Millie leaned into Dmitry, fingers clutching his arm as she threw her head back in laughter. They walked together toward the chapel. Leticia led the way, but every few seconds she looked over her shoulder as if to make sure the happy couple was keeping up. Even from this distance, I didn't miss the scowl twisting her plastic lips. It formed of its own volition whenever her eyes landed on Millie.

"It seems Dmitry has a fan club," Alex said. He stood at my side in front of our bedroom window, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You caught that too?"

"Volkov is some kind of son of a bitch to make his son's mistress plan the wedding."

The mention of the bastard stirred rage in my gut. It was the same rage that had driven me to the streets night after night when we believed Millie had been murdered, and if given the chance, I would unleash it on him, driving my fist into his face until his bones crumbled beneath my knuckles.

"I don't like this."

Alex snorted. "And you think I enjoy this?"

"Of course not."

"You agreed to the plan when we talked to James earlier."

"That was before." Before Millie broke down in the chapel. Before I held her in my arms and prayed she didn't shatter beyond repair. And before I saw the bruises beneath her makeup. Shadows and a heavy hand with the foundation hid them the night before.

"She's fine. Dmitry won't hurt her."

Alex didn't sound certain about the last part, but he wasn't wrong. Not entirely. While no means out of danger, Millie was probably the safest she could be in this hell hole at Dmitry's side.

"None of this is going to work if she isn't—"

"There." I elbowed him and pointed at the lithe figure walking several feet behind the others.

Clothed all in black, Nadia stood out like a stain against the snowy canvas. From behind, I could tell her head moved from side to side—just slightly—as she searched the grounds for threats. Capable as I was certain she was, I couldn't help but think watching her guard Dmitry was a lot like asking a gazelle to guard a lion.

"James said open the door in five, four, three—"

Hand on the doorknob, I twisted it on the final count of one, and Alex and I exited the room. As we hoped, they stationed no one upstairs. Volkov put too much faith in his security systems, but since they weren't Reed Industries, they weren't reliable, and with James on our side, we could hack into their cameras whenever we desired.

With no one watching, we hastened our steps and moved toward the room we'd identified as Nadia's earlier, and once again, luck was on our side. It wasn't locked.

"Remember. If you have to touch something, take a picture before you move anything."

Alex made a childish mocking noise but tossed me a thumbs up. I smothered the urge to roll my eyes—one of us had to act like an adult—and scanned the bedroom. To be someone's personal space, it was decidedly lacking in... personality.

I didn't hold a lot of hope that we would find anything in here that would help us find Marcus, but we had to start somewhere. Nadia was not only Volkov's daughter, but apparently trusted enough to be present for the dirty work.

A sour taste coated my tongue. Millie told me about Antonia's murder, and as much as I hated my father, he had cared for the woman. I couldn't imagine what it was like to lose two women he cared for the way he had. Losing Millie had almost undone me, and I'd never even told her I loved her.

"Fuck."

Alex's head whipped around. He was squatting in front of a small white bookshelf. "You find something?"

Unable to form words, I shook my head. There was no way I loved her. Cared for her deeply, yes. I could admit that much.

Completely besotted and in lust, sure. The woman turned me on like no one I'd ever met before, but love... love was what I felt for the Reed's. For Alex and Mrs. R and for Marianna... They were family. Millie was practically a stranger. A stranger who made me feel whole.

"Lochlan, there's not much here."

Shoving my panicked thoughts aside, I nodded in agreement even while doing a quick loop. Nadia had pushed her simple, white bed into the corner, and in the opposite corner she'd put a bookshelf and armchair. This space was about function and making the most of the room.

It was disappointing but expected. Either way, we hadn't been willing to leave anything to chance. As soon as Millie could devise another distraction without raising suspicion, we would hit our next target. This one trickier. Dmitry.

I paused on our way out. Nadia's closet door was open, revealing mostly black attire, but at the bottom, its brown corner jutting out just enough to be visible, was a shoebox. The kind people used to hold keepsakes.

"Alex, wait."

Pulling out my phone, I snapped a picture of the door before edging it open enough to slide the box toward me. Footsteps sounded behind me as Alex approached, leaning over to get a better view as I slid the top off the box. What I found inside nearly sent me to my knees.

Alex's sharp intake of breath told me he recognized it, too. It was a lot dingier than it had been twenty-two years ago, and one of the ears had been sewn back on at least twice. And if there had been any doubt in my mind, the initials on the tag would have cleared it.

"Is that what I think it is?"

I took a picture and then slammed the lid on it. "It is. That's Marianna's elephant."