It’s a grainy street photo. He’s staring straight ahead, expression empty. He appears high and…vacant. Adriana’sbeside him, sunglasses on despite the cloudy sky. His hand rests on her lower back. They look like they’re trying not to be seen. Heather must see it on our faces, because she rushes over. The headline punches me in the chest.
DISSONANCE FRONTMAN JUDE GRAVES OFF THE RAILS IN MOSCOW?
Heather covers her mouth. “Oh my god…”
I swallow hard. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”
Emma braces herself against the table, palm flat on the wood like the room just tilted. She’s staring at the image like it’s breaking her heart. That’s Jude...but it isn’t. I hate that I recognize that look on his face. I've seen it more times than I'm fucking comfortable with.
“Okay,” Emma says quietly.
I look at her.
Her eyes are glassy but focused now. She lifts her chin. “Let’s pack for New York.”
"Are you okay?" I ask, watching her face.
"I'm fine," she replies quickly. "But he isn't."
And just like that, the grief turns into war. She’s angry, and so am I. Fuck those motherfuckers for forcing my best friend into a life of hell. We’re going to save him. Together.
I nod once. “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s go.”
Chapter five
JUDE GRAVES
I feel so fucking out of place here. Adriana keeps me close, steering me with a hand at my back, leaning in like we’re lovers instead of whatever the hell this actually is. Her mouth brushes my ear as she speaks. “This is your life now,” she says quietly. “Might as well make it somewhat enjoyable instead of moping all the goddamn time. How many times do I have to say that?”
I exhale through my nose. “Yeah. Guess so.” Resignation tastes bitter, but it goes down easy like a pill I know will calm my pain. So fuck it.
Alexei finds us near the event bar, a smile already in place. “Jude,” he says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “How are you liking the car?”
“It’s…great,” I say. “Thank you.”
He grins wider and gestures for us to follow him. We move through the crowd, where I catch fragments of conversations here and there. Names, numbers, and the casual talk of money and crime like it’s some casual shit like the weather. I see people who look like they have more money and power than anyone Nolan partied with in the States. We've stepped into a territory even he isn't familiar with. This isn't good.
Alexei stops us in front of three men. They’re all older, extremely clean-cut, with eyes that make me uneasy. He sounds like he introduces me, but in Russian. Then, in plain english, “My new investment.”
The word punches me in the goddamn face.
Investment.
Nolan steps in beside us, grinning like the pompous dick he is. They smile, congratulating him, and talk about future opportunities and possible partnerships with various drug routes in the States. Nolan brags about how much money he’s laundered through my performances, and Alexei nods approvingly. He believes he's found a little fish with a decent pond. But I can tell that he is just going to decimate it.
“Jude’s a solo man, now,” Alexei says, clapping me on the back.
One of the men smiles slowly. His gaze not only crawls over Adriana, but over the women passing by, like he’s assessing them. It’s creepier than just admiring. Adriana’s spine stiffens.
“Pleasure,” the man says. “My name is Vlad. I handle logistics. People, mostly.”
Human trafficking,my brain supplies.
I swallow.
Jesus.We really are in deep shit here.
Nolan continues talking to him, seemingly unnerved by the way Vlad looked at Adriana. Eventually, the men drift away,leaving Adriana and me alone once more. Her hand slides down my arm. Vlad made her nervous, I can tell. As much as she wants to think she’s a bad bitch in this industry, she’s still a woman. And that alone is dangerous in the criminal world. And I think she was just reminded of that.