“Midas?” Again, he nearly battered his phone to pieces on the elevator wall. Had she somehow been part of this? Tricking him into going to his mother and risking both their lives with whatever sedative had been slipped into their food?
“The other one,” Androu said. “I think. Feodor stopped responding to my texts, but the last I heard, Hercules was bailing her out.”
“She was arrested?”
Hercules had brought her a clean set of clothes to change into—men’s drawstring pants and a T-shirt that was likely tight on him and hung loose on her. Ilona changed into them for the drive to his place where he made her one of his fancy coffees from his espresso maker.
He took his phone into his bedroom when Odessa began ranting over video chat about the scandal Ilona had brought to the family name today.
Ilona could still hear both sides of the conversation. Hercules occupied an upper-level floor of an industrial building. His bedroom was behind a partition made of glass cubes. The only door in the place was on the toilet. The rest was open concept with easels and canvases before the tall windows. Brushes and rags were littered everywhere, all emitting the chemical scent of paint and turpentine.
When there was a buzz for the service elevator, Ilona reached to press the button, but paused. Feodor was bringing her phone and purse, but she had been burned too many times lately.
She opened the call to the speaker below. “Feodor?”
“It’s me,” Leander said. “Midas drugged me. I just woke up.”
“I don’t care.”
“What do you mean you don’t care?” he thundered. “I would have been there, Ilona. I wouldn’t have let that happen to you.”
“But you did.” For the first time since the cold handcuffs had encircled her wrists, her eyes grew hot and her throat began to ache with a pressure she wasn’t sure she could withstand. “I told you I didn’t want to be in the middle of this war of yours. I told you I didn’t want to trust you because you would only let me down.”
“I’m here now. Let me up.”
“Don’t,” Hercules said, appearing from behind the partition.
“Is she there with you?” Odessa cried.
“Don’t tell Midas,” Hercules warned his mother, but they both knew she absolutely would.
The threat of having to face Midas was horrible enough Ilona knew she had to leave. She pressed the button to allow Leander up.
Hercules told Odessa he would call her back, then glared at Ilona. “Why did you do that?”
She didn’t get a chance to reply. Leander appeared in the cage of the elevator like an angry god. He raked back the grill with a clatter, stepped in, then halted to stare at her.
She didn’t move, but the shock was wearing off and hatred was seeping in to take its place.
“Get the hell out,” Hercules told him. “Leave her alone.”
“You’re the hero now? When you’re letting your brother assault her and manufacture drug charges against her? You and I will settle our differences in due course. Right now, I’m taking Ilona home.”
“You think you’re on the high ground?” Hercules scoffed. “You only tried to marry her to get your hands on our company! Do you realize that, Ilona?”
Leander transferred his sharp gaze from Hercules to her. “You haven’t told him?”
“Told me what?”
“I’m too ashamed,” Ilona said, purely out of malice.
Leander flinched and she immediately felt small, but Leander told Hercules, “We’re already married.”
“Ilona,” Hercules breathed in horror. “You didn’t.”
“Tell your brother his attempt to stop our wedding didn’t work. Let him know that investigators are already looking for the attendant who poisoned my mother and me as well as any connection he has to Ilona’s arrest. You should be asking yourself how much longer you’re willing to cover for him because I am very, very angry and I will not stop until everyone who played a part in this is extremely sorry.”
“I—” Hercules was shooting his gaze back and forth between them, the helplessness in him breaking her heart. He was still there on the inside, caring for her, but not enough. Not even enough to save himself.