Chapter 3 - Someone Was Looking for Her
Lena knew something was wrong before she opened the door.
The lock was damaged.
She stepped backward.
Her neighbor Mrs. Alvarez opened her door.
“Lena?”
“Call the police.”
“What happened?”
“I don't know.”
Lena pushed her door open with one finger.
Drawers had been emptied.
Books covered the floor.
Her mattress had been overturned.
But her laptop remained on the desk.
Her emergency cash remained hidden inside a ceramic jar.
Nothing valuable was missing.
Someone had been searching.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Park?”
She recognized the voice.
“Nikolai?”
His tone changed immediately.
“What happened?”
“How did you—”
“Your breathing.”
Lena looked around the destroyed apartment.
“Someone broke in.”
“Leave.”
“I already called—”
“Lena. Leave the building.”
Something in his voice made her move.
She stepped into the hallway.
“I'm outside.”
“Go downstairs.”
“Why?”
“Because whoever entered your apartment wasn't stealing.”
Her stomach tightened.
“How could you possibly know that?”
“Because I'm looking at the police report being filed.”
Lena stopped.
“What are you?”
Silence.
“Nikolai?”
“Go downstairs.”
A black SUV stopped outside before the police arrived.
Nikolai emerged.
Lena stared.
“You got here in seven minutes.”
“I was nearby.”
“You're lying.”
“Yes.”
“At least you're improving.”
He almost smiled, but then he saw her shaking hands.
His expression hardened.
“Did they hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did anyone contact you?”
“No.”
“Did you take anything from my car?”
Lena stared at him.
“What?”
“The day you scratched it. Did you see anything inside?”
“No.”
“Think carefully.”
“I was too busy calculating how many meals eight hundred dollars represented.”
Nikolai turned toward Marco.
“Find out.”
Lena stepped closer.
“Find out what?”
Nikolai hesitated.
Then answered.
“Someone believes you saw something connected to me.”
“What kind of something?”
“The kind you shouldn't be involved with.”
Lena's face drained.
“You're not just some businessman.”
“No.”
“Nikolai Voss…”
Recognition finally arrived.
She had heard the name.
Everyone had.
“Oh.”
Nikolai watched fear replace irritation.
For reasons he didn't understand, he hated it.
“You're safe.”
“You don't get to say that after telling me someone searched my apartment because of you.”
“You're right.”
“Stop agreeing with me!”
“Would you prefer dishonesty?”
“I would prefer Tuesday, before I scratched your stupid car!”
Marco turned away to hide a smile.
Nikolai didn't.
For one second, Lena saw the man beneath the reputation.
Then three vehicles turned onto the street.
Marco touched his earpiece.
His expression changed.
“Boss.”
Nikolai immediately moved between Lena and the street.
“What?”
“Not police.”
Nikolai took Lena's arm.
“We're leaving.”
“I'm not getting into your car.”
“You are tonight.”
“No.”
“Lena.”
“Don't order me around.”
A window shattered somewhere above them.
People screamed.
Nikolai pulled Lena behind the SUV as his men surrounded them.
Lena's face went white.
“What was that?”
“Someone making a mistake.”
He opened the rear door.
“Get in.”
This time she did.
Nikolai climbed in beside her.
As the SUV accelerated away, Lena stared at him.
“Tell me the truth.”
“You won't like it.”
“I already don't like you.”
“That makes this easier.”
“Who searched my apartment?”
“A rival organization believes you were deliberately approaching me.”
“Because of a scratch?”
“Because I met you personally.”
Lena stared at him.
“You meeting me made me a target?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you meet me?”
For once, Nikolai Voss had no strategic answer.
He looked at her.
“Because I wanted to.”
May you like
And that frightened him more than anything that had happened that night.
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