Russian Roulette: Family secrets [2021 version]

Ch. 47: Malen'kiy drakonchik

Two days.

It had been two days since Gareth disappeared.

No word, no nothing.

Simply gone.

A muffled sort of low-buzz talking sounded all around her. Mackenzie could not make out any actual words. People moved in slow motion and were hard to distinguish from one another, because everything blurred from the tears that unendingly leaked from her eyes.

Phoenix's long, comforting arms stayed wrapped around her. Like they had been for most of the time since that dreadful morning when she had woken up alone in the apartment with what seemed like a hangover from hell.

At first, she had thought Gareth had made another attempt at breakfast. He had been so passionate and caring the night before, and he might have wanted to give breakfast a do-over. To fix the mistake of his failed cooking venture by trying again.

Gareth did not like to fail at anything.

But there had been no smell of coffee, no pots or pans stirred, no light on in the kitchen, and nothing had smelled burned at all.

Just emptiness.

It had taken her a while before she had noticed his belongings on the kitchen island. She had gone through the entire apartment and looked for him before she had ended up in the kitchen again. His office had been empty and neat, as always. The pool untouched. Though in January, Garreth liked a morning swim in the heated pool.

He had been nowhere.

Mackenzie had hoped he had gotten called to a meeting or something, though Gareth usually let her know, even if it meant briefly waking her, or at least he left her a note. There had been no messages on her phone from him, either. Since it was plausible, he had wanted her to sleep after their night and a text was information enough.

But no.

The instant she had seen his things on the counter, she had known.

That stupid man had done something she was not sure she could ever forgive him for.

The passion and need the night before had been a goodbye.

She should have realized that.

The need for a perfect moment in time, tarnished by his actions afterward.

It had been the weirdest feeling. Mackenzie had been in a straight-out panic, yet everything she had done happened in a slowed-down daze. She had called Phoenix, who had alerted everybody. Their security teams from the apartment below theirs had come up and helped her pack some things, glancing nervously at her the entire time. Probably afraid she would break down. They had taken her to the PamHotel where Phoenix had arranged for everybody to meet.

And by everybody, it meant everybody.

The banquet hall, Phoenix had booked for an extended period, was already flooded with people when Mackenzie arrived. They had all been hectically at work, doing whatever they got assigned, and had respectfully let her through, without asking her questions or bothering her.

Only looks of concern and sympathy followed her as she had entered the floor of the banquet hall.

Cracker and Oleksander had set setting up a command central with Vadim. Jace had been on the phone, and Vasili had barked orders at everybody, whereas Phoenix simply waited for her.

He knew she had needed somebody to cling to in her turmoil of fear and sadness.

For two days, they had sat joined at the hip. Phoenix had held her and comforted her with words and small kisses on her hair, just like Gareth did.