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The picture my daughter had drawn for her was posted on the refrigerator. I hadn’t even been able to go through Mina’s things or even to go through her sketch book. The thought alone had been too painful. I gingerly pulled the paper from under the magnet, my eyes drifting from one of us to another, including the dog that looked an awful lot like Shadow.

Yet she hadn’t even picked him out yet.

I traced the lines as memories resurfaced once again, only the vision was skewed by years and anger. From the fire that had killed my wife and destroyed my soul at the same time to the one at the restaurant.

And that one had claimed what had been left of my heart.

Even now, I could almost feel the smoke burning my throat.

A laugh tore through the melancholy moment even as I folded the picture, slipping it into my pocket. I hadn’t even thought about adorning the side of the refrigerator with my daughter’s art. Honoring her memory with her beloved sketch was the least I could do.

I continued moving through her apartment, flicking on lights and ensuring nothing had been disturbed. Inside her bedroom I sensed my resolve ready to crumble. I sat down on the edge of her bed and dropped my head into my hands.

Her scent was stronger in the room, a sweet floral with hints of citrus and exotic spices.

So very much like her personality.

The quiet was even more deafening than being inside my house. Even with the sound of traffic outside her window, there was an eerie sense of loss in a room filled with color and texture.

As with every moment of mourning, I was interrupted by my phone. Another unknown number. “Maxsim Aristov.”

“Maxsim. It’s me. I can’t talk long. I just wanted⁠—”

“Isabel.”

Silence.

“Isabel!”

I pulled the phone away from my ear. The call had ended abruptly.

CHAPTER 6

Isabel

“Do you trust me?” I whispered the question while holding Mina’s face in my hands. She was so cold, so tired and hungry.

Since agreeing to help the monster, we’d been given more food and a couple of showers. Thankfully, she’d eaten and appeared in relatively good health, but her spirit had been completely broken.

Witnessing the light leaving her eyes day after day had taken the kind of toll that had fueled my rage to the point of being uncontrollable.

But instead of reacting or even acting out in any way, I’d become even more docile and observant. I’d wanted them to believe they’d also broken down my barriers.

That had allowed me more leeway in finding hidden treasures. In keeping us at the warehouse, there’d been more opportunities to snatch implements I could use as both weapons and for removing the screws in the lock.

I’d calculated timing and had seen two possible exit points, one being in the dormitory-style shower that we’d been allowed to use. With the window in an odd location, there was a chance we could get away without anyone noticing.

What I didn’t know was whether there was a security system, but since I’d heard more noises including in the middle of night, I’d realized their illegal activities were done in the wee hours of the morning.

At least that’s what I was hoping. I’d even been lucky enough to find a pen-style flashlight, a true godsend. As much as the only weapon I had. The letter opener had fallen to the floor the first time I’d been in the old bastard’s office. The second time and after I’d done his blasphemous recordings, I’d noticed it.

She nodded before pressing her head against my hand.

“Okay, sweetheart. We’re getting out of here tonight, but you need to follow my directions. Okay?” While I’d tested to ensure there weren’t any listening devices or cameras, I wanted to take every precaution. We’d have one chance at this. One.

Not knowing where we were and without having a dime to my name, even if we were successful, finding anyone who could help us would be dicey. At least I’d begun to suspect we hadn’t been taken out of the country.

But at this point, that helped very little. The reason I felt a sense of urgency was from the actions of the soldiers even as they’d come to feed us. I’d overheard one of them say things were about to change.