“What are you going to do?” Renat asks.
“She wants to go to the Enzos pretending to still follow their plan and then try to find Ruvim.”
“And… if she’s willing to do that we can finally locate them. Roman has been struggling, he can’t find anything and if he can’t find it you know it’s bad,” Renat says, heated and encouraged by the idea.
But I still hate the idea of Jade being at risk like that.
“Radmir, Ruvim needs us. She is our best chance,” Renat says.
I still can’t bring myself to agree to it.
“Are you scared she won’t go through with it? That she will back stab us again?” he asks, not letting this go.
“It’s just—“ I mumble.
“You have feelings for her,” he sighs, frustrated and angry with me. He pushes his fingers through his hair and shakes his head.
“Well, this is her chance to prove herself, Radmir. If you want to know if she genuinely feels bad about what she’s done, if you want to know if she is even worthy of your forgiveness or not—then you have to let her do this. She has to prove herself.” Renat is angry, desperate, and speaking the truth.
“Fuck,” I mumble.
“Radmir?” her voice makes me jump as she steps into the kitchen.
I look towards my brother before I look at her.
He nods, tilting his head to the side. A gesture that speaks a thousand words as his eyes bore into me.It’s the only choice we have. The only way to get Ruvim back. You have to agree to this.
With my jaw muscles tight, my shoulders tense and my heart beating angry and cold, I turn towards Jade.
“How will you do it?” I ask quietly.
Her eyes flicker a little wider. Hope.
She steps tentatively closer to me, notes my body language and stops. “I’ll leave from here and catch a taxi. On the way I’ll call Andrei and find out where I can meet him. I just need my phone. Andrei—I’ve known him for years, before my family even allied with the Enzos. He has no reason to suspect that I will be helping you.”
Renat reaches into his pocket and takes her phone out. He hands it to her.
She glances at me, waiting for me to argue, but I don’t.
She slides her phone to unlock it and reads through her messages, constantly looking up to watch me at the same time.
Then, she holds her phone out to me.
A message from Andrei on her screen.
It’s evidence that she’s willing to help, but it’s also evidence that she betrayed us. A message from the enemy. From the people who have my brother.
Andrei: Hurry up and get out of there. Let me know when you’re free. I can meet you.
“Answer him,” Renat demands. “Tell him you have a chance to get away this morning.”
Jade bites her lip as she types, then before hitting send she holds the phone up to us for our approval.
Jade: I can get away this morning. I’ll grab a taxi and come to you. Where are you? Is that asshole's brother somewhere secure?
“Sorry,” she mutters, looking at the floor while I read the message. I clear my throat and nod, my mouth pulled tight.
She hits send and we wait.