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Outside, I ask my bodyguard if we can stop at a nearby snack shop. I’m suddenly hungry. While I’m waiting for my order, I notice the same woman again near the entrance. The unease deepens. I excuse myself to the restroom.

I’m washing my hands at the sink when the door opens behind me. I glance at the mirror and catch the woman’s reflection.

She’s already moving toward me. Too fast. Her face is hard, her eyes fixed on me with a cold, almost sinister intensity that sends a jolt of fear through me. I barely have time to turn before she closes the distance.

Something sharp pricks the side of my neck. I gasp and shove her away with all the strength I have. “What the—”

She stumbles back, but the room is already tilting. A wave of dizziness crashes over me, stealing the strength from my limbs. I reach for the sink, but my fingers slip against the porcelain.

My vision blurs. The last thing I see is the woman running off and Dimitri barging in.

“She… did something to me,” I manage, then everything goes black.

Chapter 24

Roman

I sit at the head of the conference table, listening as one of my men goes over the latest figures from our Chicago operations.

“The new distribution route is already cutting transportation costs by eleven percent,” he says, sliding a folder across the table. “If we increase shipments through the western corridor, we can push that closer to fifteen percent by the end of the quarter.”

I skim the figures before looking up. “And the security costs?”

“Higher than projected, but manageable.”

“Then keep the route. I don’t care about saving money if we’re compromising security. I want the additional men assigned before the next shipment moves.”

Everyone around the table nods, and the discussion continues. We move through the expansion plans, the new casino project, and the negotiations with the business partners we’ve been working to bring into the organization.

My phone begins to ring. I glance at the screen, Dimitri. I silence the call and set the phone facedown on the table. I’ll call him back when we’re finished.

Less than a minute later, the phone rings again, and my attention immediately snaps to it. Dimitri knows better than to interrupt a meeting unless it’s important.

Something is wrong. I push my chair back. “Excuse me.”

I step out of the conference room and answer the call. “Dimitri.”

His breathing is uneven. “Boss—”

“What happened?”

“It’s Aurora.”

My entire body goes still. “What about my wife?”

“She passed out.”

For one second, I don’t understand the words. “What?”

“She passed out on the bathroom floor of a café. She went to use the restroom, and I was waiting outside. Then I heard her scream. I rushed in, and she was already on the floor.”

My heart slams against my ribs. “What the fuck do you mean she passed out? Who was with her?”

“There was a woman. She ran past me as I was getting to Aurora. I tried to follow her, but I had to make sure Aurora was okay first. By the time I got back up, she was gone.”

“What woman?”

“I don’t know. I found a syringe beside Aurora. I think she must have injected Aurora with it.”