Page 62 of Ruinous Need

Semyon never makes a bet he can’t win. And now, I have to make sure he loses. Or I lose the one person who’s made me feel like I’m not a monster.

“Merc. Ben. I need a favor.”

CHAPTER 24

LISETTE

“LISETTE, OUT OF bed. We’ve got to go.”

Daria wakes me up while it’s still dark outside.

She throws a pile of random clothing from the wardrobe into a bag.

“Now. In your pajamas. Move it.”

What is going on?

The bright lights hurt my eyes and I’m still sore from the way Viktor destroyed me last night.

“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice croaky. “Where’s Viktor?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

She hustles me out of the door, rubbing the back of her neck while she waits for me to get out of bed and into jeans and a t-shirt.

“No,” she barks. “Something warmer. Put those wooly socks on. And a coat. ”

The set of drawers bangs open with her rushed movements. She doesn’t even close it, dragging me out of the room with a hand around my wrist while I struggle to pull the socks on.

She brings Chekhov as well, hitching him onto the leash andshoving it into my hands. He looks precisely as confused as I feel, whining as we leave Viktor alone in the apartment and refusing to budge until I give him a treat.

We power-walk down to the parking garage. I have to take three steps for every one of Daria’s long powerful strides.

When we’re safely in the car, she seems to release a breath, pulling up her tablet and frowning at a map.

“Stay here,” she tells me, crossing the parking garage to take a call that I can’t hear.

From her body language, Daria looks panicked about something. She waves her hands as she talks on the phone and, at the end of the call, gives a helpless shrug. Then she frantically nods as though she’s made some kind of agreement.

When she gets back to start the car, she’s short of breath, but she doesn’t seem to be in such a rush anymore. We pull out of the garage onto the city streets and head for the highway.

“Viktor thinks you’re not safe in the city anymore. We’re heading into the mountains to his family’s holiday home. He’ll join us in a week’s time.”

A week.

Just when I thought I was getting somewhere with Viktor, when he was talking to me and getting used to my presence, he sends me away again.

“I don’t get why he couldn’t come with us.”

“He has things to do in the city.” A frustratingly vague response.

“What things?” She won’t tell me.

I have a million questions I need to ask him. Last night has left me feeling deeply uncertain. And now the unexpected road trip has me flashing back to the meeting with Semyon.

Daria has told me I need to duck down every time the car goes through a populated area, which has left me on edge.

I’ve tried to interrogate her about what’s changed that means we need to be on high alert right now, but she won’t tell me.