Page 77 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

I nod toward the hallway. “Come upstairs. I’ll brief you properly.”

The hallway is dark when we return. I barely catch myself before tripping on something near the foot of the stairs. Niko reaches out to steady me.

“Fuck,” I mutter, switching the wall light on. It buzzes to life. I see a flash of color, wedged beneath a pile of concrete dust and fractured stone. Doesn’t belong here. Someone obviously stuffed it there in a hurry.

I bend down and tug it loose. It’s a tote bag—cloth, soft, handmade maybe. Bright, too damn bright, it adds to my frustration.

“The fuck!” Niko laughs. “This yours?”

“Shut up.” The contents spill across the floor—scattered papers, a broken pen, what looks like an empty granola bar wrapper—and then a small, rectangular weight hits the ground with a dull thud.

I stare at it for a long beat.

A burner phone.

Just like the one I found with Violet.

My blood runs cold.

“Something wrong?” Niko asks, coming to stand behind me.

I don’t answer right away. I grab the burner, turn it over in my hand. The same model. Same color. It’s the same fucking phone. My jaw clenches.

I shove everything back into the tote and stand.

“We’re going to the safe house,” I say briskly, already heading for the door.

Niko frowns. “What’s going on, Kaz?”

“I’ll explain when we get there.”

He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press. “Your woman’s there?”

“Yes.” I open the door and step into the night. “And I need to make sure she’s still safe.”

We pile into the car, and I slide into the driver’s seat, placing the tote beside me like it might explode. Like I said, I’m not one to jump to conclusions. But the phone is exactly the same as Violet’s burner. And the bag…it’s definitely Arina’s style. I’ve seen them with similar ones a dozen times. They’re the only one who would carry something this colorful in this world of black leather and tactical gear.

I look down at the burner again, still in my hand. There’s no doubt now. But I’m going to take things slow because people like these are like eels; you only have one chance to grab them.

Chapter 19 – Violet

I wake up to silence.

The bed is cold beside me. No steady heartbeat. No warm arms. No Kaz. For a moment, my chest tightens in panic. I sit up, the sheets falling from my body as I scan the room. My throat is dry and my hands are clammy.

Where is he?

Then I spot a piece of paper folded neatly beneath the warm glow of the bedside lamp. I snatch it up when I see Kaz’s bold, scrawling handwriting dancing across it.

“I’ll be back soon.You’re safe here. I promise. —K”

I exhale slowly, pressing the note to my chest like it might slow the thudding of my heart. But even as I read the words again, something inside me twists.

Something isn’t right.

Kaz never leaves without a word. Not anymore. Not when things have been this dangerous. He always makes sure he holds me and kisses me before leaving. I don’t care about the note, and I don’t care that we’re in a safe house; I want him. I can’t feel safe without him here.

I slide out of bed and wrap a blanket around my shoulders, padding barefoot to the window. The holding facility feels too still. Like it’s holding its breath. Just like I am.