Page 35 of Sweet Deception

I continue to drink in the place. There’s a large mantel clock over the fireplace. It’s almost half past ten.

Now that the adrenaline has died down, bone-deep exhaustion is settling over me. But I refuse to rest in the presence of my kidnapper. My eyes slide back to him, which is when I notice that he does not have the same problem.

Darren is asleep, his arms folded and his eyes closed.

Slow, deep breaths lift and lower his broad, sculpted chest. He’s…literally sleeping. In front of me.

Do I really pose so little threat that he can snooze in my presence without issue? Must be nice.

But that’s when I realize this is my chance.

He has my cell phone in his pocket, and if I can retrieve it…I can use it.

Using all the ballet training stored up in my muscles, I maneuver my weight, gently rising from the couch. I tread silently across the carpet, creeping closer, until it’s time for me to extend my arm toward his right pant pocket. I’m near enough that his gentle breaths caress my face.

For a moment, I’m enthralled by his soft, open expression.

It’s so different from his visage when he’s awake.

Allured, I rake my eyes down his muscular body. Big mistake.

His hard beauty captivates me…that sense of wariness that emanates from him even while he rests so peacefully.

Enough.

I slip my phone from his pocket without touching his body or making a sound and back out of the living room, leaving Darren and Piro snoozing on opposite sofas.

Without knowing the full layout of the house, I have no idea where I’m headed as I tiptoe upstairs and find my way to the first bedroom along a long, winding hallway. Carefully and quietly, I shut the door behind me.

A lone king bed faces me, positioned between two barred windows along a curved wall. I barely notice the weird layout of the place as I bank left into an attached bathroom.

I lock the door behind me.

Black-and-white tiles greet my feet as I flip on the light and call Maya as quickly as I can from the burner phone Mrs. Guseva gave me. Her last text confirmed she was safe, but that was before those armed men showed up at my apartment, and I have about a dozen messages from her. I need to ensure she’s still all right.

She picks up on the first ring.

“Nika, are you okay?” The concern in her voice is bright as the light in here. “Your apartment complex was all over the news. What’s going on?”

“I honestly have no idea.” Swallowing, I hold my elbow with my empty hand. “But I think it’s related to Lucy.”

“Oh, no.” Maya sounds muffled, like she threw her hand over her mouth, the way I’ve seen her do so many times.

“You need to keep lying low. Wherever you are, stay inside as much as you possibly can.” A small amount of relief froths through me. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I was so scared. You weren’t picking up, no matter how many times I called.”

“Don’t worry.” Wow, I sound so fake. “I’m fine.”

Ha! Maya knows me too well to believe that.

“Lucy’s in way more trouble than we thought, isn’t she?” Maya’s voice cracks. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to?—”

“Hey.” I poke around the bathroom silently, trying not to focus on the obvious. “Don’t start doubting me now. We’re making progress.” I tell her about the messages that came through my alert board, the ones that seemed to link a few other abducted women to that same modeling agency.

“It’s a front?”

Even though she can’t see me, I nod vigorously. “And this Sophia Kovaleva woman, whoever she is, is the face of it.”