Chapter 62: : Chapter 62

“Alert security,” I growl. “She has to be here somewhere.”

Kirill eyes me warily. “When did you lose sight of her?”

“Just a few minutes ago. I was following her—” Desperate for the fuck that we were both teasing each other with all night— “and then Kostya intercepted me and got in my face about some unruly son of a bitch in the VIP section. By the time he finished talking, she was gone. She was heading to one of the bathrooms.”

“Bathrooms. Got it. I’ll start with the one on this floor.”

I stride towards the first mezzanine. She was probably put off by the crowds on the ground floor. I’m trying as hard as I fucking can not to panic but there’s this gnawing feeling in my gut that’s eerily familiar.

It’s the same one I had the day of the accident.

Something’s not right. She should have returned from the bathroom by now. More importantly: I should never have let her out of my sight.

“Ruslan!” Kirill reappears and trails me to the second mezzanine. “The bathrooms on the base level are clear.”

I follow an empty corridor off to the left. It leads to a few private rooms that VIPs can book at their discretion. As I walk, I try calling Emma again. The ringtone is loud and clear—and echoing down the corridor.

Kirill and I run towards the sound… only to find her phone face down on the floor.

“Fuck,” I growl.

“It’s possible she dropped her phone.”

“This is not a fucking accident, Kirill,” I snap. “This is someone’s doing.”

I keep walking until I hit the staircase. I freeze at the landing when I see her body crumpled at the bottom of the steps.

“Call an ambulance,” I yell. “Now!”

In my head, one thought beats like a fucking drum.

No.

No.

No.

Not again.