Page 106 of Claim Me

As soon as I reached the corridor leading backstage, the crowd of musicians racing to get to the front entrance blocked everything.

“Marissa!” I yelled, but there was too much noise including several people shrieking. Exasperated, I pushed my way inside, fighting even harder than before. It was too fucking dark. The electrical system had been tampered with, leaving the back in shadows. The yellow light provided from the generators did little more than provide an eerie glow.

“What the fuck?” Alexsey roared.

“Check the back entrance. Go down that hallway. See if she made it outside.” Nothing was going to stop me.

Alexsey moved in the other direction while I scanned the people, hoping for any sign of her.

“Where the hell did she go?” Mikhail snarled.

“They fucking took her. I know they did.” After pushing through more musicians, I was able to check every room, smashing open doors when they weren’t already open.

There was no sign of her.

I kept looking, calling out her name every few seconds. The roses I’d seen in her arms caught my eye. Something made me head toward them, lifting the bunch into my arms. I didn’t need to take a whiff to know a toxin had been activated.

“What the hell is that goddamn smell?”

“A nerve agent. They want her out cold and completely immobile.” I tossed the roses, hissing before throwing myself back into the corridor.

The fuckers hadn’t taken her out the back door where everyone was heading. “They’re trying to get her out another way.”

“I’ll check with the soldiers. They’re blocking every entrance.” While Mikhail seemed so certain they’d never get her away from here, I knew with the chaos it was definitely possible.

I took off jogging down the hallway, now unhindered by others. A noise caught my attention, someone hugging the wall and stumbling forward. She had her head cradled in her hand, blood streaming between her fingers.

As soon as she lifted her head, I rushed toward her. She’d been beaten against the side of the head with a weapon. “Teresa. Where’s Marissa?”

“They took her.” She clung to me, her mouth twisted in terror.

“Who? Did you see them?”

“Yes.” She nodded, moaning and falling against me. “Joseph.”

“What? Who the hell is Joseph?”

“He’s a guy who plays cello. He had a crush on her. He’s been watching her. He spoke… Like you.”

“What do you mean like me?” As her eyes started to close, I snarled. “Teresa, her life is in grave danger. What do you mean like me?”

“Russian,” she whispered and slumped against me.

“Fuck.”

“What is it?” Mikhail asked.

“Inside help. Get her to safety. A kid took her. He’s Russian.”

He shook his head, taking her into his arms. “A Russian kid? What the hell are you talking about? Vladimir doesn’t have a second son. Rurik has none.”

“I was right about an inside job. Only it was right here inside the symphony. We need to find this kid. Now.”

“Shit. Be careful.” Mikhail shook his head as he lifted and cradled Teresa.

Careful wasn’t something I could do. I would find Marissa. As soon as I did, I would kill everyone involved.

No one dared touch someone I cared about.