I nodded at the client and got up. I had to find her before she left. She was surely at the back with her friends. I headed tothe door, reading ‘Back Stage.’ I pushed the door open slowly. Her scent hit me as I walked through. I could smell her. But I couldn’t see her anywhere.
Everyone inside turned and looked at me. I noticed some of the models weren’t impressed by my presence. Yet, I didn’t care. Ignoring their glances, I searched the faces. I was determined to get her tonight.
Chapter 6 - Clara
I was trying to listen to the conversation when I saw the guy. The one from the library came towards us. He waved at me, but I ignored him, hoping he would go away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pushing through the crowds.
“Clara, Clara, I was looking for you,” he huffed as he got closer.
“Great,” I replied. I could hear the sarcasm in my tone. “I’m a bit busy at the moment. Can we do this later?” I added, turning to my friends.
I moved with them as they headed to their dressing stations. I noticed he was still hovering around. I didn’t want to draw attention or make a big deal out of it. He seemed to just be a guy who couldn’t take no for an answer.
He stepped in before me as I was about to enter one of the dressing rooms with my friends. “Clara, please, can we just talk quickly?” he said.
Smiling at my friends, I nodded, indicating that I would be with them shortly. Grabbing his jacket sleeve, I pulled him to the side as I spoke. “Please leave. Can’t you see I’m with my friends?”
He smelled like cigars. But there was a minty odor as well. As he spoke, I could smell the liquor on his breath. I had to turn my head away to prevent myself from gagging.
“Yes, I can,” he replied. There was a hint of irritation in his tone. “But I don’t like the way you simply dismissed me.”
I tried moving back as he honed in, but my back was against the wall. “Please, I’m sorry, but let’s not do this now?” I pleaded. I was trying to push him back as I felt my throat closing.
“No,” he huffed. I could feel tiny droplets of spit landing on my cheek.
Closing my eyes, I prayed that someone would come out and pull him away. Then, the weight before me disappeared, and I heard him grunting. Opening my eyes, I saw Iosif standing there.
He was gripping the guy's hand, bending it back as he spoke. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” With his other hand, he grabbed the guy’s collar and started dragging him down the corridor.
The door he was heading for led out back behind the building. I realized that things were about to get really sticky if Iosif was indeed the man I thought him to be.
“Iosif,” I pleaded as I followed him out. “Please, let him go. He’s a nobody, please.”
He stopped and turned slowly toward me. I could see a fire raging in his eyes. He let go of the guy’s collar but held onto his hand. As he pulled his hand back further, he spoke gently to me. “Clara, please go back inside, let me take care of this for you.”
I didn’t want trouble. Heck, I couldn’t afford to bring attention to myself; Kolya would kill me if I did. “Please, Iosif,” I pleaded, moving closer. I gently took his arm as I continued. “He’s not worth it.”
Iosif looked at me, his blue eyes blazing. “Okay,” he replied softly as he let go. Turning to my co-worker, I huffed at him as he stepped forward. “Get out of here and stay away!”
The guy scrambled to his feet and headed off. We stood for a moment, watching in silence as he disappeared around the corner.
Chapter 7 - Iosif
Once the plane landed, I was eager to get going. After Clara sneaked out at the fashion show, I’d been having a hard time finding and tracking her. But there was no escape now. Using my Morozov-Dubow connections, I’ve managed to pin a location.
They discovered she had gone to another city, and there was no indication of how long she would stay. But talks on the wire had her there for at least a week. This was my last chance to get her and accomplish my goals.
I was ready for this cat-and-mouse game she wanted to play. As I unpacked my bag, I glanced out the window. It was beautiful. The sky was a bright blue, and there was no wind. It looked like a masterful painting with a cluster of little homes in the distance. They appeared nestled between the fields of flowers and tall trees.
She was playing with me, and I didn’t mind. Yet, I still felt immense anger at Kolya, her brother. What he tried to do almost cost my sister her life. That was unforgivable. I couldn’t let it go. He had to suffer. I would make sure it happened.
I didn’t care if it took days, weeks, or even months. I would make sure he suffered. He would break piece by piece once he realized I had his baby sister. There was no doubt in my mind that Clara had not told him about our interactions. If she had, he wouldn’t leave her side. He’s not reckless where she was concerned. But she was alone, so he knew nothing, and that said a lot.
Clara meets my gaze with fire in her eyes and a sly smirk on her lips. It seems she thrives on the tension of the chase.
That’s why she keeps on escaping. Every time I get close, I feel her in my grasp, then she turns and slips out. A twist, a move, or a well-placed word, and she’s gone again. Slipping through my fingers like smoke. It’s a game to her, and I’m sick of losing. Yet, I’ll keep playing for as long as it takes. But this will end sooner rather than later. I’ll catch her and never let go again.
I studied the two locations that Mila and Tasha gave me. She would most likely be at one of them, the Morozov-Dubow hackers had assured me. I called down to reception and asked my car to be pulled around.
