“Where the hell is she?” he murmured in a way he wouldn’t to anyone but his brother.
“I wish I had the answer, Shiv.”
—:—
Orina looked into the most beautiful deep gray eyes that had ever graced the universe.
Kazmir wasn’t just the heavens’ most beloved angel given to her as a precious gift; he was Orina’s world, and she would do anything to protect him.
“What shall we do today?” she whispered, kissing her baby’s brow.
Kazmir cooed and gave her one of the sweet smiles Orina craved.
She heard the burner cell she kept near the bedside table vibrate and ran to grab it.
“Losha,” she heard the woman’s voice say. “It’s Zary.”
Only then did Orina speak. No one else knew the phone’s number, but she wasn’t foolish enough to think it would stay that way. United Russia’s reach was global, and eventually, regardless of what fail-safes she put in place, they’d find her.
“It’s over, Losha,” Zary told her. “You can come out of hiding.”
Zary had told her the same thing over a month ago, and if it were only her life at stake, maybe she would’ve believed the words of the only person worthy of her trust. As it was, she couldn’t be too careful.
“Where are you, Losha?”
She could hear the desperation in her friend’s voice, and understood that she would’ve felt the same way if the situations were reversed.
“I’ll be in touch—”
“Wait, don’t hang up. You should know that Shiver—”
From the other room, Kazmir began to fuss. Orina immediately ended the call but knew it hadn’t been quickly enough. Zary had to have heard the baby’s cries.