Page 56 of Savage Little Secret

Bile rises up my throat, making me swallow hard. I need to find her. Before she’s either dead or wants to be.

“What now?” Andrei asks me as he pours us both another glass of vodka. “I’m sure this asshole will call again. They want something from you.”

“Maybe they’ve called Sean too. And I need to see if he has an update on the Albanians,” I say before grabbing my phone and pulling up Sean’s contact. I never thought I would have that in my phone.

Andrei frowns, but he doesn’t say anything as I press the phone against my ear.

“What?” Sean snaps on the third ring.

“Someone called me saying they have Cara and want to initiate a trade for her,” I tell him, making him fall silent for a few moments.

“What do they want?” Sean questions me.

“I don’t fucking know! The asshole hung up before he told me. He’s toying with me,” I mutter as I lean forward at my desk, resting my elbows on the wooden surface.

“Do you have a number? Anything?”

“No, I have nothing,” I grit out. “I have no clue who he is or who he works for. But I don’t think he’s part of the Council or hired by them. He called from a private number and used a voice manipulator.”

“Damn it,” Sean grunts. “So, she is alive.”

“That’s what he said. But I have no way of confirming it.”

Sean sighs sharply. “Feels like we still have nothing.”

“Did you find out anything about the Albanians? Everyone is still a suspect,” I say, my eyes meeting Andrei, who nods in agreement. No one is ruled out yet.

“I had some of my men do a little digging, and they found a name for the Albanian boss and where to find him,” Sean replies. “You want me to follow up on that, or do you want to do it?”

“I’ll do it. Get the information sent over to me ASAP,” I tell him, feeling a spark of determination ignite in my chest. It might not be anything, but this lead could be something.

“Will do. Good luck, yeah?” Sean replies before hanging up.

I put my phone down and pull out my laptop from one of my desk drawers. It’s the most secure piece of technology that I have. Not even Cara saw me use it because it’s only for my most sensitive files and information sharing.

“Are you sure about this, Dmitri?”

I pause and look up at Andrei. “About what? Ambushing the Albanian boss?”

“About all of this. Working with Sean O’Malley of all people,” Andrei replies as he shakes his head in disbelief. “The Irish can’t be trusted. This could all be a set up too to take out his enemy for him. Don’t forget that they placed a spy in your life to try and ruin it!”

“And I fell in love with her,” I respond sharply, making his bitter expression fade. “I know that I can’t trust the Irish, but Sean is Cara’s father. I just have to hope that deep down he gives a shit about her and wants her home safe.”

I’m probably the person who is most suspicious of Sean in the first place. I swear that he has something to do with Mikhail’s death. I don’t care that he keeps denying it.

He knows something. He has to.

But for Cara’s sake, I’m willing to put that aside for now. I’ll never forget, though. Not until I finally figure out the truth.

Andrei nods in understanding. “I’m just worried that he’s going to use this situation against you. What if this whole Albanian boss is a trap? What if he’s setting you up for an ambush?”

“I’m not saying that won’t happen,” I say. “But I have to follow every potential lead. That’s the only way that I’ll be able to find her, Andrei. I have to find her.”

Andrei knocks back his drink before setting the empty glass down. “And if the Albanians turn out to be innocent?”

I drum my fingertips against the desk, my mind splitting in a million different directions. There are a lot of suspects to consider, and they all have their own possible motives to kidnap Cara. But what would any of them try to trade for her?

What do I have that they want?