Chapter 8 - A Queen Without a KingThe apartment had one bedroom.
A refrigerator that hummed too loudly.
A fire escape outside the kitchen window.
And absolutely no bulletproof glass.
Sadi loved it.
Roman hated it.
He had not said so because he had promised space.
But the security detail parked across the street in a painfully obvious black sedan suggested his feelings.
Sadi opened the window.
"Tell Roman the car is ridiculous."
The man in the passenger seat looked upward.
Sadi waved.
He slowly lowered his coffee.
She closed the window.
For the first time in years, she lived alone.
It was strange.
She cooked pasta.
Badly.
She bought grocery-store wine.
She assembled a bookshelf herself despite the instructions being written by someone who clearly hated humanity.
She slept diagonally across the bed.
She also cried.
Not constantly.
But unexpectedly.
While washing dishes.
While folding laundry.
While hearing a song Roman liked.
Love did not disappear simply because trust had been damaged.
That was the problem.
If she hated him, leaving would have been easy.
Instead, she loved him enough for the betrayal to hurt.
On the fifth day, a package arrived.
No return address.
Sadi froze.
Training replaced panic.
She did not touch it.
Called security.
The package was scanned.
Safe.
Inside was a chessboard.
Old.
Wooden.
Scratched.
Sadi recognized it immediately.
Her father's.
Her knees weakened.
A note lay beneath it.
YOUR FATHER LEFT YOU MORE THAN MONEY.
MIDNIGHT.
COME IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH.
No location.
Then her phone buzzed.
Coordinates.
Sadi stared at them.
She should call Roman.
She knew that.
Instead, she called the one person Roman would hate her contacting.
Elena answered on the first ring.
"You received something."
"How do you know?"
"Because Viktor likes theater."
Sadi looked at the chessboard.
"Was this my father's?"
"Yes."
"How did Viktor get it?"
"I don't know."
"I want to go."
"No."
Sadi laughed.
"You really are Roman's mother."
"Unfortunately."
"I'm going."
"Then don't tell Roman."
"Why?"
"Because he'll lock down three city blocks."
"Probably."
"And Viktor won't appear."
Sadi touched the knight piece.
"What do you suggest?"
"Let him think you're alone."
"And actually?"
"You won't be."
At 11:53 p.m., Sadi entered an abandoned church.
She wore no jewelry.
No expensive clothing.
No visible weapon.
Elena's people remained four blocks away.
At least, that was the plan.
Candles burned near the altar.
Someone was waiting.
Not Viktor.
A priest.
Or someone dressed like one.
"Mrs. Adair."
"My name is Sadi."
The man smiled.
"Your father said you would say that."
Her heart stopped.
"You knew him?"
The man removed his collar.
"My name is Gabriel."
"Where's Viktor?"
"Not here."
"Then why—"
"Because Viktor intercepted the same message you did."
Sadi backed away.
Gabriel lifted both hands.
"I worked with your father."
"Everyone apparently did except me."
"He wanted you outside this world."
"He failed."
"Yes."
Gabriel reached into his coat.
Sadi tensed.
He removed a small metal object.
A key.
"Your father gave me this twenty-two years ago."
"What does it open?"
"Nothing physical."
He placed it on a pew.
"Roman believes Sebastian's reserve is money."
"It isn't?"
"Not exactly."
Gabriel looked toward the dark stained-glass windows.
"Your father collected evidence."
Sadi's stomach tightened.
"Evidence of what?"
"Judges. Police. Corporations. Politicians. Criminal organizations. Every person who bought protection from Roman's father or Viktor."
Sadi stared.
"He built insurance."
"He built a weapon."
"Why give it to me?"
"Because he trusted no one else."
"I was four."
"He trusted who you might become."
Footsteps echoed outside.
Gabriel's face changed.
"Too soon."
"What?"
The church doors exploded inward.
Men entered.
Gabriel grabbed Sadi.
They ran toward the side aisle.
Gunshots cracked.
Wood splintered.
Sadi ducked.
Training.
Move.
Exit.
Don't freeze.
Gabriel opened a side door.
A man stood behind it.
Sadi reacted first.
She slammed the door into him.
Gabriel pulled her through.
They reached the alley.
A vehicle approached.
Not Elena's.
Gabriel shoved Sadi behind a stone wall.
"Run."
"I'm tired of people saying that."
"Get used to it."
He turned.
A shot echoed.
Gabriel jerked.
Sadi caught him as he fell.
Blood spread across his shirt.
"No."
He pushed the metal key into her palm.
"Chessboard."
"What?"
"The board."
His breathing became wet.
"Your father always hid answers in games."
"Gabriel."
"Find... E4."
His eyes closed.
Sadi heard engines.
She ran.
This time she hated herself for it.
But she ran.
She reached the street.
A black motorcycle stopped beside her.
The rider lifted his visor.
Arthur.
"Get on."
Sadi stared.
"Roman promised—"
"Roman isn't here."
"Did he send you?"
"No."
Arthur looked toward the approaching headlights.
"I quit."
"What?"
"Long story."
Another gunshot struck a parked car.
Arthur tossed her a helmet.
"Mrs. Roman, respectfully, get on the damn motorcycle."
Sadi did.
They accelerated into the night.
Ten minutes later, Arthur pulled beneath an overpass.
Sadi removed the helmet.
"You quit?"
"Temporarily."
"Why?"
"Because Roman ordered me not to follow you."
Sadi stared.
"And?"
"I disagreed."
Despite everything, she laughed.
Arthur looked almost embarrassed.
"You disobeyed Roman?"
"I've been with him nineteen years."
"That's not an answer."
"It means I've earned one suicidal decision."
Sadi opened her hand.
The metal key rested in her palm.
"E4."
Arthur looked at it.
"What is that?"
"I think it's where my father hid the truth."
Sadi looked back toward the city.
May you like
For the first time, she did not want Roman to solve the problem.
She wanted to solve it herself.
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