Chapter 38

SILVIO

Russia was as cold as I remembered—probably colder than my eyes as I looked at Nikolaev. The cold seeped through the thick layers of clothing and settled deep within my chest, making me feel as if I’d never felt the warmth again. I never liked Russia, and that was the reason why I avoided doing business with Nikolaev. I couldn’t stand the weather.

But just like last time, here I was, and this time, with ulterior motives.

The moment it was inveterate Sadie was kidnapped, I felt my body numbing, it was a kind of reaction that left Micah stunned too. I wasn’t screaming, I wasn’t yelling, yet a chill ran down my spine, for the first time in several years. Something I have never felt after my mother died—

I swallowed. Not dead. She was still alive.

It should have brought warmth to my chest, yet all it brought was coldness, the glacial embrace of the past and memories I thought I had forgotten.

“Maybe you should reconsider your plan.” Nikolaev’s