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That was perfect. If they took the tracker out immediately upon putting me here, it meant that Davorin should’ve gotten the word of where the tracker was turned off. If destroyed, the tracker sent an IP address to Wolf of where it was last active. If it was simply removed, it sent an entire route of the past twenty-four hours of where I’d been. Either way, it was a good situation.
However, the issue remained—both Rhea and I were tied up. I couldn’t get up. Hell, I could barely breathe given how tight the ropes were bound.
“Did they do anything to you?” I asked.
I followed her gaze until I saw the state of her foot. It was blue with green shades.
“They broke your ankle?”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t tell them shit about you, so yeah, it was done as a threat.”
It was a blessing to have someone so loyal. But why was she so loyal to me? We weren’t exactly best friends, nor did we talk on a daily basis. Drinking buddies, at best. Something twisted in my chest; it felt as tight as that goddamn rope.
Well, if I actually thought about it, Rhea was my best friend. That meant that I was responsible for her, and that was not something I needed or wanted at the moment.
Ignoring the pain and distracting myself was the only thing I could do. With a small sigh, I turned to look at her.
“I don’t know what these people are capable of or what they will do to get any information on those damned kids. When they come, you’ll close your eyes and think of happy thoughts.”
Rhea was puzzled. Her eyebrows furrowed together, lips parted. “Why? You don’t have to go to the extreme to protect me.”
I glared. “Just let me do my thing, alright? I’ll try stalling them for as long as possible. They can’t kill me until they get the information out of me, but I can’t say what they will do to you.”
She blinked, a suspicious look washing over her features. “Wait, don’t tell me… Is this your way of telling me you care about me?”
If looks could kill, she would’ve been dead.
But she was right. I did care about her, and it was a shock to me to admit it. I didn’t know why I felt so protective over her exactly. Perhaps it was because although she was a part of this world, she’d been sheltered from all the bad things as much as possible? To an extent, she was still innocent, deep down inside. She had the life I dreamed of having. And I wanted her to continue living like that.
Rhea had never killed anyone. In this world, it meant she either had thick patience or she was seen as a fucking saint. Whichever it was, she was going to remain living in her little bubble. I’d make sure of that.
“Is it so surprising that I actually care about you?”
She cleared her throat. “It’s not, but it is surprising how easily you’re admitting to it.”
That topic was put to rest. The hunger returned and I ignored the loud sounds. Rhea found it hilarious but with one threatening glance, she shut her mouth.
“Tell me.” I closed my eyes. “What did I miss?”
“Not much, honestly. My brother is still gone—no contact in months. I want to hold his funeral just to make him crawl out of his little hole. I think I’m actually getting the hang of this business thingy, but I shut down everything and started renovations. If I’m running it, it should suit my tastes.”
I felt a speck of pride in my chest. “What changes are you making?”
“I’m making a lot of changes to the interior. Every single location will be matching, but it will have a thing or two that are specific to the location. I shut them all down at once. As soon as it’s almost ready to be opened again, I’m cutting down the clientele.”
I widened my eyes. “Why?”
She pouted. “I don’t like half of those people that are frequenting there, and the ones that I like agree with my opinion. It used to be an exclusive establishment, and not just anyone could waltz in. Helios made a few slip ups over the years, and I want to return its exclusivity. Although, it will get me a few enemies, which is why I’m looking for a partner.”
I grinned. There was one person who could make all of her dreams come true; however, my idea was shut down before I could voice it. “Absolutely not, Ekaterina. Do not even think about it.” To distract me from the thought, she added, “Oh, and your brother is getting cozy with that doctor.”
That made me snap my head in her direction. “Eliana Beckett?”
Rhea nodded her head eagerly. “Yeah, after the Pakhan got shot, she was threatened into treating him. As soon as he recovered, she bolted. He tracked her down and is keeping a close eye on her. I don’t know why, though. I’ve seen them together a few times. She seems to hate him.”
“Hate isn’t the word I would use,” I mumbled.
“And I also know that she’s been taking your blood. What’s that all about?”
