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Armstrong was with my mother.
“Wh-what are you doing with my mother?”
“Oh, your mom and I were having a little reunion. As I’m sure you’re aware, we haven’t seen each other in nearly twenty years. I convinced her it was in her best interest to accompany me to your apartment building. We’re in a limo outside waiting for you. You are to come downstairs and join us or I will kill your mother and leave her dead body in front of your building. You have three minutes.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. My head was spinning as fear for my mother collided with the abject terror of joining Armstrong in his car.
I could read all the things I was feeling as I watched Hannah’s face mirror my emotions back to me. I didn’t have time to even call Ivan and tell him what was going on. If there was one thing I believed, it was that Armstrong would definitely kill my mother if I didn’t come down there.
Hannah reached over and hit mute. “You can’t go down there, Em,” Hannah whispered, even though the phone was muted.
“What choice do I have?”
She opened and closed her mouth several times, but obviously had no solutions.
As I unmuted the phone, I was nearly hyperventilating as I considered how to save both myself and my mother. “You have to give me more than 3 minutes. I have to call the elevator up here, that may take 3 minutes.”
I mouthed words to Hannah. Call Nikolai. Call Ivan.
“I’m going to switch to Facetime and I’m going to watch you call the elevator, get on and ride down to the car. That should resolve the issue.”
Shit, so much for that gambit. I put the phone speaker on and quickly opened my thread with Ivan. “Uh, okay.” I quickly dashed him off an urgent message before the Facetime call came through.
Emmy: Had to go with Armstrong. He kidnapped my mom. No time to call you. Please track him down and find me!!! I love you.
I gave Hannah a quick hug. She clung to me until we both heard the Facetime call come through. “We’ll save you,” she whispered as I clicked over to receive the call.
“You better,” I whispered as I gave her one last look of resignation and panic, I made my way to Armstrong and my mother.
Chapter 51
Ivan
On the way to the warehouse, I texted Drago.
Ivan: What’s Mikhail doing here? Did you know he was coming?
Drago: No offense, but do you think I’d have been at a harp recital today if I had?
I grimaced. Mikhail making a sudden, very unexpected and very unannounced appearance could not be a good sign.
Ivan: Any idea why he’s here?
Drago: I was going to ask you the same question.
Ivan: If it’s about Armstrong, it doesn’t make much sense. Mikhail doesn’t usually micromanage.
Drago: I’m aware. We’d spoken a week ago about how we were going to manage Armstrong’s removal, but he didn’t mention coming to Chicago.
Ivan: You talked last week? You didn’t say anything to me.
Drago: You’ve had your hands full.
Ivan: Fine. I’m on my way to the warehouse now.
Drago: Same.
I threw my phone down, annoyed at the anxiety tightening my gut. Though, to be fair, the anxiety could be the result of any number of things going on right now.