fight to keep my voice even.
***
There’s an edgy silence as I consider a plan while the guards stand at attention. I hide my nervousness as I gain a better understanding of my husband. The power Andrei must feel is at my fingertips, and it starts to calm me as I eye the guards surrounding me. I’m no longer helpless against the people that want to hurt me. The Bratva will protect me.
“Find my sister,” I tell them in a steady voice. “No fighting. I don’t want her hurt. Right now, I only want to know where she is.”
As they head out, I turn to Natasha. “Andrei isn’t answering his phone. Why wouldn’t he answer it?” I ask.
Natasha glances away, and then her gaze returns, cool and calm. “Try again, Paige. Perhaps he cannot hear it.”
My breathing picks up as I try Andrei again, but there’s no answer. The silence becomes sickening as I wonder what he is doing that he can’t pick up.
