Page 37 of Vendetta Vows

I take a step back and point at Hannah. "Whoever hands her phone to me will receive full legal representation from Dragunov Productions for the duration of this investigation. No questions asked."

Hannah's eyes widen in horror. "You can't do that."

"Yes I can."

A burly key grip steps forward, his expression grim but determined. Without hesitation, he reaches around Hannah and snatches the phone from her back pocket while she struggles against him.

"I'm sorry," he mutters, not meeting her eyes as he hands the device to me.

"You can't do this!" She lunges for it, but I keep her at arm's reach easily enough.

"Hold her still," I tell the man, and he obeys.

I put the phone up to Hannah's face. The facial recognition kicks in, and the screen unlocks. When I look, I see the most recent slew of messages.

All of them from Aurora:

Aurora: Just got home.

Aurora: Packing now.

Aurora: Thank you.

Aurora: For everything.

I read them twice, feeling my chest tighten. Packing? She's running. But from what? Or from whom?

"Why is she packing?" I ask Hannah, turning the screen toward her.

Hannah works her lips as she stares at me. It's obvious that she knowssomethingthat I don't. Something about Aurora.

Slowly, she opens her mouth. "She didn't do anything wrong. I was just trying to protect my friend."

I nod at the key grip to release her and hand her phone back the moment he does.

"If you truly wanted to protect her, you would've told me the truth when I asked."

She clutches the phone to her chest like a shield. "You don't understand?—"

"What I understand is that Aurora is the only person who might've seen something. And based on everything that I've seen so far, I have every reason to believe that she's in danger."

Hannah's eyes widen with genuine terror. "What do you mean?"

"Mikhail's death is no accident. Someonewantedhim dead. And whoever did that will want to eliminate witnesses and tie up loose ends." The words taste bitter on my tongue. "And unfortunately for Aurora, she's a loose end."

Hannah fumbles with her phone. "I need to warn her?—"

"No, you don't."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing. You're going to do absolutely nothing. You're going to cooperate with the investigation when they come. You will tell them exactly what you told me, and nothing more. Especially what I just told you."

I stride towards the exit, pausing only to address the production manager hovering nearby.

"Forward any police inquiries to my office," I instruct him, not waiting for his nod of agreement.

"Wait! Where areyougoing?" Hannah calls after me, her voice edged with desperation.

---