When he finally starts to quiet, I lean in. “Who coordinated the breach?”
Pavel sobs and swallows. “Dmitri.”
The name matches records that we pulled earlier, and it tells me Pavel isn’t just yelling out a random name.
I keep my voice steady. “Dmitri who?”
“Solinaya,” he whispers.
“Good,” I say.
Pavel shakes his head, tears running down his cheeks.
“The only thing I did was carry something, I swear to God,” he sobs.
“What did you carry?” I ask curiously.
“A phone,” he says. “A burner. Dmitri said it had to get into the house. He said the girl’s father needed to speak to her.”
That aligns with what I learned from the driver’s nephew.
My jaw tightens. “Who gave you access?”
Pavel hesitates. I step closer and rest my hand on his shoulder. My grip is gentle, which makes him flinch anyway. He’s expecting more pain, and the anticipation is doing half the work for me now.
“Answer me,” I say.
He exhales. “One of your new guards. I didn’t know his name. Dmitri gave him cash and told him he’d die if he didn’t do it.”
“Describe him.”
Pavel stares at the floor, thinking through pain.
“Young. Brown hair. Scar on his chin. He kept looking over his shoulder like he knew he was dead already.”
Well, that’s sealed the kid’s death warrant. Once this is all over, I’ll have him taken care of. For now, though, all my attention is on Pavel.
Pavel tries to breathe through his sobs. “That’s all I know.”
“That’s not all you know,” I say.
His eyes widen. “I swear.”
I lean closer. “Dmitri coordinated the breach. Dmitri snuck in the phone. Dmitri knows where she is now. I need his location.”
Pavel’s whole face goes slack. “I don’t know where he is.”
“Then you’re useless,” I reply.
He shakes hard. “I’m not. I can help. I can get you into the wedding.”
I keep my voice calm. “How exactly will you do that?”
Pavel swallows, then forces it out. “They’re doing it in two days. Mikhail wants it to be a public spectacle. He wants it in front of everyone. He wants the whole city to see her as his.”
My jaw clenches. “Where is it?”
He shakes his head.