Page 88 of Bleed the Shadows

Drago nodded. “Not sure after that.”

“I heard he was somewhere in Eastern Europe,” Neo said.

The Butchers and I exchanged a glance. Hungary was technically more Central Europe, but close enough.

“Where in Eastern Europe?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” Neo glanced at his phone. “You need anything else or are you good.”

“I think we’re good,” I said. It was late, and Neo was obviously eager to get home to Willa and the baby.

I didn’t know what the revelation about Dimitri Kaprolov meant in the grand scheme of things, but it was another piece of the Ethan Todd puzzle, and I couldn’t help thinking about the fact that Ethan had been accused of sex trafficking in Hungary.

Was this another thing he shared with his scholarship sponsor? And if so, were they still in contact?

I thought about the missing girls I’d seen on the bulletin board at Cassie’s, the girl Lilah had talked about whose mom was still looking for her.

Rain.

Was it all a coincidence: Ethan and Dimitri Kaprolov, their beliefs about women, their shared predilection for sex trafficking, the missing girls around Blackwell Falls?

I didn’t know, but if it was, it was one in a million.

And that made me think it wasn’t a coincidence at all.

54

MAEVE

I was still turningit all over in my mind while I prepped food the next day. It was the day before Christmas Eve, and I’d managed to score the time off thanks to the fact that I’d always been the first one to volunteer for holiday shifts in the past.

The holidays had been hard since June’s murder. Working had helped me keep my mind off the way things used to be, had helped me keep my mind off of all we’d lost.

But now I had a reason not to work and I was in full prep mode, happy to be in the loft cooking while the Christmas tree sparkled in the living room. I’d put on Remy’s Christmas playlist, and even Reva’s fruit cake couldn’t throw me off.

I smiled to myself as I spit a bite into the garbage disposal and dumped the rest.

Maybe I was a secret masochist, but I always tried at least one bite of her food. It seemed impossible that someone could cook as much as she did and continue to be terrible at it, but so far she’d proven it wasn’t.

I thought about Ethan and Dimitri Kaprolov while I ran water to soak the fruitcake pan. Their connection seemed important, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. Like so many ofthe conclusions that seemed just beyond my grasp, the relevance of it all was out of reach.

Even if the two men had stayed friends after Ethan graduated from Aventine, what did it matter?

Jesus, M. Stop. Just enjoy Christmas, for god’s sake.

I was relieved to hear from June. She’d been quiet lately, and I couldn’t help wondering if my life with the Butchers was driving her away.

I am. I’m just thinking.

Anyone ever tell you that you think too much?

Only you,I thought.And you’re not around to do it anymore.

I wondered if I sounded as bitter as I felt.

Not because I don’t want to be, M.

She sounded sad and I tried to focus on cutting cheese for the Christmas-themed charcuterie I was putting together for Bailey’s visit to the loft the next day. I was nervous for her to meet the Butchers, but I knew I owed her that much.