Page 118 of Beautiful Secrets

“And, since I’m sure you checked the manifests, you’re the only one in this room who knows if she got on the flight. So what do you want from me?”

Yuri’s eyes are hooded in darkness, and that makes it impossible for me to read him. After a few seconds, he stands again. “Where is she?”

“Christ,” I mutter, dropping my head. “Don’t you think if I knew, I’d—”

His backhand cuts me off. I stifle a groan—my face is still bruised where he went to town on it before shoving me in this room, and judging from the taste of copper in my mouth, whatever had been starting to heal just broke open again.

“Where is she?”

This time I stay quiet.

Yuri ducks his head, grabs my jaw, and wrenches my face up. “Where is she?”

“I’m guessing the airport,” I tell him, before ripping free from his grip. “But that’s only a guess. See, she told me she was going to Moscow. I bought her a fucking ticket.” I shrug. “And since I’ve known the girl for all of, what, a hot minute…if anyone would know where she is, it’s definitely not me.”

“Why did you buy her a ticket?” Yuri asks. “It is a lot of money to waste on someone you do not know.”

Well, he’s got me there.

“Because she was becoming annoying as fuck, and I wanted to stick it to Dimitri.” I glare up at Yuri. “Do I need a better reason?”

Whether Yuri buys it, fuck knows. But after a second, he takes my phone out of his pocket.

“Unlock it.”

“No.”

I half-expect the backhand he gives me, but since he’s the kind of guy who could slap you into a concussion, it still hurts like hell.

“Unlock it.”

“You really just think you could keep—”

The darkness swoops back along with a bright new slash of pain. Yuri cracks his knuckles, grabs my face, and forces my head straight.

“How many times must I ask?”

I laugh, but it doesn’t sound half as jolly when there’s blood and spit oozing out of my mouth. “I dunno. Guess till I pass out again. Then you’ll have to wait for me to wake up.”

He considers this for a second, and then punches me.

When I wake up, the room is empty. But there’s still light, and it takes me a second to realize why.

The door is open.

I hear voices coming from outside—possibly down a passage judging from how hollow they sound.

Russian voices, speaking Russian.

Christ.

And then another voice, which does something unpleasant to my insides.

A voice recording.

“Mister Hendry, this is Samantha from your hotel. A woman by the name of Sarah has left several urgent messages for you. She says it’s a family emergency. Kindly call the hotel as soon as you receive this message.”

Did I give Yuri my pin while I was on the cusp of passing out or something? How—?